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Tag: Best WordPress Plugins

  • 9 Best WordPress Table Plugins (2023)

    Data tables continue to be an effective way to visually represent information on a website like product features, pricing, and other comparisons. But it can be tedious to build a table from scratch. That’s why it’s important that you have the best WordPress table plugin for the job. Table plugins can be powerful tools for creating tables with advanced functionality and better user experience to accurately showcase your data.

    We’ve gone through the hard work of finding the absolute best free and paid solutions for you, comparing key features, pricing, and more. Hopefully, you’ll find the best plugin for adding tables to your websites.

    Why Use a Table WordPress Plugin?

    Tables are an essential tool for displaying information on websites, as they allow website owners to organize and present data in a clear, skimmable format. They are often used in combination with charts to help visualize data.

    Tables can be used to showcase:

    • Product Features and Specifications
    • Pricing Comparison table
    • Schedules
    • Raw Data from Research
    • and any sort of information that can be organized easily by a row and column format

    By using a table plugin (not to be confused with a table of contents plugin), website owners can ensure that their visitors can easily understand the information being presented in one simple place. This leads to increased engagement and a better user experience.

    WordPress has a table block as a core feature of the WordPress editor to build a table from scratch. But the block is limited and difficult to style without custom code. This is where a table plugin comes to the rescue.

    The 9 Best WordPress Table Plugins

    Some of the plugins on this list are incredibly packed with features while others focus on specific edge cases. Determine your needs and compare features as you look through these excellent options.

    1. wpDataTables Pro

    wpdatatables WordPress table and chart plugin

    wpDataTables is a unique table builder plugin that creates visually appealing tables without needing any custom code. It provides a quick and easy solution for users who need to add tables to their WordPress website. It is a freemium plugin with essential functions present in the free version, but it truly shines when upgrading to the pro version.

    Key Features for wpDataTables Pro:

    • Easy import of data from external sources
    • Interactive tables that can be sorted, filtered, and searched
    • Conditional formatting of cells based on cell value conditions
    • User role permission for table editing
    • Export tables and charts to PDF or Excel
    • Include formulas as cell values
    • Integrates with Divi page builder for more design options

    wpdatatables Conditional formatting rules

    A standout feature for wpDataTables is its conditional formatting feature which allows you to highlight specific data points in your tables based on certain conditions, such as values greater than or less than a certain number. This feature can help make your data easier to understand and make it simpler for them to find the information they need from your tables. It saves time by letting values be automatically formatted based on conditions rather than manually formatting each cell.

    wpDataTables is for you if you…

    • Need a premium table solution for WordPress that does not disappoint
    • Will be pulling in external data to your tables and want to apply automation
    • Want an attractive table creator to please your site visitors

    Pricing: From $94 a year

    Get wpDataTables

    2. Ninja Tables Pro

    Ninja Tables WordPress table plugin

    Ninja Tables is an admiringly customizable WordPress table plugin that includes an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop table builder. The free version of the plugin is impressive and offers basic functions such as uploading data into tables, sorting, pagination, and basic filtering. Ninja Tables is a widely-used plugin that provides a user-friendly interface, making it easy for beginners to create stunning tables. It is also built by the same folks behind Fluent Forms and FluentCRM.

    Key Features for Ninja Tables:

    • Integrates with popular third-party services (like Mailchimp, WooCommerce, and Google Analytics)
    • Pagination controls for best site performance and user experience
    • Multiple value content types including text, images, and buttons
    • Features for large datasets including lazy loading and server-side processing

    Drag and Drop Ninja Table Builder

     

    Ninja Forms is ideal for creating visual (as opposed to data-rich) tables. The drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to add text, buttons, ratings, and custom HTML to individual cells. For data automation, importing, and validation, we still recommend our first choice above, wpDataTables

    Ninja Tables is for you if you…

    • Need an easy-to-use visual table builder
    • Want to build easy WooCommerce-enabled product tables
    • Enjoy other WPManageNinja products

    Pricing: From $79 a year

    Get Ninja Tables

    3. TablePress

    Tablepress WordPress table plugin

    TablePress is arguably the most widely used table plugin for WordPress with over 800,000 active installs. It is easy to use and is packed with features. It will only take a few minutes to get a fully functional table on your site that is searchable, filterable, and has pagination. The free version allows you to create unlimited tables with basic formulas and table options. You’ll have to upgrade to the pro version if you want front-end styling. It even integrates with the Divi page builder using TablePress Styler which allows TablePress users even more control over visually stylizing their tables.

