Recommended WordPress Plugins

We maintain this list of plugins for our own reference and install and maintain them on our client sites as part of our Managed WordPress Web Hosting, and also our Managed Web Hosting for SEO.  You should consider this the most valuable list of Recommended WordPress Plugins you will find.  Check back often for updates or subscribe.

Premium Plugin Authors We Recommend

Recommended Premium WordPress Plugins

• Gravity Forms – http://www.gravityforms.com/
• Video User Manuals – http://www.videousermanuals.com
• Lightbox Evolution – http://codecanyon.net/item/lightbox-evolution-for-wordpress/119478
• Typecase Pro – http://upthemes.com/plugins/typecase/ – Change the fonts on your site-wide with live preview
• Royal Slider – http://dimsemenov.com/plugins/royal-slider-wp/ – Touch-friendly, GUI interface slider
• Custom Widget Areas (CWA) – http://plugins.righthere.com/custom-widget-areas/ – More sidebars without touching templates
• Gravity Forms – http://www.gravityforms.com/
• Video User Manuals – http://www.videousermanuals.com
• ManageWP Worker – http://www.managewp.com
• Pretty Link Pro – http://prettylinkpro.com/pricing/

Recommended Free WordPress Plugins

• WordPress SEO – http://yoast.com/wordpress/seo/
• Google Analytics for WordPress – http://yoast.com/wordpress/google-analytics/
• Redirection – http://urbangiraffe.com/plugins/redirection/
• Really Simple Captcha – http://ideasilo.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/really-simple-captcha/
• PS Auto Sitemap – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ps-auto-sitemap
• NextGen Photo Gallery – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/nextgen-gallery/
• W3 Total Cache – http://www.w3-edge.com/wordpress-plugins/w3-total-cache/
• Akismet – http://akismet.com/
• Advanced Code Editor – http://en.bainternet.info/2012/advanced-code-editor-2-0 – Adds undo and more to your code in the WP Appearance Editor
• SEO Facebook Comments – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/seo-facebook-comments/ – Requires Facebook App
• Comment Luv – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/commentluv/ – Best if you don’t have a Facebook App
• Social Media Profile Links Widget – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-media-widget/
• Share This Social Media – http://sharethis.com
• Google Doc (& Many Other File Types) Embedder – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-document-embedder/
• Theme My Login – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/theme-my-login/
• User Switching – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/user-switching/
• WP Standards Theme Checker – http://wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/

Other plugins we use but that are specific to different situations:

• Google XML Sitemaps (if not using Yoast WordPress SEO) – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
• Wistia Video Embed Plugin – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wistia-wordpress-oembed-plugin/ – for Wistia hosted videos, btw they have the best Video SEO.
• Multiple Editable Regions – 
• WordPress Site Duplicator – http://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/

Security

• Wordfence Security – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordfence/
• Exploit Scanner – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exploit-scanner/
• Secure WordPress – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/secure-wordpress/
• Limit Login Attempts – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/limit-login-attempts/
• Security Ninja – http://security-ninja.webfactoryltd.com/

The rest of the plugins on this page are not necessarily recommended but worth noting for their potential use.  It is by no means exhaustive – just a few we found noteworthy during research and may come back to try or use as ideas for our own…

Other Articles Listing Good WordPress Plugins:

Plugins We Have Not Yet Tried But Seem Promising

• WordPress DB Changes – http://interconnectit.com/products/search-and-replace-for-wordpress-databases/
• Sociable – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sociable/screenshots/
• Popular Posts Widget- http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-popular-posts/
• Flexible Recent Posts – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/flexible-recent-posts/screenshots/
• Broken Link Checker – http://w-shadow.com/blog/2007/08/05/broken-link-checker-for-wordpress/
• Media Grids – http://codecanyon.net/item/media-grid-wordpress-responsive-portfolio/2218545
• Drop Shadow Boxes for Content – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/drop-shadow-boxes/screenshots/
• WP Better Emails – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-better-emails/
• Post Duplicator – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/post-duplicator/

Site Speed & Size Optimization

• Lazy Image Loader – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/lazy-load/
• Smush It Image Optimization – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-smushit/
• 5 Second Validator – http://5sec-validator.webfactoryltd.com/

Mobile Plugins

• PHP Browser Detection – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/php-browser-detection/

SEO Tools or Plugins

• Google Analytics Dashboard Widget – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analytics-dashboard/
• Schema Creator by Raven Tools – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/schema-creator/

Easy Styles

• Fancy Text Widget – http://codecanyon.net/item/fancy-text-widget/235344?ref=WebFactory
• Ninja Popups – https://codecanyon.net/item/ninja-popups-for-wordpress/3476479
• CSS3 Pricing Tables – http://codecanyon.net/item/css3-responsive-web-pricing-tables-grids-for-wordpress/629172
• Image Title Labeller – http://codecanyon.net/item/labelr-ultimate-image-title-replacement-solution/158986?ref=WebFactory

Widget, Sidebar & Plugin Plugins

• Plugin Organizer – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/plugin-organizer/
• WordPress Plugin Install Profiles – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/install-profiles/screenshots/
• Lazy Widget Loader – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/lazy-widget-loader/
• Turn Any Widget into Shortcode to Insert in a Page – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/amr-shortcode-any-widget/screenshots/
• Widgets on Pages – Similar to Above – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/widgets-on-pages/
• Widget Logic – Show Widgets Only on Certain Pages – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/widget-logic/screenshots/
• Dynamic Widgets – Limit Show Widgets based on Many Factors – Like Above  – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/dynamic-widgets/

Login, Registration & Admin Addons

• AJAX WordPress Sidebar Login – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-sidebar-login/
• Theme My Login – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/theme-my-login/
• Register Plus Redux – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/register-plus-redux/
• All That Admin Options – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/
• 5 Second Who’s Online – http://codecanyon.net/item/5sec-whos-online/156016?ref=WebFactory
• Tree Page View – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/cms-tree-page-view/

Seasonal

• 5 Second Snowflakes – http://codecanyon.net/item/5sec-snow/full_screen_preview/851002

Events Calendars

• Events Calendar Free – http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/the-events-calendar/
• Events Calendar Pro – http://tri.be/shop/wordpress-events-calendar-pro/
• Timely Events Calendar –
• Community Events Calendar – http://tri.be/shop/wordpress-community-events/

Membership Plugins

• S2 Membership – http://www.s2member.com/pro
• Restrict Content Pro Membership – http://codecanyon.net/item/restrict-content-pro-premium-content-plugin/1256753
• WPMU.org – MemberPress