WordPress plugins are extensions that add code to your WordPress website, unlocking additional features and functionality. With that out of the way, you might wonder if WordPress plugins are free.

Yes, many free plugins are currently available from the official WordPress repository.

While the majority of WordPress plugins are, in a sense, free, more often than not, this would be for the light/standard version of the plugin. With the “full functionality” or premium version of the plugin, you would have to pay for it. These standard free versions are often somewhat limited in functionality and features.

With the already overwhelming amount of plugins available, generally speaking, you would only want to install and use plugins that are necessary for your website and/or business. Using fewer plugins can drastically increase your site performance, and is a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.

Cutting out excess clutter, and ditching the plugins you do not really need, not only saves you from constant updates and fixing bugs and conflicts but also helps with your site performance.

You can also start with the free version of your preferred plugins, and as your site grows and demand increases, you can easily upgrade your plugins to the premium paid version, unlocking the full potential of the plugin.

Bottom line, with so many free plugins available for WordPress, there is no reason not to start with a free plugin, and if the need arises, upgrade to the paid full version as your site grows.