I’m assuming that if you’re reading this article, you have created a fully fledged WordPress site. Congratulations, you’re one step closer to reaching your blog or business’s full potential. Or maybe you write about gardening for fun, I don’t know. The point is: you made it.
But your site is probably lacking in some functionalities that you’ll need to take your site to the next level.
This is where plugins come in. They are the key to adding capabilities like eCommerce, social media, analytics, you name it.
To get your site where it needs to be, I’ll take you through the process of finding and installing the plugins you need, and the best marketplaces for WordPress plugins.
What is a WordPress plugin?
The best way to understand WordPress plugins is to imagine your website as your house—dare I say, your home? Plugins are like the household appliances—lamps, air conditioners, microwaves—that you literally plug in to add onto or extend the functionality of your home.
In your house, the way to plug in is a cord. With your website, the way to plug in is through integrating code written by developers into it. These codes are packaged together and called “plugins.”
Some WordPress plugins are intended to enhance the front-end of your website. Users can see and/or interact with these plugins. Some examples of these kinds of plugins include social sharing buttons, email subscription sign ups, chatting capabilities, and image galleries.
Other WordPress plugins are for the back end of your website. They can tell you about or optimize the functionality of your website from behind the scenes. Some of these plugins include SEO optimization tools, security scanning, spam protection and backups.
WordPress Marketplaces: They’re like Ikea.
If you want a new lamp, you go to Ikea. If you want a new newsletter plugin, you go to a marketplace.
Marketplaces are where developers put up their products (including themes and plugins) to be installed by you. Some are free, and others are not. All of them (or, most of them) are well thought out. Each one serves a specific purpose, but they all are meant to improve and increase the level of functionality for your website.
So marketplaces are maybe like less standardized Ikeas. I don’t have a good analogy for this.
The common line of thought among website builders is that plugins slow down your website. This is kind of true: front-end plugins will slow down your site, while back-end ones will not.
What slows a site down for the user is files. Loading more files, and bigger files, will slow a site down. It takes time for a browser to deliver all of that information, and won’t show up for the user until all the file transfers are complete.
Only front-end plugins are sent from your server to a user’s browser. Back-end files are kept on your server, to be used only by you, on your own dashboard: your users will not be affected by how many back-end plugins you install.
Lessening the Impact of Front-End Plugins on Load Times
Before installing any plugins (or any more plugins), it’s a good idea to take into account how to lessen the cost of plugins in terms of load times.
My best advice for keeping load times to a minimum (because users will leave your site if it takes too long to load) is this: be choosy with your plugin installations.
If you have not installed any plugins yet: Make sure to choose only the ones you really need. Thoroughly examine each one, and make sure that you’re not getting any that have the same functionalities as another plugin.
For example, many people install a plugin that adds a social media widget to the site (which changes the design of your website to show social media icons), and then another social sharing button for the end of blog posts. Find one that can do both.
If you have installed plugins, and find that your website is running slower:
- Deactivate any plugins that are no longer useful to you. This is good from a load time and overall neatness perspective.
- Consolidate your plugins. There are many examples of duplicate functionalities, like the example above. Your plugins can’t talk to each other, so when a user loads your site, they’ll load two of the same kinds of files, which is just not useful. Comb through each one and find which plugins are duplicates, or if there is a better solution than having so many.
- Look up a list of notoriously slow WordPress plugins, and try to find alternatives to them.
- Continue to optimize your WordPress site for the best speeds.
If, after taking all of these steps, your website still runs slow, you need to weed out the plugin that is causing trouble. You can create a test site, like your original, and install WordPress plugins one by one. Continue running speed tests on your website until you find the one (or multiple) plugins that are making your site lag, and try to find an alternative.
Luckily, there are many WordPress marketplaces where thousands of developers are constantly releasing new plugins to replace slow ones. And they’re releasing plugins with entirely new functionalities.
