How-Many-WordPress-Plugins-Are-There

How Many WordPress Plugins Are There? (Surprising Facts)

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WordPress is currently the most popular website builder in the world, running 43% of all websites.

One of the drivers behind its huge success is its Plugin Directory. WordPress plugins make it easy for users to expand the functionality of their websites with premade code. 

But how many WordPress plugins are there? And how many should you use on your site?

Let’s go through key information about plugins, so you have a good sense of what’s available. 


What Are Plugins?

Plugins are premade codes that extend the features on your website. In many ways, they’re packaged like miniature apps that you can download and install on your site.

In general, the idea is to expand the functionality of your WordPress site without coding knowledge.

For example, plugins can help you set up an online store, optimize SEO, add a contact form, etc.

Related ➡️ WordPress Themes vs WordPress Plugins: What’s the Difference?


How Many Free WordPress Plugins Are There?

WordPress Plugin Directory
WordPress Plugins Repository

Currently, there are 59,420+ free plugins listed on the WordPress Plugin Directory. This number is growing all the time as more plugins come onto the market. 


How Many Offsite Third-Party Plugins Are There?

Of course, the Plugin Directory isn’t the only source for WordPress users to utilize.

Many other offsite plugins exist through third-party vendors. These are much more difficult to count, as they’re spread around different websites. 

Take for example the popular plugin vendor CodeCanyon. This site alone currently has 4,900 WordPress plugins available for sale. Some popular plugins are one-off creations as well. 

While it’s impossible to get an exact number of third-party plugins, it’s likely in the thousands.


How Many Total Plugins Are There For WordPress?

There isn’t an official, accurate count for the total number of WordPress plugins available on the market.

However, according to some experts, the total number likely surpasses 70,000+, including both the WordPress Plugin Directory and offsite third-party plugins.


How Many WordPress Websites Use Plugins?

WordPress plugins usage stats
Source: Built With

According to Built With, there are currently 30,373,735 live websites using WordPress Plugins. That’s a ton!

Check also: How Many Websites Are There?

What Are the Most Popular Plugins?

The top six most popular plugins in the official Plugin Directory by lifetime downloads are:

  • Yoast SEO: 434,000,000+ downloads
  • Jetpack: 278,000,000+ downloads
  • Akismet Spam Protection: 244,000,000+ downloads
  • Wordfence Security: 240,000,000+ downloads
  • Contact Form 7: 222,000,000+ downloads
  • WooCommerce: 191,000,000+ downloads

As you can see, each of these popular plugins has 190,000,000+ lifetime downloads or more.


How Many WordPress Plugin Downloads Have There Been?

While there’s no official count of how many WordPress plugin downloads there have been, it’s likely in the billions

By just adding the top six plugin downloads together, they’ve received a total of 1.6 billion lifetime downloads to date. 

Given that this is just six of the 59,420+ official plugins, the total download count is likely quite high in the billions. 


How Many Plugins Should You Install on Your Website?

It’s up to you! The typical WordPress website may take advantage of 20+ or more. Depending on your business goals, you should install as many plugins as you require to edit your website to your liking.

Ultimately, it’s the quality of the plugins that matters most – not the quantity. Some WordPress plugins (like Elementor or Divi) can provide a huge functionality with just a single plugin, which means that you end up installing one plugin instead many to get the same set of additional functions.

Also, be sure you choose reliable plugins. Not all of them are.

After all, the majority of WordPress vulnerabilities involve plugins, so stay on your guard when downloading and installing them. 

Low-quality plugins can lead to security breaches, slow loading time, and unreliable performance. Avoid these issues by selecting plugins with high ratings and security guarantees. 


Take Advantage of Plugins For Your Site

Now that you know how many WordPress plugins there are, you can start taking advantage of them for your website.

Check out the free WordPress Plugin Directory or go to your favorite third-party plugin vendor to find the right plugins for your site. 

By leveraging plugins, you’ll have a better, more functional site for your users to enjoy. To improve your WordPress site, even more, take a look at our other WordPress guides on our Siteefy blog!


⬇️Further Reading:

Sources
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/advanced/
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/advanced/
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/advanced/
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/advanced/
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/advanced/
  • https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce/advanced/
  • https://codecanyon.net/category/wordpress
  • https://trends.builtwith.com/widgets/Wordpress-Plugins
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/07/01/how-many-wordpress-plugins-are-too-many/?sh=1556cf402663

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Nadia

Nadia is a content writer with a B.A. in English and Spanish from Northwestern University. She crafts content for a variety of industries, including tech and business.

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