Who doesn’t love WordPress? According to Wikipedia, WordPress is used by more than 18.9% of the top 10 million websites as of August 2013. This is how popular WordPress is. From a tiny nice blog for yourself to a professional complete E-commerce site for your company, WordPress rules the Web.
WordPress is no longer just a blogging platform when it comes to its features. Talk about new and exciting functions- and it hasn’t stop evolving yet!
So, what exactly does WordPress must have to transform it into a fully-fledged functional site? If your guess is plugins, you’re absolutely correct!
In today’s post, we will explore 30 premium must-have WordPress plugins categorized under social, security, e-commerce, sliders and galleries that you will surely love for it is worth every penny.
Social Plugins
Social media is one of the crucial components of online marketing. So, choosing the best social plugins for your WordPress site is important. From simple to richly featured, below are some of the best WordPress plugins for social media.
1. Social Network Tabs For WordPress
Social Network Tabs For WordPress combines all of your favorite social network profiles & feeds into slick slide out or static tabs. Each social network tab is loaded using AJAX only when required, making the plugin very fast loading!
Social Network Tabs For WordPress comes with the following features:
Fast loading – tabs loaded via AJAX only when required
Display either using slide-out tabs or static tabs in your page content
Fully flexible positioning
Position sliding tabs relative to browser window or within the page content
Posts include Twitter and Facebook Share links
Retweet, reply & favorite links for Twitter posts
Includes option for auto or manual ticker style rotating content for each social network feed.
Option to load open for slide out tabs.
Control order of tabs & select default tab on page load.
Show/hide slide out tabs or change active social network tab using external links.
Very easy to use – just add a single div tag to your web page & initialize the plugin!
Option to disable Twitter replies & retweets
Option to show Instagram comments and/or liked user’s avatars.
Option to show complete post or snippet for Facebook & RSS
Option to include Twitter avatar on latest tweets
Full documentation
Multiple examples including configurable demo.
PSDs included for default icons & control images
2. SocialPop: A Social Media Plugin for WordPress
The SocialPop plugin gives you the ability to add social media sharing options to the posts and pages of your website.
It comes with the following features:
Display settings allow them to appear right after the content section of the page
Manually insert social media sharing to any part of the page
Insert social media sharing into your templates and pages via PHP functions call or shortcode
3. Social Gallery WordPress Photo Viewer Plugin
Social Gallery WordPress Photo Viewer Plugin is a fantastic new way to engage visitors to your WordPress blog by adding the ultimate Lightbox featuring social media buttons (Facebook Like, Facebook Send, Pinterest ‘Pin it’, Twitters ‘Tweet This’ and now LinkedIn, StumbleUpon & Tumblr) as well as Facebook or Disqus Comments!
Social Gallery WordPress Photo Viewer Plugin comes with the following features:
The Ultimate Social Lightbox
Facebook-style image viewing
3x More opportunity for visitors to like and share
Super Easy Install * Now with a Wizard
11 Preset “Modes” including NextGen and Justified Image Grid Compatibility
NextGen gallery plugin support – note this does not work with NextGen SLIDERS or SLIDESHOWS
Better media navigation for users
40+ CSS 3 Animations – Transition in your Lightbox!
Earn More with Lightbox Adverts (Google Adsense)
Fullscreen Mode
Image Library & Social Gallery Pages
Themes Framework gives you control
Leverage all your existing blog posts
Lightweight Javascript
Replaces any old Lightbox plugin
Multiple browser’s supported (IE 7+, IE10, Safari 3+, iOS Safari, Chrome 3+, Firefox 3+, Opera 10+)
Works with posts, pages, widgets and themes
Custom URLS & SEO-friendly
Detailed documentation with examples
Base bar & sidebar specific to your blog
Works with WordPress Galleries like NextGen, WordPress Gallery Plugin and Justified Imaged Grid
Add custom HTML descriptions New: Now “Per Image”!
Fully Customisable, 50+ new options in V2
Easy to install
Facebook’s 1 Billion+ users will be familiar with Social Gallery
4. Ultimate Social Meta Pro
This plugin is the ultimate solution for your Social Meta Data problem by automatically grabingb social meta data enriched with Google+ Snippets, Facebook Open Graph and Twitter Card.
