Have you ever wondered if you really need all the WordPress plugins that you have installed in your theme?

In this post, I will try to comment on the proper use and selection of plugins to use for your WordPress site. I also invite readers to add their plugin suggestions in the comments section,  this way we enrich the post.

Does having too many plugins active affect your WordPress site’s performance?

WordPress started as a simple blog manager, but it has gradually become one of the most used CMS (Content Management Systems) in the world.

One of the main reasons for the success of WordPress lies in the countless plugins (applications that are installed in WordPress to give extra functionalities) that are developed every day.

There are plugins of all kinds, to improve SEO, to create forms, to insert Google Analytics or to improve security. There are plugins for almost everything you can imagine. But this that is presented as an advantage, can sometimes be a nightmare as some of these plugins or improper use of them can be the source of different kind of problems.

Discover the problems that WordPress plugins hide

1. WordPress compatibility problems

This is the most common problem with WordPress plugins. Maybe our version of WordPress is not updated and our plugin needs a newer version, or in the opposite case,  our plugin needs a previous version of WordPress to work correctly. In this last case, what we should do is update the plugin if there is an update.

• Recommendation: Change to another plugin that solves the same functionality and that allows you to have an updated version of WordPress.

2. Theme compatibility problems

Many plugins override in our WordPress theme necessary styles to correctly visualize their content, but by doing so they can visually affect other elements of your web page. Of course, it can also happen in the opposite direction, that our visual theme can affect the elements of the plugin.

• Recommendation: Edit the styles of the theme or the plugin and overwrite the styles that interfere, for which you need knowledge of CSS Style Sheets.

3. Outdated plugins

We will always insist on having the updated versions of WordPress and its plugins, and not only for security issues but also because an outdated plugin is more likely to be incompatible with another plugin and make both plugins work badly.

• Recommendation: Always have all the elements of your website updated.

4. Speed performance

A plugin is a double-edged knife, it extends the functionality of your WordPress but it also increases the load that the server has to process. In this article, you can find out how speed performance can affect your SEO.

• Recommendation: Use only the plugins you need and read all the requirements very well before installing it.

Conclusion: There is not a maximum number of WordPress plugins you should use

The reality is that there is not a maximum number of WordPress plugins you should use. In fact, according to some tests, the types of plugins you use have a larger impact than the amount you use.

Plugins are basically mini-applications that run on top of WordPress, and just like any other application, they require resources. However, most popular WordPress plugins are excellent when it comes to using a reasonable amount of resources.

In summary, if you’re using a decent hosting plan, you shouldn’t be scared to add more plugins if you need them, as long as you keep an eye on your site’s performance.

How should I decide if installing or not a new plugin on my WordPress site?

Maybe at this point, you are afraid of installing new plugins. You can rest easy, many developers are great at coding new plugins and you will not have any problem when installing them.

Here are our four recommendations when installing a new plugin:

1. Make sure you are installing a known plugin from trusted websites.
2. Read all the documentation beforehand and find the requirements it demands.
3. Find the date of the last update to see if it is up to date
4. Read the opinions of other users. This will give you some security when it comes to trusting the plugin.

Have you encountered any problem that you want to share? Tell us about your experience.