As 2024 wraps up, I’ve been reflecting on the plugins that kept my WordPress projects running smoothly. Here’s my roundup of the paid and free plugins I relied on.
Paid Plugins
- Gravity Forms
After an extended hiatus, I’m ecstatic to be back using Gravity Forms. It’s quickly reclaimed its position as my go-to form solution, and I’m looking forward to diving deeper into its features in 2025.
https://www.gravityforms.com/ - Advanced Columns Pro
It’s no secret that WordPress core layout blocks leave much to be desired. Advanced Columns Pro has been my reliable solution for easily crafting complex layouts, filling the gaps where core blocks fall short.
https://advancedcolumns.com/ - WP Migrate
Nothing stalls a project quite like environments falling out of sync. WP Migrate consistently proves to be the fastest and most server-agnostic solution for keeping development, staging, and production environments aligned.
https://deliciousbrains.com/wp-migrate-db-pro/ - Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
While I find myself using ACF less frequently as block development evolves, it remains unmatched when you need to move quickly. When time is of the essence, ACF still gets you further faster than the alternatives.
https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/
Free Plugins
- The SEO Framework
My top pick for SEO continues to deliver results without the unnecessary bloat.
https://theseoframework.com/ | https://wordpress.org/plugins/autodescription/ - Safe SVG
Safe SVG provides the security checks needed to safely use SVGs in WordPress.
https://wordpress.org/plugins/safe-svg/ - Block Visibility
Realistically I used it mostly for hiding and showing blocks at different screen sizes. But it has more features than you can shake a stick at.
https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-visibility/ - Performance Lab
If there is one plugin (that is actually a collection of plugins now) that truly increases performance, it’s this one. Modern Image Formats, Speculative Loading, and more.
https://wordpress.org/plugins/performance-lab/
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