It comes with the following features:
Smartly grabs data automatically
Organize social information on database
Highly customizable
Quick & easy to install
WordPress Image Resizer added
Auto change image size
5. Social Traffic Pop for WordPress
Social Traffic Pop combines 4 of the most powerful social media tools to make one of the best social media marketing tools ever. Social Traffic Pop builds on everything that made the original Facebook Traffic Pop such a hit and takes it to the next level.
Social Traffic Pop comes with the following features:
Combined reach of over 1.8 BILLION social media accounts
Completely locks all page usability until popup is closed or a social action is completed
Popup stays centered as the user scrolls up and down
Optional close button
Smart Mobile support runs on all mobile devices and tablets that allow it!
Optional advanced close features allow visitors to close the popup by clicking outside of the popup area or by pressing the Escape key
Cookies remember which users have not completed a social action
All buttons can be completely configured with their own settings!
Setup takes literally seconds!
100% customizable CSS
Configure everything from the beautiful built-in settings panel
Set background opacity right from the settings
Works on all sites big and small
6. Ultimate Social Deux
Ultimate Social Deux is a plugin that gives you 10 popular custom-styled social media sharing buttons with counters.
It comes with the following features:
Multiple display options through easy placement options or shortcodes
Works with Visual Composer
Works with WooCommerce
Works with Easy Digital Downloads
Works with Jigoshop
Works with Aesop Storytelling Engine
Security
We know that having your site hacked is not fun. That’s why it is important to make sure your site is secured from hackers. This will also prevent code or SQL injection attacks. Below are the best security plugins for WordPress that all webmasters should install.
7. Security Ninja
Check your site for security vulnerabilities with one click and get info on many security aspects. It offers suggestions on what you can do to fix any potential security issues. Security Ninja simply analyzes your WordPress site to find any exploits that may exist.
Security Ninja comes with the following features:
Perform 31+ security tests including brute-force attacks
Check your site for security vulnerabilities and holes
Checks for Timthumb vulnerability
Take preventive measures against attacks
Don’t let script kiddies hack your site
Prevent 0-day exploit attacks
Use included code snippets for quick fixes
Extensive help and descriptions of tests included
8. Core Scanner add-on for Security Ninja
Core Scanner add-on for Security Ninja can scan WP core files with one click. It quickly identifies the problematic files that occurs in your WordPress core files.
It comes with the following features:
Scan WP core files with one click
Quickly identify problematic files
Restore modified files with one click
Great for removing exploits and fixing accidental file edits/deletes
View files’ source to take a closer look
Fix broken WP auto-updates
Color-coded results separate files into 5 categories
Files that are modified and should not have been
Files that are missing and should not be
Files that are modified and they are supposed to be
Files that are missing but they are not vital to WP
Files that are intact
Detailed help and description
Easy-to-use GUI
9. WP Security Manager
WP Security Manager is a WordPress plugin that provides all in one security solutions to your WP site.
WP Security Manager comes with the following features:
Block malicious IPs both automatically & manually
Prevent from keylogging with virtual keyboard
Hide WP admin and change WP login URL
Bot protection with CAPTCHA in login, register & comment forms
Protect from brute-force login attack
Supervise login activities by screenshot
Alert via email with login attacks using screenshot
Detect admin and change username screenshot
Change the ID on the user with ID 1.
10. WP Single Login & Security
WP Single Login & Security is an easy way to protect your WordPress website. It prevents simultaneous login & spam login on WordPress. Auto logout user if user is inactive. Auto block I.P. address if many failed login attempts.
It comes with the following features:
Prevents simultaneous login
Auto logout if user is inactive
Block IP address
User IP address whitelist
11. Smart Security Tools
Smart Security Tools is a powerful plugin for improving security of your WordPress powered website. Plugin contains collection of tweaks and tools for extra security protection along with Security Advisor that can help you determine what needs to be done.
Smart Security Tools comes with the following features:
20 general and .htaccess security tweaks
20 security tests with Security Advisor
Tools to change admin or any username
Integrated Sucuri Free Security Scanner
Powerful database-based security log
Ban malicious IP’s from security log
Support for WordPress multi-side mode
Export and import plugin settings
12. WP-Lens – Security and Analysis
WP-Lens – Security and Analysis is the ultimate plugin for WordPress security analysis on your current theme and WordPress installation. WP-Lens combines a variety of checks and mechanisms that give you a clear picture of your current state of security and installation.
It comes with the following features:
Check for account named admin
Determines if the default table prefix is being used
MySQL DB password strength
MySQL DB username strength
Looks to see if admin users authenticate over SSL
Checks to see if the template editor is enabled.