    TablePress Divi Styler UI

    Key Features for TablePress:

    • Conditional formatting to highlight certain cells or rows, based on specific criteria or rules
    • Includes a built-in JavaScript library that allows you to add custom JavaScript to your tables
    • Users can filter and sort tables
    • Uses pagination to split large tables into smaller pages
    • Manipulate data in the table with features like merge, split, and duplicate cells
    • Seamless integration with Divi

    TablePress Editing Table UI

    TablePress offers some features that allow you to use mathematical functions and formulas in cells within tables (much like Excel). This gives you even greater flexibility and precision when working with complex data tables on your WordPress site. You have complete power to display your data and information to your visitors.

    TablePress is for you if you…

    • Want a Free, powerful table plugin
    • Don’t mind paying for better front-end style options.
    • Use Divi and are interested in advanced table styling using TablePress Styler
    • Enjoy a slightly lower-priced solution than the most expensive ones on this list

    Pricing: Free, Pro from $79 a year

    Get TablePress

    4. Visualizer

    Visualizer Table and Charts plugin

    Visualizer is a heavy-lifting plugin that lets you build both tables and charts. Developed by Themeisle, the plugin makes possible fully interactive tables, animated charts, and colorful diagrams. This is a great choice for those who need a little more than just tables on their WordPress website. Check out our full review of the Visualizer plugin and how to use it.

    Key Features for Visualizer:

    • Customize the content of your cells by choosing from a variety of content types, including plain text, HTML, images, and links
    • Easily rearrange the order of columns in your table using a drag-and-drop interface
    • Display a total row at the bottom of your table, showing the sum or average of each column
    • Make your table headers sticky, meaning they stay visible as users scroll down the table
    • Display summary information for each column of your table, such as the total or average of the values in the column
    • Create multi-level headers for your table to organize and group related data
    • Perform calculations on your table data, such as adding or multiplying values, to create more complex data sets
    • Connect tables to external data sources, such as Google Analytics or Facebook Ads, to automatically display real-time data
    • Add interactive tooltips to your table cells

    Visualizer Charts and Table Templates

    The key differentiator of Visualizer compared to other plugins is the ability to display data more visually. There are several types of tables and charts that you can build, even in the free version, with even more in the premium version of the plugin. This doesn’t pigeonhole you into one way of visualizing data but allows you to choose the best representation that will be important for your visitors’ user experience.

    Visualizer is for you if you…

    • Have a lot of data that needs to be visualized for your site visitors
    • Need quality tables built but also something that goes beyond them

    Pricing: From $129 a year

    Get Visualizer

    5. Post Tables Pro

    Posts Table Pro WordPress table plugin

    Post Tables Pro is a freemium table builder that is uniquely built to display your posts, pages, taxonomies, and custom post types. What makes this plugin unique is that it can pull the data from your existing posts in WordPress to be displayed in tables. This is an excellent choice for website owners with lots of content that want to organize and display posts in clear ways. But the plugin isn’t limited to just blog post content. You can pull data from custom post types, custom fields, and more.

    Key Features for Post Tables Pro:

    • Dynamically adds post content to tables
    • Can attach a search bar to search and browse entries
    • Integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce allowing the use of pricing and product tables
    • Can create anchor links that jump to a specific cell
    • Lightbox integration that displays images or multimedia content in a lightbox directly from your table

    Post Tables Pro Example Table

    The only real feature you need to know about to determine if you need it is that it uses your posts as a data source. This can be helpful for course creators, large websites, and any application where creating paginated, and filterable tables is desirable. If you need other types of tables created, this isn’t for you. But…

    Post Tables Pro is for you if you…

    • Want to display your posts, products, and custom post types in a table format

    Pricing: From $79 a year

    Get Post Tables Pro

    6. WooCommerce Product Table

    WooCommerce Product Table

    WooCommerce Product Table is another table plugin by Barn2 that can build tables for your WooCommerce product data. And it does it well. This differs from Post Tables Pro in that it is 100% focused on WooCommerce products and provides only the essential features that pertain to eCommerce websites.

