Why lightweight plugins for WordPress? Because some plugins are bloated and slow down how quickly your web pages load. In turn, this annoys both people who visit your website and Google.
Should you always use lightweight plugins? No!
When certain functionality is essential to your website, and there are no lightweight alternatives – use the plugin that works best for you.
But, as a web designer I believe that when there are viable lightweight plugin alternatives – use them.
There is increasing demand for lightweight WordPress plugins, so you can try Googling function (e.g., contact form) and lightweight. You can also avoid many of the most popular plugins, as their endless addition of extra features often means they are bloated (Jetpack).
Yet, sometimes, it is helpful to be pointed in the right direction. So here are my favourite 21 lightweight plugins for WordPress.
1. Contact Form Plugins
A Heavy Plugin Option
Contact Form 7 is a popular contact form plugin. Yet, it is bloated! And, worse – the bloat loads on every page – even the ones that have no contact form.
Lightweight WordPress Plugins
Three lighter alternatives are Fluent Forms, Happy Forms or Simple Basic Contact Form. I have loved Happyforms, but I have now started using Fluent Forms.
2. SEO Plugins for WordPress
A Heavy Plugin
Yoast is the most popular SEO plugin on the market and it does a good job. I have used Yoast on one of my other ‘labour of love blogs’ and it has helped me rank in the top 3 against some big players. Yet, as they have grown in popularity they have added more and more features that are not strictly SEO. This makes the plugin bloated, which in turn, slows down your site.
Lightweight Plugin Options
Three lighter alternatives are the SEO Framework, SlimSEO and SEO Press.
3. Analytics Plugins
Heavy Plugin Options
Google Site Kit and WP Statistics are 2 bloated WordPress plugins that slow down how fast your site’s pages load.
Lightweight WordPress Plugin Alternatives
Use the CAOS (Complete Analytics Optimisation Suite) plugin or GA Pro to load your tracking code in the footer of your website and set it to update via Cron job.
4. Backup Plugins for WordPress
A Heavy Plugin
The Backup Buddy plugin is bloated, which slows down your site’s speed.
A Lightweight Option
UpdraftPlus is a lighter alternative. I prefer the paid premium version because it allows automatic backups prior to WordPress, theme and plugin updates.
5. Slider Plugins
Heavy Plugins
Slider by 10Web and Slider Revolution both have a reputation for being bloated and slow.
Lightweight WordPress Plugin Options
Nivo Slider and Metaslider are good, lightweight alternative WordPress plugins. I prefer Nivo Slider. But Metaslider is free!
6. Gallery WordPress Plugins
Heavy Options
Fancy Gallery and NextGen Gallery are 2 bloated gallery plugins.
A Lighter Alternative
In my experience, MEOW Gallery is the best lightweight alternative plugin.
7. Translation Plugins
A Heavy Plugin
Google Translate slows down your website. WPML used to be slow but has improved in the last 2 years.
The Lightweight Alternative
8. Page Builder Plugins for WordPress
Heaviest Popular Options
Elementor, Divi and Beaver Builder slow down the sites the most.
A Lighter WordPress Plugin
If you must use a page builder plugin, go with Bricks.
8. Block Library Plugins
Slower Plugins
All block library plugins are faster than page-builder plugins. Out of the 4 block plugins I tested, the 2 slowest were Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg and Ultimate Blocks.
Faster Block Plugins
The 2 fastest block plugins were GenerateBlocks and Kadence Blocks. GenerateBlocks was 7 times faster than Ultimate Addons for Guttenberg and 3.5 times faster than Ultimate Blocks. GenerateBlocks was also 2 times faster than Kadence Blocks. It is one of the plugins I regularly use.
9. Social Sharing WordPress Plugins
Heavier & Slower Options
According to WP-Rocket’s testing, AddThis and Kiwi are the 2 slowest and most bloated social sharing plugins.
Lighter Social Share Options
Novashare, Social Warfare and Social Snap are all lighter and faster options.
10. Lead Generation
Heavy Options
SumoMe and Thrive Leads are 2 of the heaviest plugins that will slow down your site. Anything by Thrive seems to be heavy.
Lighter Alternatives
Holler Box is a lighter and faster choice.
11. Security Plugins
Security plugins like Wordfence offer great protection and detection. Wordfence also has a free option. Yet, as it operates on your hosting company’s server, it can slow down your website.
If speed is important to you (and even better security), use Patchstack.
To Sum Up
Bloated WordPress plugins can slow down your website. But speed is only one factor when choosing a plugin.
The first question to ask is whether a plugin has the functionality you need. Then, consider speed and alternative lightweight plugins. Always use lightweight plugins if they have the functionality you are after. But in my opinion, functionality comes first.