10 Best Marketplaces for WordPress Plugins
- CodeCanyon: The largest repository of strictly third-party WordPress plugins to date
- Mojo Marketplace: A good starting place for beginners
- Codester: To get good plugins at the best prices
- App Themes Marketplace: Stocked with efficient plugins, themes and plugin bundles
- WP Engine: A curated list of plugins endorsed by those who know WordPress best
- Templatic: To extend your site’s functionality on the back-end
- Creative Marketplace: For aesthetic, interesting plugins (and aesthetics in general)
- Template Monster: For high quality plugins, and a well rounded service offering
- Graph Paper Press: Specifically for media based creatives
- WordPress.org: It would be just wrong not to include the originator of WordPress plugins
CodeCanyon: Best marketplace for third-party WordPress plugins overall.
CodeCanyon is well known in the independent plugin developer world. Which is good for WordPress site owners because their worldwide community has provided over 7,500 WordPress plugins. There is no other WordPress marketplace that offers this many choices. Each plugin is reviewed by CodeCanyon’s team for quality assurance.
The site neatly separates plugins by category, making it easy to find exactly the plugin you need. They have everything a blog or business would need, including security features, social media add-ons, and a CBD oil dosage calculator — because everyone needs that, right?
Their pricing structure is very straightforward. Add plugins to your cart, and check out. You can purchase added support for things like installation and troubleshooting.
CodeCanyon is the best marketplace for WordPress plugins if you want to find all the plugins you need in one place, which sounds super convenient to me. It’s a good place to go for interesting or niche plugins, too. Independent developers are good for that.
Mojo Marketplace: The go-to plugin marketplace for beginner WordPress users.
(Image courtesy of Mojo Marketplace.)
Mojo Marketplace has been around for a while now. But it’s selling point isn’t a vast array of WordPress plugins to choose from. Right now it has 62 plugins, which may not seem impressive. They have plugins that make your site look dynamic, and ones to expand functionality of it. When it comes down to it, Mojo Marketplace has what you really need, and a lot of support when it comes to getting the exact right plugin to meet your business’s needs.
A really nice part about Mojo Marketplace is that you can see a live demo of a plugin in action before buying it. When it comes to managing your plugin, support for each individual plugin is offered by the developer who made the plugin. So rest assured that if there are any issues with a specific plugin, you will be talking to the person who knows the most about it. Mojo Marketplace also offers help with managing and updating plugins, to ensure that they’re secure and continue to work properly.
Payment is very similar to CodeCanyon. Add plugins to your cart, and then check out. You can buy a plugin for one domain, five domains, or a developer license.
Mojo Marketplace is one of the best marketplaces for beginner WordPress site owners who have relatively straightforward site needs. It’s good for those who would like help installing, monitoring and updating plugins.
3. Codester: A low-cost plugin marketplace for frugal WordPress site owners.
(Image courtesy of Codester.)
167 unique, hand picked WordPress plugins on the Codester marketplace, all with a low price guarantee. Find newsletter, SEO, interface elements, backup and ecommerce plugins, among many others. Each plugin description lists exactly what it does, right on the product image, so you can easily move through the site to find what you need.
Their pricing structure is also simple. Add your plugins to your cart. Then choose whether you want a standard license to the plugin, which allows you to use it for one site, or an extended one, which allows you to use it for anything (except resale, that’s not cool, man). Both are really cheap, and along with the product itself you get free support, free product updates and quality assurance.
Why is Codester so affordable? First, there are no transaction fees for the buyer, so that cuts costs. Developers also make 70% commission from the sale, which is much higher than competitor marketplaces. They don’t need to overcharge to profit.
Codester is for cheap WordPress plugins that don’t sacrifice quality to cut costs.
4. App Themes Marketplace: For efficient WordPress plugins and highly compatible themes.
(Image courtesy of App Themes Marketplace.)
App Themes Marketplace currently has 295 WordPress plugins available for download, and way more WordPress themes than that. Many of the plugins for sale list themes that would best go with them. Developers leave detailed instructions on the best methods of using their product, and often, a live demo of their work. All products are reviewed by the App Themes Marketplace team. And most plugins are rated by actual users, almost all of them receiving 5 stars.
Related: Have no idea what WordPress themes are? It’s a common theme among new WordPress users (I’m not sorry for this pun.) Learn about, and find the best WordPress theme marketplaces here.
App Themes Marketplace also sells sweet bundles grouped either by topic (e.g. geographic location) or theme. Their ClassiPress theme, for example, is very popular in the classifieds world. On the flip side, if you purchase one of their themes, they usually throw in some extra plugins, like payment gateways, for free.
