Development

Recommended WordPress plugins

Website performance isn't decided by how many plugins are installed but by the code quality of each one. These are the foundation plugins Perxel uses, with a look at cost and what happens when a licence expires.

August 4, 2026

A common misunderstanding among site owners is to judge performance by the number of installed plugins. Some worry that every extra plugin slows the site down, while others install plugins freely to solve each need as it comes up.

In practice, performance isn't decided by the plugin count. It comes down to the code quality of each plugin and how well the person setting it up understands it. A well-optimised site installs only the tools its real needs call for, instead of chasing a fixed number.

Prices in this article are a rough guide at the time of writing. Licence costs, plans and limits can change, so check the official link for each plugin at the end of the article.

Core plugins

NectarBlocks

A page builder that extends Gutenberg, with visual layouts and deep responsive, hover and animation settings in the admin. On projects Perxel builds, the licence is included in the initial development cost, so the client pays nothing more for the life of the site. When the licence expires, the editor keeps working for editing content and duplicating pages. Only automatic updates and the cloud template library are lost. Official link: nectarblocks.com.

Gravity Forms

Builds contact forms, surveys and sign-up forms with complex logic. Perxel includes the licence in the initial development cost. After it expires, existing forms keep displaying, receiving entries and saving them to the database. Only version updates and extra add-ons are lost. Official link: gravityforms.com.

Rank Math SEO or Yoast SEO

Handles meta tags, sitemaps, schema and SEO-friendly content settings. The free version covers most of what a business site needs. The paid version is only worth it for special needs such as multi-location local SEO or advanced product schema. After a licence expires, everything already configured stays in place. Official link: rankmath.com or yoast.com.

Secure Custom Fields

Creates custom input fields in the admin so editors enter content in the structure the design expects. It is the official replacement for the free version of Advanced Custom Fields, and it is free. Official link: wordpress.org/plugins/secure-custom-fields.

Perxel Image Optimizer

Automatically compresses images and converts them to WebP without visibly lowering quality. It is an open-source product developed by Perxel, free, and on the roadmap for release on the WordPress.org plugin directory.

WP Rocket

Creates a static cache and compresses and optimises CSS and JS files to improve real loading speed. It is a paid plugin, but site owners can use free caching tools from WordPress.org instead, such as LiteSpeed Cache if the host supports it, to cut cost while keeping the site stable. Official link: wp-rocket.me.

Multilingual

When a business wants to reach international markets, translating the site is a big technical task. The most established tool today is WPML, which syncs posts, products and images and translates each string in the interface per language. On Perxel projects the licence is included in the initial development cost.

WPML is a suite of add-on plugins that run side by side and use a lot of server resources. On a site built with a heavy prebuilt theme, adding WPML can easily overload the system. On Perxel's custom themes the code is written lean from the start, so the system copes well even with the full WPML suite active.

Security and backup

Sucuri Security

Monitors file integrity, scans for malware on a schedule and detects unauthorised access. The free version on WordPress.org has all the basic monitoring features. Official link: sucuri.net.

Limits failed login attempts to block password guessing, hides the default login page and sets basic security rules. Plugins in this group, such as Kadence Security or Solid Security, have free versions that cover ordinary needs.

Akeeba Backup

Packages the whole codebase and database and stores them safely, ready to restore if something goes wrong. The free Core version handles manual backup and restore well. The paid version is needed when a business wants scheduled automatic backups and automatic upload to cloud storage. Official link: akeebabackup.com.

Admin utilities

Small tools, mostly free, that handle editing tasks and admin customisation:

White Label CMS. Customises the admin interface, hides unneeded dashboard widgets and sets up a dashboard just for the client.
AddToAny Share Buttons. Adds lightweight share buttons for social networks.
Regenerate Thumbnails. Rebuilds image sizes when the site's image size settings change.
Enable Media Replace. Replaces an old image or PDF with a new file without changing its URL.
Better Search Replace. Finds and replaces strings across the database in bulk, for example when changing a hotline number site-wide or moving to a new domain.
WP Mail SMTP. Configures an intermediate mail server so emails sent by the site reach the inbox instead of being marked as spam.

In short

Choosing plugins for a WordPress site doesn't follow a fixed formula. It depends on the real needs of each business. A durable, high-performance site is built on a lean WordPress custom theme together with a carefully chosen plugin list, with clear costs and licence risks over the long term.

Footnotes

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