    Key Features for WooCommerce Product Table:

    • Display basic and variable products in tables
    • “Quick view” allows customers to view detailed product information in lightboxes
    • Add dynamic add-to-cart buttons that work with your store settings
    • Display custom product fields in the table, such as SKU or weight, etc.
    • Compatible with multi-vendor marketplaces like WooCommerce Product Vendors, YITH WooCommerce Multi Vendor, and WC Vendors

    WooCommerce Product Table Specific Product categories

    The WooCommerce Product Table provides a range of options that allow you to customize the products displayed in the table. You can choose to display products based on a specific category, tag, custom taxonomy term, custom field, date (year, month, or day), or status. Additionally, you can show or hide specific products in the table based on their ID and exclude specific categories. And, every column can be filterable to help your customers find exactly the products that they are after.

    WooCommerce Product Table is for you if you…

    • Have a WooCommerce store and want more ways to display your product information
    • Trust and use other Barn2 plugins
    • Want to dynamically create product and pricing tables based on specific products in your store

    Pricing: From $49 a year

    Get WooCommerce Product Table

    7. TableMaker

    TableMaker for Divi

    TableMaker is another Divi Marketplace item that excels at the table-making experience. Divi theme users will love the ability to create tables with the advanced styling that is expected of the Divi editing interface. This is made by the same folks who created the Divi TablePress styler—so they know a thing or two about making WordPress-powered tables.

    Key Features for TableMaker:

    • Creates beautiful responsive tables in the Divi Builder
    • Include in table cells text, buttons, images, and icons
    • Enable accordion view for mobile devices
    • Enable sticky headers for tables when scrolling
    • Style, hide, or show the corners of your table
    • Use alternate row or column backgrounds using: tints, blend modes, or pure color.
    • Apply a hover effect to rows and columns within the table

    TableMaker responsive layouts

    TableMaker is one of the most powerful table builders for Divi. An impressive feature of the builder is the responsive feature. TableMaker adds several options to customize the table’s display on different devices. You can choose to enable table responsiveness, set the table breakpoint at which the table will display as blocks or accordions, and specify whether to break the table by columns or rows. Additionally, you can set the spacing between each block or accordion section.

    TableMaker is for you if you…

    • Use and love the Divi visual builder
    • Like the idea of the TablePress Styler but only want to install one plugin

    Pricing: From $39 a year

    Get TableMaker

    8. WP Table Builder

    WP Table Builder

    WP Table Builder is a well-respected drag-and-drop table maker for WordPress websites. It does multiple things well and is ideal for those displaying mixed media type tables (text, images, buttons). It can be used to create pricing tables, schedules, and even restaurant menus (but there are better restaurant menu plugins for that).

    Key Features for WP Table Builder:

    • Visual table editing experience that lets you see what you are building in real-time
    • Use formulas to perform calculations on table data
    • Pagination and sorting features for your tables
    • Copy and paste data from other sources, such as Google Sheets or Excel spreadsheets, directly into your table
    • Inline editing allows you to edit table data directly from your website’s frontend
    • Merge or split cells in your table to create custom designs and layouts.
    • Set conditions for table elements to show or hide depending on user input or data
    • Enhance site performance by enabling lazy loading for your tables, so tables will only load data as the user scrolls down the page

    WP Table Builder drag and drop builder

    WP Table Builder’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor enables users to easily customize their tables by adding or removing rows and columns, rearranging the table structure, and adjusting the table styling, all without needing any coding skills or technical knowledge. Adjust the size of each cell and add custom content, such as text, images, and videos, directly within the builder. Additionally, the builder lets you change the font, color, and background of each cell.

    WP Table Builder is for you if you…

    • Want a well-rounded table builder
    • Prefer a visual editing experience
    • Want to create multiple types of tables with ease

    Pricing: From $49 a year

    Get WP Table Builder

    9. Data Tables Generator

    Supsystic Data Tables Generator

    Data Tables Generator is a table and chart plugin for WordPress. It is also a freemium solution (offering a free and premium plugin). Like many on the list, it majors on the majors for a table builder and lets you add all sorts of data types to your tables.