Pricing is, again, simple: add your plugins to your cart, and check out. There are no tiered options for purchase. What you see is what you get. Bundles are definitely a way to cut costs. And free plugins with theme purchases? We love free things here.
App Themes Marketplace is the best marketplace for high quality WordPress plugins that have been thoroughly vetted and approved by developers and users. If you aren’t dead set on a WordPress theme yet, I highly recommend purchasing an App Themes Marketplace custom theme, and pairing that with plugins that are highly compatible. Some themes and plugins so compatible, they were almost designed to be used together. Really, the same developer or team is likely to have made both.
5. WP Engine: Best curated marketplace for third-party WordPress plugins. It’s like a site directory.
(Image courtesy of WP Engine.)
All the marketplaces listed in this article so far are buyer-seller marketplaces, where developers put their plugin for sale directly on the website. They’re sort of like Etsy’s for themes and plugins. And many developers also sell their plugins on their own sites, like independent artists do when venturing out on their own with a well developed product.
Technically, WP Engine is not a direct marketplace at all. It’s like Google for WordPress plugins. The team at WP Engine has curated and categorized some of the best plugins out there. The site itself hosts links to developer websites on their own platform.
What’s in it for WP Engine, if actual products aren’t being sold on their site?
Plugins make WordPress sites better. With new tools, people are persuaded to use and grow their WordPress sites. WordPress sites pair well with WP Engine hosting. So really, WP Engine is kind of selling its own hosting solution here.
They’re their own plug. (Another pun. I wouldn’t blame you for dipping from my site now.)
Related: Thinking about the best web hosting for WordPress sites? Or wondering what the hell web hosting is in general? Click here and I will spill all the tea.
Subconscious WordPress web hosting advertising aside: If anyone knows WordPress, it’s WP Engine. They will have scoped out the best solutions for all your business needs. WP Engine made it easy to find and read about plugins. Goodbye copious research for the right plugin. The latest and greatest solutions are on Google-for-WordPress.
Get your plugins like you get your homework answers. (If you’re a minor, you didn’t see that.)
WP Engine is one of the best curated marketplaces, a place to find exactly what you need, and where to go to get it.
6. Templatic: For plugins to make site easier to use. And for directories? I don’t make the rules here.
(Image courtesy of Templatic.)
Templatic is nothing if not to the point (and I really appreciate it). There are many empowering plugins. Their uses are direct and simple to understand. There’s virtually no way you can have duplicate plugins, because each one serves a very specific purpose. This way, file size is cut down and you get only what you need.
There are several types of plugins. A large portion can act as directory add-ons, such as advanced list filers and proximity search. They also have an advanced appointment booking plugin for service based businesses.
They also have several plugins that will help you sell, including payment processing enhancement, review capability add-ons, and coupon managers.
Listed with each plugin description is its key features, a live demo, what kinds of people or businesses would benefit the most from it, and which WordPress themes it will work well with. Templatic has made the process of finding the right plugin very simple and straightforward.
To buy your plugins—surprise—add them to your cart, and then check out. With all of your plugins, you are guaranteed updates and support, access to installation guides and tutorials, lifetime usage license, and full source code.
Templatic is the best marketplace for WordPress plugins to make directories and improve sales functionalities. They are also the best marketplaces for WordPress website builders who are looking for easy solutions. And the marketplace is for users who want an easy-to-use interface.
Creative Marketplace: For WordPress plugins that add to site aesthetic (and might be useful).
(Image courtesy of Creative Marketplace.)
Creative Marketplace is more known for beautiful, industry specific templates. However, the company has also recently started adding plugins for WordPress sites. Some of them, like “Speed Up WordPress,” are useful. Others, like “Digitalsignagepress Base,” are meant to add to the aesthetic of your site. And others, like “UFO – Flying Saucer,” add…character, for sure.
Plugins are cheap, and what you see is what you get.
Note: this is an open source site, meaning that just about anyone can sell in the marketplace.
These plugins may not be as high quality as those on CodeCanyon or App Themes Marketplace. This is simply because they’re not going through a thorough verification process. Just ask questions before purchase and contact the developer if there is a problem. Most plugins on Creative Marketplace have a straightforward and easy installation process. There shouldn’t be any major issues.
