Here are 20 WordPress plugins that you can (easily) replace on your site with your own features: Optimization and security.

With the rise of websites and blogs, more and more people are turning to WordPress. This is certainly due to its flexibility and ease of use. Nevertheless, it is crucial to note that the WordPress plugins you install on your WordPress website can slow down its speed and make your site less secure. We're going to cover 20 common WordPress plugins that you can replace with custom functionality. You could easily improve the performance and security of your website. But, before that, we will see why prioritize a website with few plugins. We will also see the benefits you may have in the near future.

Why Replace WordPress Plugins with Custom Code?

WordPress plugins can be incredibly useful. Indeed, they offer a variety of additional features to your website without requiring any programming knowledge. However, overusing them can lead to a range of problems, including:

1 – Website overload;

Each plugin added to your WordPress site adds weight to the total site load. Therefore, it helps to slow down the loading time. Users today expect page load times of less than two seconds. Every extra second can result in a 7% drop in conversion.

2 – Security risks;

Each plugin represents a potential entry point for security attacks. In 2020, 98% of WordPress vulnerabilities came from plugins.

3 – Maintenance and compatibility;

Plugins require regular updates, and it is not guaranteed that plugins will always be compatible with each other or with future versions of WordPress. Indeed, the more plugins you have, the more difficult it is for you to update them.

What action to take if you want to make custom features?

Before you start replacing your plugins with custom codes, there are a few precautions to take:

Technical knowledge

Make sure you have the required technical skills or help from a qualified developer to create and maintain custom code.

Backup

Before making any changes to your site, be sure to make a full backup of your site.

Test

Always test your custom code in a development environment before putting it into production.

Maintenance

Be prepared for maintenance and updates to your custom code.

What are the short, medium and long term benefits of bespoke options?

• Performance: By eliminating unnecessary plugins, you can improve your site's loading speed, which can lead to a better user experience and higher search engine rankings.
• Security: By having full control over your code, you can reduce the security risks associated with plugins.
• Control: With custom code, you have full control over your site's functionality. You are not limited by the functionality of a plugin, and you can create exactly what you need for your site.
• Cost: In the long run, creating your own code can be cheaper than buying premium plugins or paying for their updates.

20 WordPress plugins you can easily replace to optimize and secure your site

1. Contact Form 7

If you have coding skills, you can easily create your own contact form to replace the Contact Form 7 plugin. This will give you better control over how your form looks and works, and will allow you to avoid scripting unnecessary that can slow down your site.

2. Yoast SEO

If you understand SEO well, you can code your own meta descriptions and title tags to replace the Yoast SEO plugin. This saves you from having to deal with the many configuration options that Yoast SEO offers and can speed up your site.

3. WP Super Cache

Caching plugins can improve your site's speed, but they can also cause problems if configured incorrectly. If you have a good knowledge of caching systems, you can create your own solution to replace the WP Super Cache.

4. Akismet

The Akismet plugin can help reduce spam, but it's not perfect and can sometimes mark legitimate comments as spam. By coding your own spam filtering system, you can have better control over which comments are marked as spam.

5. Wordfence Security

Although Wordfence provides excellent protection, you can improve your site's security by coding your own security measures. This can include connection attempt limits, regular file scans for unexpected changes, and banning of certain IP addresses.

6. Jet Pack

Jetpack offers many features, but many of them are not necessary for all sites. By creating your own features to replace Jetpack, you can reduce the amount of code your site has to load, which can improve site speed.

7. WooCommerce

If you don't need all the features that WooCommerce offers for your online store, you can create your own e-commerce solution. This allows you to have full control over how your store looks and works.

8. WP Smush

Instead of using WP Smush to optimize your images, you can do it yourself using online tools or image editing software before uploading the images to your site.

9. All in One WP Migration

Instead of using a plugin to migrate your site, you can manually do it. It may be a bit more difficult, but it will give you full control over the process.

10. Slider Revolution

Instead of using this plugin to create sliders, you can code your own with JavaScript and CSS. This will reduce the number of JavaScript requests and improve your site's loading speed.

11. Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons

Instead of using a plugin to add social media share buttons, you can manually add links to your social media accounts in your WordPress theme.

12.WPML

If you only need a few translations, you can code your own instead of using a full plugin like WPML. This will allow your site to load faster.

13. Redirection

Instead of using a plugin to manage redirects, you can directly manage them in your .htaccess file. This is more efficient and reduces the risk of your site slowing down.

14. Google Analytics Dashboard for WP

Instead of using a plugin to view your Google Analytics stats, you can view your stats directly on the Google Analytics site. This will allow your WordPress dashboard to load faster.

15. Mailchimp for WordPress

If you just need a simple signup form, you can code it yourself instead of using a plugin like Mailchimp. This will reduce the number of requests made by your site and improve its loading speed.

16.Elementor

If you have coding skills, you can create your own WordPress theme instead of using a page builder like Elementor. This will give you full control over how your site looks and reduce the number of JavaScript requests, improving your site speed.

17. Really SimpleSSL

Instead of using a plugin to manage SSL, you can directly configure it in your hosting. This will reduce the number of plugins installed on your site and make it lighter.

18. WP-Optimize

Instead of using a plugin to optimize your database, you can manually do it through PhpMyAdmin. This will give you full control over the tables in your database.

19. Popup Maker

Instead of using a plugin to create popups, you can code your own with JavaScript and CSS. This will reduce the number of JavaScript requests and improve your site's loading speed.

20. W3 Total Cache

If you have a good knowledge of caching systems, you can create your own caching solution to replace the W3 Total Cache plugin.

Conclusion

It is important to note that although you can replace these plugins with custom code, it requires good knowledge of coding and web security. If you don't feel comfortable with this, it may be best to continue using the plugins or work with experts like us. We are a web agency based in Montreal that offers its customers tailor-made website solutions. You can follow us on social media. Check out our community page for the full list.