    Key Features for Data Tables Generator by Supsystic:

    • Drag-and-drop interfaces for creating and managing your tables and charts
    • Customize the design of your tables and charts by choosing from a variety of styles
    • Edit multiple cells in your tables and charts at once, making it easy to update large data sets
    • Real-time collaboration of your tables and charts
    • Conditional formatting with the use of icons to indicate the status of data
    • Comes with data analysis tools to perform statistical analysis on your data and create pivot tables
    • Compare two or more tables side by side, making it easy to identify differences and similarities in your data

    Sorting, searching and ordering with Supsystic

    The Data Tablet Generator offers filtering, search, and pagination features that enhance table navigation and overall user experience. The pagination feature easily limits the number of displayed rows (at a single time). The search option is useful for tables with numerous columns and rows, and the table sorting option enables data to be displayed in the desired order.

    Data Tables Generator by Supsystic is for you if you…

    • Want a low-cost yet reliable table plugin for your WordPress website
    • Like real-time collaboration and data analysis tools for your advanced tables

    Pricing: From $49 a year

    Get Data Tables Generator by Supsystic

    What is the Best WordPress Table Plugin?

    If you want to create tables on your website that are both visually appealing and well-organized, then using a WordPress table plugin is essential. The best WordPress table plugins offer a blend of performance and user engagement to ensure your data is presented accurately.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 wpDataTables Pro $94/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Ninja Tables $79/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥉 TablePress $79/yr ✔️ Visit
    4 Visualizer $129/yr ✔️ Visit
    5 Post Tables Pro $79/yr ❌ Visit
    6 WooCommerce Product Table $49/yr ❌ Visit
    7 TableMaker $39/yr ❌ Visit
    8 WP Table Builder $49/yr ✔️ Visit
    9 Data Tables Generator $49/yr ✔️ Visit

    wpDataTables is the main contender for those looking for a truly impressive and good-looking table builder for WordPress. It is highly customizable and works well with different themes and plugins, making it easy to use on any of your websites. And if you are looking to create more stylish tables (especially product tables) using an impressive UI, we recommend Ninja Tables.

    For Divi users, the TableMaker plugin brings the power of TablePress (free) to Divi’s intuitive and user-friendly builder. TableMaker is also the cheapest premium solution on our list!

    Looking for more great plugins? Check out our entire collection of the best plugins for WordPress.

    Featured Image via SpicyTruffel / shutterstock.com

    The post 9 Best WordPress Table Plugins (2023) appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 5 Best WordPress Podcast Plugins in 2023

    Podcasting is big business. Everyone and their uncle and their uncle’s uncle has a podcast. The best way to succeed is for the right person at the right time to notice you. For a lot of people, that can mean showcasing your podcast on your website in a simple, non-intrusive way that invites and entices your audience to press that Play button. With these WordPress podcast plugins, we think you will have the best chance of that happening while enhancing your users’ experience all around.

    Subscribe To Our Youtube Channel

    Why Would You Need a Podcast Plugin?

    A podcast plugin can be a valuable asset for anyone looking to create and promote a podcast on their WordPress website. By simplifying the process of publishing podcasts, a podcast plugin can save time and effort for podcasters while improving the listening experience for their audience.

    With a good podcast plugin, podcasters can easily create and schedule episodes, making it easier to keep their content organized and on schedule. In addition, many podcast plugins offer built-in social sharing tools, allowing podcasters to easily promote their content on popular social media platforms.

    Moreover, podcast plugins often come with email opt-in forms, which enable podcasters to collect email addresses from their listeners and grow their email list. This can be a powerful tool for building and nurturing relationships with listeners and promoting new episodes.

    Best Podcast Plugins for WordPress

    To be ranked among the best, a podcast plugin should provide podcasters with the ability to easily and effectively create, publish, and promote their podcasts. Our top five podcast plugins offer a range of features, including customizable options, integrations, and analytics, among others. In addition to these features, we also considered factors such as reviews, longevity, and the number of installs when ranking these plugins.

    So without delay, let’s dive in.