Checks if plugins can be added/edited/removed through the admin
Checks if WordPress is up-to-date
Checks if you are a plugin hoarder
Blogspam analysis
Database Query analysis
Image analysis checks
File permissions on certain directory’s
Other useful WordPress and Security Hardening information
E-commerce
More and more people are buying things online so it is a great idea to add e-commerce functionalities on your site. With big names such as Amazon and eBay already doing great business, the web has evolved to become a great platform for product and business exposure. Good thing WordPress can now integrate e-Commerce plugins. The following are some of the best e-commerce plugin you use for your business site.
13. WP e-Commerce Car/Parts Filter Plugin
WP e-Commerce Car/Parts Filter Plugin is the best plugin for a vehicle or vehicle parts website. With this plugin, the administrator can show filter plugin on the sidebar or footer widget. He can also add car models, products at the backend.
It comes with the following features:
Filtering Based on Make, Model and Year
Admin can add “Make” and “Model” from back-end
Admin can add each product its Make, Model and Year
Admin can show plugin sidebar and footer widget
Full customizable from Admin Settings
Customize all text and color
Ensure full support
14. WooCommerce e-Commerce Bundle Rate Shipping
The WooCommerce e-Commerce Bundle Rate Shipping allows you to provide special bundled shipping rates when a customer purchases multiple items. The plugin is designed to be flexible, so you can define bundled shipping rates based on the shipping destination, the categories of the products being sold, or their shipping class.
WooCommerce e-Commerce Bundle Rate Shipping comes with the following features:
Seamless integration with WooCommerce
Set different rates for different categories or shipping classes
Set different rates for different countries
Easy configuration
Internationalisation
15. WP e-Commerce Amazon Affiliates-WordPress Plugin
WP e-Commerce Amazon Affiliates-WordPress Plugin is a product that allows you to import Amazon products in your WP e-Commerce store in no time!
It comes with the following features:
Import Amazon products from any Amazon location ( Available countries: United States, United Kingdom, Deutschland, France, Japan, Canada, China, Italia, Espana, India)
Add multiple affiliate ID’s (International Amazon Associates / Globalisation)
90 Days Cookie
With this feature, when a user is redirected to Amazon, the product is automatically added to cart and kept there for 90 days
16. WP E-commerce Authorize.Net
WP E-commerce Authorize.Net is a WordPress Plugin which allows the WP e-Commerce Store owners to accept credit cards. It can take less than 5 minutes to set up. This is, by far, the quickest way to integrate Authorize.net.
It comes with the following features:
Easy to integrate Authorize.net payment to your WordPress site
Includes other payment gateway such as ChronoPay, Google Wallet, Paypal Express, SecurePay
Secured payment using payment gateway API
17. WorldPay Gateway for WP E-Commerce
WorldPay Gateway is a payment service provider for all sizes of business. Accept debit and credit card payments online and in multiple currencies.
It comes with the following features:
Allows the WP E -Commerce plugin to accept credit card payments
Worry no more about customers credit cards details which are taken cared by the WorldPay
18. Friendly Manual Order Processing for WP E-Commerce
Friendly Manual Order Processing for WP E-Commerce provides an easy-to-use and flexible way for you or your client to process orders directly from the WordPress back end without having to go through the payment process necessary on the front end of the site.
It comes with the following features:
Easy to create a manual order
Display online sales details
Apply discounts to order
Quickly add shipping amount
Manage stocks
Sliders
Sliders provide a great way to display images, videos or other content in an engaging way. If your theme doesn’t have one built-in or you would just like to add something a bit more exciting then take a look at these premium plugins.
19. RoyalSlider – Touch-Enabled jQuery Image Gallery
RoyalSlider is an easy-to-use jQuery image gallery and content slider plugin with animated captions, responsive layout and touch support for mobile devices. For its menu, you can use thumbnails, tabs or bullets. Use it as image slider, slideshow, HTML content slider, gallery, banner rotator, video gallery, carousel or even presentation.
RoyalSlider comes with the following features:
Touch navigation support for iOS (all versions), Android 2.3+, IE10, IE11, Blackberry and other OS and browsers that support touch or pointer events
Use any HTML content in each slide and each thumbnail (or tab)
Loads nearby images in background
Super smooth hardware accelerated CSS3 transitions
Full-screen feature with native HTML5 fullscreen support.
