To Plugin, Or Not To Plugin? That Is The Question

Adding features to your WordPress website is super easy with plugins.



Need a contact form ? There’s a plugin for that. Building a private membership area? Plugins can do that.



You can also find plugins for security, performance, layouts, content management, and countless other purposes.



With so many great tools to choose from, it’s tempting to fill your boots– and many articles will encourage you to do so.



Alas, the hard truth about WordPress plugins is that they can actually detract from your website.



To explain why, we decided to take a deep dive into the topics. Keep reading to discover the potential pitfalls of plugins, all the major upsides, and how to strike the right balance on your WordPress website.




Table of Contents
Are WordPress Plugins Good Or Bad? What Is A WordPress Plugin? Why WordPress Plugins Can Be Great The Hidden Costs Of Plugin Overload When To Use Plugins: Balancing The Benefits And Risks WordPress Plugins Vs. The Alternatives How To Evaluate WordPress Plugins 7 Tips For Better Plugin Management WordPress Plugins FAQs WordPress Plugins? Treat With Care




Are WordPress Plugins Good Or Bad?



DreamHost Glossary Plugin WordPress plugins are add-ons that enable you to extend the Content Management System’s (CMS) functionality. You can use plugins for almost everything, from adding e-commerce features to WordPress to implementing page builders or using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools. Read More



WordPress plugins are a bit like desserts — great in moderation.



Installing a few plugins can make your website a whole lot sweeter. They’re the sprinkles on your WordPress cupcake, unlocking additional features and improving performance.



This sugar rush can be addictive, and that’s where the problems begin.



Installing too many plugins (or the wrong sort) will likely make your site unhealthy and sluggish. Instead of adding improvements, you end up adding bloat. It can even leave your website vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.



So, how do you strike a balance? To answer this question thoroughly, we first need to get familiar with plugins.



What Is A WordPress Plugin?



A WordPress plugin is basically an extension that you can install to add extra features and functionality to your WordPress site.







Think of it like customizing your smartphone with apps: plugins let you tailor WordPress to your specific needs.



On a technical level, plugins are written in PHP code (and occasionally other languages) and “hook into” WordPress using actions and filters . This allows them to modify or add to the core functionality of WordPress without changing the actual source code.



Some plugins are self-contained add-ons that simply tack on some code. Others allow you to connect WordPress to outside services, giving you more functionality.



Most people who use WordPress for their site have at least one plugin installed. Some of the most popular plugins include:




Yoast SEO (660 million downloads)



Akismet (318 million downloads)



Jetpack (395 million downloads)



Wordfence Security (344 million downloads)




Just the top six names in the Plugin Directory have racked up over 1.6 billion downloads between them! And that doesn’t even count the plugins sold on developer websites and through third-party directories.



Why WordPress Plugins Can Be Great



There are good reasons for the popularity of plugins. Let’s quickly remind ourselves of the main arguments in favor of using them:



Plugins Make It Easy To Add New Functionality



Plugins allow you to extend the functionality of your WordPress website without writing custom code. This is hugely appealing if you aren’t an experienced web developer.



Even for people who do code, quickly installing an add-on requires much less effort than building and implementing functions from scratch. This particularly applies to specialized apps, such as SEO tools and e-commerce systems.



Plugins Give You Control



Most plugins come with an options panel. This allows you to adjust the behavior of your extended features through an accessible interface.







While it’s possible to build this kind of interface for custom features, the process requires advanced coding skills or a budget to pay professionals.



You Have 60,000 WordPress Plugins To Choose From!



Most content management systems allow you to add plugins, add-ons, or extensions. So, what makes WordPress unique? The large selection of available plugins.



Right now, there are around 60,000 free and premium plugins in the official WordPress Plugin Directory . From e-commerce tools to social media integrations, there’s a plugin to scratch whatever itch you have.



Plugins Are (Usually) Much Cheaper Than Hiring A Developer



Business owners who need highly customized features will sometimes hire a WordPress developer to build the specific functionality.



However, the needs of most site owners are covered by existing plugins that are free or very affordable.



To make a direct comparison, you can expect to pay between $29 and $44 an hour for a WordPress developer. To replicate even the most basic plugin, it will take them 15 hours. That means you’d need to budget at least $500 for the initial build— and more for future updates.



More functionality can cost up to $5,000 to build. So, even paying $150 annually for a premium plugin looks like a pretty good value.







Plugins Can Be More Reliable



Aside from cost, the main problem with hiring developers is finding someone who will do a good job. Many website owners can share horror stories about code gone wrong.



While the quality of plugins varies just as much, the WordPress Plugin Directory has a rating system that allows well-made plugins to rise to the top. The platform also shows you how often the plugins have been updated, and any outstanding issues that users have raised.



Most top plugins are maintained by development teams with significant resources, meaning updates can be pumped out regularly. As a result, bugs are fixed quickly.



The Hidden Costs Of Plugin Overload



Given all the visible benefits, it’s hard to imagine any downsides to installing WordPress plugins.



That being said, much like a rusting chassis or aging engine, the problems with plugins are real, and not always easy to spot. Before filling your garage with beautiful wrecks, it’s worth taking a look under the hood.



Reduced Site Speed



Whenever you install a new plugin, remember that you’re adding new code to your website.



Some of this code must be processed before pages are displayed. So, WordPress websites with many plugins tend to lag behind sites with a more modest selection.



The exact type of plugins you install makes a difference. Plugins that perform any of the following tasks are likely to slow you down:




Database requests: Plugins that display specific content, such as related posts, have to query your site’s database. This process adds to your load time.



Background processing : Some plugins alter your site’s database in the background. These processes take up resources, often slowing down performance.



HTTP requests : Plugins that customize the design of your WordPress website rely on extra CSS and JavaScript files, which must be loaded before each page is displayed.




These issues aren’t that noticeable when you have one or two plugins installed. But as your selection grows, so do the side effects.



You can verify this yourself using Google’s PageSpeed test.







Check your score with all your plugins running, and then restart the test after temporarily deactivating your inessential plugins. You’re almost certain to see an improvement.



The difference is especially pronounced if you use poorly made plugins. Inefficient code adds a burden to your site, forcing web browsers to jump through multiple hoops before displaying your content.



In other words, it can turn your online presence into a circus.