    1. Blubrry PowerPress

    blubrry powerpress podcast plugin

    Blubrry PowerPress is probably the number one podcasting plugin for WordPress based on name recognition alone. On top of that, it is also one of the best WordPress podcasting plugins in terms of reliability and feature sets, as well as how easy it is to set it up. So in every way possible, PowerPress earns the top spot in our list. Whether you’re a Blubrry paid member or just use their free membership, you can make use of this plugin, so don’t worry if your podcasting budget is either nonexistent or if you’re using a different host.

    podcast seo with powerpress

    A major benefit to using PowerPress is the built-in SEO settings, where it sets up your podcast posts in much the same way that plugins like RankMath and Yoast SEO do for your typical WordPress posts. Blubrry PowerPress will handle your schema and adjust your RSS feed prefixes and episode metadata, meaning that listeners will be able to come across your podcast episodes and posts more easily via a search engine.

    different podcast players

    One of the major draws to PowerPress these days is its inclusion of multiple podcast players. Whether you use audio or video to deliver your podcast, this WordPress plugin has you covered. With their audio options, you can choose between a plain, no-frills player or a robust, rich player that lets users see your show notes, download the episode, and even subscribe to various services right on your WordPress site. In terms of video, PowerPress offers much, too. Whether you host the video locally on your server, on your Blubrry account, or even on YouTube, you can use their dedicated player to get your content out.

    Key Features for Blubrry PowerPress:

    • Multiple player styles and options
    • Simple media import
    • Use with most podcast hosts, not just Blubrry
    • Great podcast SEO settings

    Price: FREE, with premium plans starting at $10 per month (billed annually).

    Get Blubrry PowerPress

    2. Fusebox Podcast Player

    wordpress podcast plugin player

    Formerly known as the Smart Podcast Player, Fusebox is the evolution of not only the player but also the business model. This is a premium plugin that you’ll need to pay for to get the most features. You can use it for free in a limited capacity which is pretty perfect for smaller shows. The free version of the plugin allows for up to 10k listens for up to 3 different shows. So if you’re not averaging more than that per month, you can get a lot of mileage out of the free version.

    podcast player by fusebox fm

    The best feature about using the Fusebox podcast plugin on your WordPress site is the enormous amount of customization that you get, even in the free version. You can choose brand colors, and the episode artwork, whether or not the listeners can download the episode, share it, or subscribe. You even get to choose if your listeners can speed up their listening (the answer is always yes).

    Key Features for Fusebox Podcast Player:

    • up to 10k listens per month for up to 3 shows for free
    • up to 100k listens per show with premium
    • fully customizable player
    • sticky, archive, or individual track players available
    • fast-loading and visually striking

    Price: FREE with premium upgrade starting at $7.50 per month (billed annually).

    Get Fusebox Podcast Player

    3. Seriously Simple Podcasting

    seriously simple podcasting plugin for wordpress

    Deserving of its name, Seriously Simple Podcasting by Castos provides users with a no-nonsense way to post their podcasts to the public. Castos offers its own podcast hosting service. But this plugin is designed to make any podcaster’s life easier, hosting platform agnostic.

    seriously simple podcasting extensions

    Part of this ease of use comes through its extensions and add-ons. Users can access transcripts and statistics for the service with just a few clicks. Plus you can set up different hosts for different posts (or guests), and while the podcast plugin works with any WordPress theme, Castos does have a Genesis extension to ease StudioPress users into usage.

    We also have a full rundown of the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin if you’re interested in seeing a more in-depth look at how it works.

    Key Features for Seriously Simple Podcasting:

    • Complete control over podcast post categorization and descriptions
    • Can be used to podcast from your WordPress dashboard or simply let users listen there
    • Manage multiple podcast series and create multiple feeds using the plugin
    • Individual selection of where your podcast is distributed

    Price: FREE, with premium licenses starting at $19 per month.

    Get Seriously Simple Podcasting

    4. SimplePodcastPress

    SimplePodcastPress plugin

    SimplePodcastPress is a premium podcasting solution for WordPress. While there isn’t a free version of the plugin, you’ll find that the features included are worth the cost. It comes with a customizable audio player that can be embedded in your website or blog post, allowing your listeners to listen to your podcast directly from your site.