Perfect for photo gallery where you want to show high-resolution photography
Memory management – keeps only a few slides in display list
YouTube & Vimeo videos in slides
Deep-linking – link to specific slide from URL
Adjustable speed, transition and easing for each caption or slide
Static content for each slide is allowed
20. Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin
Slider Revolution is currently the top-selling plugin on Codecanyon. It is widely-used by theme authors on Themeforest. It is a responsive (mobile friendly) or full-width slider with must-see-effects. It also keeps or builds your SEO optimization (all content always readable for search engines).
It comes with the following features:
Brand new admin interface
Custom caption animation builder
Full slider import/export
21. LayerSlider Responsive WordPress Slider Plugin
LayerSlider Slider Plugin is a premium multi-purpose slider for creating image galleries, content sliders, and mind-blowing slideshows with must-see effects, even from your WordPress posts and pages. It uses cutting edge technologies to provide the smoothest experience that’s possible, and it comes with more than 200 preset 2D and 3D slide transitions.
LayerSlider Slider Plugin comes with the following features:
Build dynamic sliders from WordPress posts and pages
Static content
WYSIWYG editor with real-time previews
Timeline view
Multi-site ready
Translation and localization ready
Transition builder, Skin and CSS Editors
Automatic updates
Import / Export feature
Plugin Permission
22. Slider PRO – WordPress Premium Slider Plugin
Slider PRO is one of the most powerful slider plugins for WordPress in the market. The slider is fully responsive and mobile-ready. It provides 150+ options, 100+ possible transition effects, from simple ‘fade’, ‘slide’ or ‘swipe’ effects to more complex ‘slice’ effects, 15+ skins and much more.
It comes with the following features:
Responsive
You can add animated layers and static layers.
Dynamic content/Featured slider – Automatically load data from posts, pages and custom post types, based on any taxonomy.
Load Flickr photos based on Username ID or Set ID
Easily adds YouTube, Vimeo and HTML5 videos inside the layers
Touch-screen-enabled swipe effect that can work horizontally or vertically.
Thumbnails – Can be simple images or HTML thumbnails. The thumbnail scroller can be responsive and touch gestures are supported
More than 100 possible transition effects
More than 150 customizable properties. It’s possible to set options per slide.
More than 15 slider skins and 7 scrollbar, few of them also providing color variations
Lazy loading – Set images to be lazy loaded in order to save bandwidth and loading time.
Fullscreen – Real full-screen capability in browsers that support HTML5 fullscreen.
Lightbox inside slider – Built-in Lightbox support, that supports a variety of content, like images, YouTube/Vimeo videos, HTML page
Multiple sliders
Keyboard navigation
Possibility to shuffle the slides
Slider Admin features
23. Showbiz Pro Responsive Teaser WordPress Plugin
Showbiz Pro is a responsive teaser displaying solution that allows you to show WordPress posts or any custom content with a set amount of teaser items.
Showbiz Pro comes with the following features:
Skins included
Template builder
Video support
Full-width showcase
Fully responsive
24. Accordion Slider – Responsive WordPress Plugin
Accordion Slider is a fully responsive and touch-enabled WordPress plugin that combines the functionality of an accordion with that of a slider.
It comes with the following features:
Fully Responsive
Touch-enabled
Dynamic content
Automatic Updates
Add as many panels as you want without worrying about screen space.
Set layers to display when the panel is opened, or when it’s closed, or all the time.
Caching – accordions are automatically cached for improving the load time
Inline help – instructions directly from the admin area
Load anywhere
Smooth animations using CSS3 transitions and RequestAnimationFrame
Retina-ready
Swap image – change background image when panel is opened
Keyboard and mouse navigation – navigate using the keyboard keys or mouse wheel
Lazy Loading
Lightbox – FancyBox is included and integrated with the Accordion Slider plugin
SEO-friendly
Deep linking
Change the accordion slider settings at different screen sizes
Powerful JavaScript API
Modular architecture – easily strip out code to reduce the JavaScript file size
Compatible with Multi-Site environment
Import and export
Action and filter hooks
Gallery
Gallery is a cornerstone of many websites today, allowing you to showcase pictures, illustrations, videos and more. If you’re looking for the best photo gallery plugin for WordPress to help you display your images for maximum effects on your blog or website. The following I listed are the best WordPress gallery plugins that will surely blow your mind.
25. Media Grid – WordPress Responsive Portfolio
A responsive and filterable portfolios with ease on your website. Media Grid comes with masonry layout; it is designed to adapt each portfolio to any situation and mobile optimized for responsive themes.