Creative Marketplace is the marketplace for WordPress plugins that are, for the most part, aesthetically pleasing, or at least interesting. There are some useful plugins, in terms of functionality, on the site. But right now, this is not the place to go for anything more than a creative addition to your WordPress site.
They do have beautiful themes, fonts, images, you name it. So keep the marketplace in mind for other design aspects of your site. Your look and your brand are important. A fully fledged design platform like Creative Marketplace is equipped to help you solidify your image.
Related: What to see Creative Marketplace themes? Venture this way.
8. Template Monster: For high quality WordPress plugins, and well rounded site building in general.
(Image courtesy of Template Monster.)
Template Monster, although obviously widely known for their WordPress themes, is currently offering 42 high quality WordPress plugins. They are neatly categorized by topics, which range from business, to electronics, to design and photography.
You can buy plugins as a standalone product. But you can also add on a 1 year Positive SSL certificate, directory submission and organic link building. You cam also pay/hire a developer for 5 hours. These are all available as add-ons to your plugin purchase. Most plugins are limited to use for one site, and cost around $25, on average.
Of course, all plugins pair nicely with WordPress themes offered by the provider.
Template Monster’s selling point is that they can be your all-in-one design solution for your site. By pairing theme templates with plugins, security, assistance and site growth, and recommending hosting providers, this provider is an appealing WordPress solution to meet a lot of your site’s needs. And all on one platform.
If you are looking for well rounded site services and add-ons along with your plugins, then for you, Template Monster is the best marketplace for WordPress plugins (and themes).
Graph Paper Press: WordPress plugins for media focused projects and businesses.
(Image courtesy of Graph Paper Press.)
Graph Paper Press templates and plugins are designed for those selling prints, digital downloads and artworks. Really it’s for anything that would benefit from having a top notch photo gallery.
One plugin in particular, Sell Media, is packed with everything you need to sell your work. This includes the ability to sell membership plans, take online payments, add sales commissions for any contributors to your site, and upload your inventory in bulk. You can send out discount codes and free products to offer your newsletter subscribers with the plugin’s newsletter integration feature. You can view analytics sales and engagement reports. This one plugin is literally everything you could need for a digital product enterprise.
Graph Paper Press’s payment system differs from others, and is either the most or least appealing about it. You can either pay $12.42/month for access to all of the site’s plugins and templates, or a one-time fee of $399 for access to all current and future plugins and templates. Once a template or plugin is downloaded, it’s yours to keep and use forever. However, if you cancel your subscription, Graph Paper Press will not offer automatic updates and tech support for your products.
If you are in any way, shape or form reliant on, or selling, something that is dependent on visuals or downloading functionalities, Graph Paper Press is the absolute top tier marketplace for WordPress digital plugins.
10. WordPress.org: The granddaddy, and originator, of all WordPress plugins.
(Image courtesy of WordPress.org.)
It would be either foolish or insulting not to include WordPress.org on this list (I’m not sure which is worse.) They have the most extensive collection of plugins, both free and paid, to date.
This plugin provider has curated a list of approved third-party plugins, and have released plugins of their own. You can find pretty much anything you need to get any kind of site, in any kind of industry, up and running.
Every plugin listing has a detailed description of its functionality. Listings let you know which versions of WordPress it is compatible with, the number of programming languages it is offered in, and reviews. WordPress handles software bugs and updates for you, but support comes from a community forum. This is a potential downside of downloading plugins from this provider.
If you are looking for any general functionalities, like YouTube integration, or any big name plugins like Yoast SEO or PayPal integration, WordPress.org has it, or tells you where to find it.
No two sites have the exact same needs.
Your home is mostly about needs. It has similar needs to other houses, but not everyone needs exactly the same things. Your website—your online home—is the same way. Most sites will need similar plugins: payment methods, security features, blog functionalities. But yours may need special ones. Or you just want to find the best version of a plugin, in cost or capability.
The point is: plugins are what make your site a functional online environment, a place for your project or business to live. Go find the marketplace that offers the best WordPress plugins for you.
Go find your WordPress Ikea.