    SimplePodcastPress demo

    Plus, social sharing buttons make it easy for your listeners to share your podcast on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, it provides a built-in email opt-in form that integrates with popular email providers and can be used to collect email addresses from your listeners. Another great feature is the ability to add timestamps to your podcast episodes, providing your listeners with a convenient way to jump to a desired point in your podcast.

    Moreover, it provides detailed analytics and statistics about your podcast, including the number of plays and downloads, as well as engagement metrics like social shares and email opt-ins. It integrates with popular podcast hosting platforms like Libsyn, Blubrry, and Podbean, making it easy to manage and publish your podcast episodes directly from your WordPress site.

    Key Features for SimplePodcastPress:

    • Display iTunes reviews on any page or sidebar
    • Clickable timestamps for easy audio navigation
    • Create playlists
    • Collapsible space-saving transcripts
    • Create Tweets from podcasts with one click
    • Email optin integration with MailChimp and other email providers
    • Custom styling to match your branding

    Price: Premium licenses start at $67 per year.

    Get SimplePodcastPress

    5. Podlove Podcast Publisher

    Podlove Podcast Publisher

    Podlove deserves all the pod love it can get. A delightfully simple plugin (or rather, plugins), Podlove can be used to publish your content or simply use their player to listen. The Podlove Publisher plugin is what you use to get your audio into your users’ feeds. You can also use it to get your video there, too. The Publisher plugin comes bundled with the Web Player plugin, which is a clean and lightweight HTML5 player that you can use to display any feed content you want, no matter where it’s hosted.

    wordpress podacst plugin web player

    Podlove offers plenty of customization options. In the backend, you can go with any default options or you can head into Expert Settings and configure items like combining your blog and podcast feeds (on your site, that is). You can set podcast landing pages and decide on a permalink structure for your episodes. (And it can be different from your blogs!)

    podlove options

    On top of that, the web player is compatible with the Gutenberg block editor, so no matter how you build your site, your podcast can be displayed anywhere.

    Key Features for Podlove Podcast Publisher:

    • Gutenberg block editor integration
    • Use the web player separately from the publishing plugin
    • Player supports WebM, MP3, MP4, AAC, H.264, and more file formats for audio and video
    • Publish in multiple formats so your listeners and viewers get the content delivered in the way that works best for them

    Price: FREE

    Get Podlove Podcast Publisher

    Final Thoughts on WordPress Podcasting Plugins

    The podcasting industry is only going to continue to grow. If you have your own show (or shows), these podcasting plugins are definitely the top ways to integrate that content with your WordPress website. Whether you host and publish externally or right within your WP dashboard, we have an option for you.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 Blubrry PowerPress Free, $10 per month (billed annually) ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Fusebox Podcast Player Free, $7.50 per mont (billed annually) ✔️ Visit
    🥉 Seriously Simple Podcasting Free, $19 per month ✔️ Visit
    4 SimplePodcastPress $67 per year ❌ Visit
    5 Podlove Podcast Publisher Free ✔️ Visit

    As for our top pick, you can’t get any better than Blubrry PowerPress. It’s easy to install, set up, and customize, making it an excellent choice for beginners or those who do not want to spend a lot of time on the technical aspects of podcasting. Plus, easy to share your episodes with easy social media sharing options.

    What is your favorite WordPress podcasting plugin?

    Article featured image illustration by lenapolll / shutterstock.com

    The post 5 Best WordPress Podcast Plugins in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 8 Best Countdown Plugins for WordPress in 2023

    Countdown timers are a great way to inform your visitors of when an event will take place. They’re great for showing when something will be available, go on sale, or when a website will be ready for all to see. They’re also great for adding urgency to a sale, which is a popular marketing technique. Fortunately, there are several great choices for anyone looking for a WordPress countdown plugin. In this article, we’ll look at the 8 best countdown timer plugins for WordPress.

    Types of WordPress Countdown Plugins

    There are multiple types of countdown timers. They have different purposes and work in different ways.

    First, we have the standard countdown timer. This timer counts down to a specific date or time. It remains the same regardless of who or where the visitors are. The timer shows the same time for everyone.

