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Do plugins slow down WordPress?
The short answer is that technically any code (plugins are basically pieces of code) can slow down a WordPress website when added. However, there are plugins that can actually speed up your WordPress website as well as improve its performance.
In this post, we are going to go over when and how to strategically add plugins, when you shouldn’t, which types of plugins to avoid as to not slow down or even harm your site as well as which plugins you should add to speed up and improve your WordPress site’s speed and performance.
Developers, bloated sloppy code and WordPress plugins.
I do wonder sometimes how many developers do some sort of profiling before coding plugins. The reason I ask is because it seems some devs do not make their code efficient at all, which can negatively impact the server on which WordPress runs on.
This issue was brought up in a thread on WebDevStudios forums regarding caching, but was quickly diverted into a more general discussion of plugin performance.
There were many posters reporting slowdowns in loading times when certain plugins were activated on their sites. I do not know for sure if all such claims are correct, but
I do believe there is some truth to them, due to the fact that I know at least one developer who does do profiling and optimization before releasing to the public.
When loading times go up, it is never a good thing; however, do expect an increase in server load if you do have many plugins activated. This implies that your site will not only slow down, but will be more prone to crashes too!
Here’s how to decide which plugins your WordPress website needs.
When it comes to WordPress plugins, you should only install those that are absolutely necessary for your site’s operation. This is the first rule of thumb when it comes to keeping your WordPress website running smoothly.
If a plugin does not serve a purpose on your site, do not install it! It will serve no real purpose and might even cause issues.
You should also note that there are some plugin types you should avoid. These include plugins that aren’t updated regularly or worse have been abandoned by their developer, it happens. Multi-use, Multi-purpose plugins, sorry Jetpack.
Don’t get me wrong, Jetpack is actually one of the most powerful plugins on WordPress, but unless you truly take the time to get to know all its features and power, it will just bloat your site.
However, don’t brush Jetpack off altogether, once you really get to know WordPress, you may actually see and be able to utilize its power!
If you’re going to use a caching plugin, make sure your caching service’s plugin is correctly configured for your site, so it will take care of all caching operations.
As to security plugins. You should definitely get one, but not just anyone. Do not waste your time and install one unless you fully understand what type of security plugin it is and how it works. But. I can’t tell you how many times having one has saved me a whole lot of hassle. Check out Wordfence and Sucuri.
The types of plugins you should always install on your site.
There are some types of plugins that you should always have active on your website. These include caching services as well as those that are meant to optimize your website. This can be in the form of image and code minification services, Google Analytics plugins and so on.
How many WordPress plugins is too many?
The short answer is that there’s no ‘too many’ when it comes to WordPress plugins, provided you have a hosting account with unlimited resources. If you do not, then you should make sure it does not result in a higher cost if your hosting provider starts charging you extra.
With that said, there are obviously some guidelines for how many plugins can be activated on a particular site without causing issues.
There is also the issue of compatibility to take into account when adding plugins to your website.
For example, some plugins will not run on the same installation of WordPress they were designed for (i.e they are meant for a different version) so you should always check compatibility before adding a plugin to your site.
Plugins that should be avoided due to possible server stress or malfunction.
There are certain types of plugins you should avoid running on your WordPress website. These include, or at least be weary of, are SEO-related plugins to your installation of WordPress, as these can cause compatibility issues with one another if installed on top of each other.
In general, you should always add plugins slowly and with care. Test each plugin on a separate installation before adding it to the main site, in order to avoid compatibility issues or malfunctions that can result in downtime.
This is especially true when you are dealing with caching services and optimization plugins, as they can easily cause server strain, if not properly configured.
When adding WordPress plugins, avoid compatibility issues by beginning with the least resource-heavy plugins available.
Another good practice when it comes to adding new WordPress plugins is to begin with the lightest versions you can find.
This is because heavy plugin versions are often updated rarely and will only cause extra strain on your site’s resources.
In general, you should add plugins that are updated more often and have a smaller footprint on your website’s speed and performance.
Avoid installing unnecessary WordPress plugins to limit compatibility issues, server strain and malfunction.
As a solution for avoiding most compatibility issues with various WordPress plugin types is to simply avoid installing the ones you don’t need, you will naturally avoid most types of malfunction due to plugin overload.
With that said, you should still be careful when it comes to plugins handling media files.
Even if they are not meant to actually touch the content on your site, some will copy over existing images or other files in the event that they are being used elsewhere – this can be especially true for image sliders and other similar plugins.
For this reason, it is always a good idea to have a plugin that will be able to restore the site’s content from backup in the event of malfunctions or server issues.
These often include file-specific plugins as well as those that can simply return your website to its initial state .
Of course, you should also always make a backup of your site before adding new plugins, in order to avoid situations where your files are modified or duplicated by plugins that handle media files.
Consider server load and compatibility issues when installing WordPress plugins.
As a final word on the matter of how many WordPress plugins you can have active at a time, you should always consider the server load and compatibility issues that might occur as a result of installing them.
Particularly with regards to optimization plugins, it is possible that they can cause considerable strain on your website’s resources, especially if not properly configured.
In general, keeping an eye on how many plugins you have activated will help you make the right decision when it comes to server performance and mitigating possible compatibility issues.
Avoiding problems caused by WordPress plugins boils down to basic planning and knowing, which plugins your site needs to function in the manner you want it, eliminating any unnecessary ones.
Outside of those, only add plugins that are cleanly coded, updated and managed regularly by the developer and can improve the speed and performance of your website!
In a way, a lot of problems related to plugins slowing down your WordPress site or worse comes down to just being unaware of how they work and what they should do for your site.
