5 Reasons to Avoid Installing Some WordPress Plugins

Like every other tool out there, there are some WordPress plugins that work for you, e.g. for creating contact forms or for helping you build an e-Commerce website on top of WordPress – and there are those which don’t. Some plugins may be unnecessary and you should totally avoid installing them.

Here a 5 reasons to avoid installing some WordPress plugins.

1. It does a simple job

Many functionalities in WordPress can be achieved without a plugin. They are so simple that a plugin could sometimes be overkill.

TIP: Before installing a plugin, try to find that piece of code that can do the exact same job.

2. It’s old and not updated

WordPress has a policy for plugins stored in the official repository that are not maintained for more than 24 months to display the following warning: “This plugin hasn’t been updated in over 2 years.  It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when used with more recent versions of WordPress.”

The plugin may contain some deprecated functions and may also not be compatible with the current WordPress version. So don’t install or keep this plugin, unless there is no better replacement and the plugin still runs well.

3. It’s not native

Many plugins have their own styling for the Admin User Interface, i.e. it does not follow the native WordPress Admin UI styles. The problem comes when WordPress decides to overhaul the entire UI design. The plugin’s Admin UI will look out of place and it could also look awful.

On the other hand, it will also add more workload for the developer to update their plugins once WordPress makes significant changes.

4. It’s branded

Many WordPress plugins put their “brand name” everywhere on its setting page. It is distracting, particularly when it comes to user experience.

5. It’s obtrusive

Combine #4 with ads and pro version offerings and the plugin becomes obtrusive. Creating a plugin takes a lot of time and financial support for continual development, but displaying ads and offers around every corner can make the developer look desperate.

As always, there are better ways to do this, which they are less obtrusive.

SOURCE: Hongkiat