    Second, we have what is known as an evergreen timer. Evergreen countdown timers provide a specific countdown for each visitor. They’re used for marketing and are great for creating scarcity and urgency to drive sales.

    The WordPress countdown plugin you choose will depend on the type of features you need. I’ve included both types of countdown timers in this best WordPress countdown plugins post.

    8 Best WordPress Countdown Plugins

    Let’s go over the list of best countdown timer plugins, so you can easily find the product that matches your needs the best!

    1. OptinMonster

    OptinMonster banner

    OptinMonster is a popular conversion optimization tool that offers a variety of features to help website owners increase their conversions. One of these features is the Countdown Timer tool, which allows users to create urgency and increase conversions by adding a customizable countdown timer to their website.

    With OptinMonster, you can generate unlimited timers to put on various pages and posts of your WordPress website. The tool provides two types of countdown timers. The first is a static countdown timer that counts down to a particular end date, indicating when an offer expires for everyone. The second is a dynamic or evergreen countdown timer that tailors the countdown to each visitor by allowing you to specify the timer’s length in days, hours, minutes, and seconds instead of an end date.

    OptinMonster settings

    OptinMonster helps website owners increase conversions by creating a sense of urgency among their visitors. The customizable timer design and settings allow users to match the timer to their brand and website design.

    Flexible display options allow users to show the countdown timer in various ways, depending on their website’s layout and user behavior.

    Key Features for OptinMonster:

    • Customizable timer design and settings
    • Flexible display options, including pop-ups, slide-ins, and floating bars
    • Advanced targeting rules to show the countdown timer to specific visitors

    OptinMonster Pricing: $9/month

    Get OptinMonster

    2. Countdown Timer Ultimate

    Countdown Timer Ultimate

    Countdown Timer Ultimate makes it easy to create circle countdown timers and add them anywhere within your content using shortcodes. You have control over the design, the expiry date, and the animation.

    Countdown Timer Ultimate

    The timer is built with an editor that includes sliders and selectors. Change the size of the circle counter and backgrounds with sliders. Set the animation to Smooth or Tick.

    Countdown Timer Ultimate

    Create multiple timers and get a shortcode for each one.

    Features

    • 1 clock design
    • Shortcodes
    • Clock expiry functionality
    • Pro version adds 12 clock styles, extended settings, clock options, template features, CSS, RTL, and more.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $169/yr

    Get Countdown Timer Ultimate

    3. HurryTimer

    HurryTimer

    HurryTimer provides several settings to create a schedulable countdown, a recurring countdown, or an evergreen countdown. It provides a cookie for your evergreen campaigns. A customizable CTA button provides a link to your sales pages. It integrates with WooCommerce.

    HurryTimer

    The editor includes settings for the schedule, actions, and appearance. Some of the features, such as recurring countdowns and actions, require the pro version, but the others are available in the free version. For the schedule, choose between one-time, recurring, or evergreen.

    HurryTimer

    Appearance shows the timer in real time and provides multiple settings, including general, digits, label, headline, CTA, and several pro features.

    Features

    • Scheduled campaigns
    • Evergreen campaigns
    • Cookie
    • Expiry actions
    • Live design customizer
    • CTA button
    • Integrates with WooCommerce.
    • Pro version adds recurring countdowns, actions, timer block, sticky bar, and custom CSS.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $39/yr

    Get Hurry Timer

    4. Countdown Builder

    Countdown Builder

    Countdown Builder is a simple countdown timer with several premade timers to choose from. The countdown timers can be added to your content with shortcodes. The timers include several customization features, and you can customize them further with CSS and JavaScript. It also includes a Coming Soon feature. It can be expanded with add-ons.

    Add New Countdown

    The countdown editor provides general and advanced options with a live preview of the timer. The advanced options require the pro version. Settings include fields for custom CSS and JS.

    Countdown Builder

    Once you create a countdown timer, you’re provided with a shortcode that you can place anywhere within your content.

    Countdown Builder

    Choose between multiple countdown types that include a countdown, clock, timer, popup, and more. The free version includes 7 types.