Media Grid comes with the following features:
Unlimited responsive portfolios
Mobile optimized
Unlimited colors and layouts
Visual grid builder
1 click set up
Unlimited item options
Full media support
26. Video Gallery WordPress Plugin /w YouTube, Vimeo
Responsive, localized, awesome, fully featured and fast gallery. This is the most advanced stock video gallery in the world and, now, as a WordPress plugin.
It comes with the following features:
Five Skins and Skin generator
iPhone/iPad compatible
Hybrid
Extensive admin panel
Subtitle Support
Play form
Backup database/import, export feature
Easy to install
Auxillary Shortcodes
27. Simple 3D Coverflow WordPress Plugin
Simple 3D Coverflow is a fully responsive media 3D coverflow WordPress plugin that allows you to display media content with an unique original layout from a 3D perspective. It’s perfect for any kind of presentation, for anyone that wants to deliver a great impact on their visitors.
Simple 3D Coverflow comes with the following features:
Responsive / Fluid layout with autoscale function
Mobile and desktop optimized (iPad/IOS)
Scroll and swipe functions for the desktop and mobile devices
Mouse Wheel support – navigation with mouse wheel scrolling
Keyboard support – the left and right arrows can be used for navigation through the thumbnails
Optional Categories Menu
Support for unlimited categories and each category can have any number of thumbnails
The option to start at a specific category
Customizable thumbnails size and topology geometry
Customizable hover effect for the side thumbnails
Customizable description text for the center thumbnail
Dynamic or static tooltip for the center thumbnail
Customizable controls – each button and scrollbar component can be changed
Customizable reflection for the thumbnails
Optional and customizable Shadow Box Gradient for the thumbnails
Custom action for the thumbnail click
Powerful API included
You can include multiple instances on the same page
Slideshow autoplay
Responsive / Fluid layout for the coverflow Lightbox
Image, youtube, vimeo, iframe lightbox support
Zoom and panning support for lightbox images
Optional Lightbox slideshow button, time and autoplay
Customizable border and background for the Lightbox
Lightbox keyboard support
Three skins included along with the PSD files
Three skins included along with the preset configurations
28. Awesome Gallery
It’s another great gallery plugin that comes with a horizontal flow, vertical flow and classic grid. Especially helpful when you use both portrait and landscape images at the same gallery. Ideal for presenting your photographs and really close to the way images are presented in Flickr.
It comes with the following features:
Top priority – easy to use admin interface
3 layout modes – horizontal flow, vertical flow and classic grid
7 image sources
10 style presets
Really flexible look with lots of options
Load more / Infinite scroll support + easily handles hundreds of images
3 built-in lightboxes – Magnific popup, PrettyPhoto and Swipebox
3 external lightboxes support – free JetPack Gallery, a and gorgeous premium iLighbox and FooBox lightboxes
Unique built-in support feature
Responsive and Retina-ready
29. Thumbnail Gallery (WordPress Plugin)
This plugin will help you to easily add a thumbnail gallery to your WordPress website or blog. The gallery is completely customizable, resizable and is compatible with all browsers and devices (iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones). You will be able to insert it in any page or post you want with inbuilt short code generator.
Thumbnail Gallery comes with the following features:
Responsive layout
AddThis Social Sharing integrated
You can customize each gallery individually
You can have a completely customizable lightbox
You can embed Youtube & Vimeo videos
You can add HTML or Flash
You can design your own navigation buttons and use them
You can use an unlimited number of galleries into your WordPress website
You can display in a gallery an unlimited amount of images
Browse the gallery on touchscreen devices using one finger (swipe thumbnails, images or lightbox)
30. Mikado Grid Gallery for WordPress
Mikado Grid Gallery is a gallery for WordPress based on random grids with a lot of features. It’s responsive and images will adapt with a nice and smooth animation when the browser is resized. You just need to decide width (also percentage) and height and Mikado will create a random grid inside the rectangle.
It comes with the following features:
Fully responsive and fluid layout
Dynamic filters and filtering animations
Size of the gallery, width and height. The width can be in percentage so it perfect for responsive sites
Margin between images
5 Lightboxes
WordPress widget
Multiple galleries on same page
Conclusion
Plugins allows your blog or website be more effective and functional. The list that I provided are premium plugins that will surely worth every money you’ll spend with it. Since they are premium, the full features will be utilized compared to the free ones. So get them now and let your WordPress site rock!