    Features

    • Shortcodes
    • Multiple countdown types
    • Live preview
    • Coming soon feature
    • Pro version adds advanced options, multiple scheduling, a subscription form, a newsletter, a countdown button, a progress bar, styling features, and extensions.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $23.98/lifetime

    Get Countdown Builder

    5. Sales Countdown Timer

    Sales Countdown Timer

    Sales Countdown Timer was designed specifically for sales countdowns. It’s designed to build urgency for the sale. It also integrates with WooCommerce to create countdowns for products, show upcoming sales, and more. Choose the types of product pages where it will display, make it sticky, and adjust the positioning.

    Sales Countdown Timer

    The editor includes the general settings, design settings, and WooCommerce settings. The general settings include the scheduling options. It includes the shortcode.

    Sales Countdown Timer

    The design settings are extensive and include live previews. Adjust the color, background, padding, radius, and more for the timer and the DateTime values.

    Sales Countdown Timer

    It also includes settings specifically for WooCommerce products. Create a custom message, add the product photo, show an upcoming sale and lots more. Show the countdown on shop pages and category pages. Adjust the position, make it sticky, and more.

    Features

    • Sales countdowns
    • Simple editor
    • Extensive design options
    • Live preview
    • Integrates with WooCommerce.
    • Make it sticky.
    • Pro version adds evergreen, restart after, and a checkout countdown.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $20/lifetime

    Get Sales Countdown Timer

    6. Evergreen Countdown Timer

    Evergreen Countdown Timer

    Evergreen Countdown Timer lets you create unlimited evergreen timers for your website. Create unlimited countdown timers and add them to your content with shortcodes. You can also disable the evergreen option and set a date for the countdown timer to count to.

    The editor is simple. It lets you choose the date, enable evergreen, choose the detection method, and set the redirect URL. You can also change the colors, labels, and sizes.

    Evergreen Countdown Timer

    The manager provides the shortcode for each countdown timer. You can clone a timer from this screen.

    Features

    • Shortcodes
    • Evergreen and standard countdown options
    • Cookie
    • Customizations
    • Pro version adds a spot countdown, unlimited colors, custom CSS, automatic time reset, and a better cookie.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $47/yr

    Get Evergreen Countdown Timer

    7. Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown

    Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown

    Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown adds a countdown timer builder to the WordPress editor and provides the same tools in a widget. Set up a countdown timer in a few seconds and built it within the content itself. You have control over the placement, and you can choose which devices to show or hide. You can also choose what happens after the timer expires.

    Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown

    The Gutenberg block opens to show all the settings available. Set the date and time by entering the values into the fields. Choose what happens after the time expires from the dropdown box. Provide a message, redirect the URL, select the timer position, and adjust the size. It also includes lots of pro features.

    Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown

    A button is added to the classic editor that opens the same settings.

    Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown

    The widget includes all the same settings as the WordPress editor.

    Features

    • Build the countdown timer on the page with a Gutenberg block or in the classic editor.
    • Build the countdown timer within a sidebar widget.
    • Set the after-expiration action.
    • Set the position.
    • Pro version adds circle and vertical sliders, 39 animations, buttons, and customizations.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $29/lifetime

    Get Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown

    8. Divi Countdown Timer Module

    Divi Countdown Timer Module

    Divi Countdown Timer Module is available in both the Divi theme and the Divi plugin. The Divi theme has the Divi Builder with all the modules built in. The plugin adds the Divi Builder to any WordPress theme.

    Divi Countdown Timer Module

    Adjust the counter visually with the calendar and slider controls. Click the date for the day the counter will end. Adjust the sliders for the hour and minute. You can also add a title, background, clickable URL, etc.

    Divi Countdown Timer Module

    Adjust the text, numbers, separators, colors, borders, size, box-shadow, and more. All the controls are intuitive. Make selections, use sliders, click elements, etc.

    Divi Countdown Timer Module

    Adjust the timer even further with CSS. Each element of the timer has a targeted field where you can enter the CSS. Also adjust visibility, transitions, position, and scroll effects.

    Features

    • Available in the Divi theme and Divi plugin.
    • Works anywhere in a Divi layout.
    • Select the date and time with visual controls.
    • Style the module with visual controls.
    • Add CSS to style each element.

    Price: $89/yr

    Get Divi

    Which is The Best Countdown Plugin for WordPress?

    That’s our look at the 8 best countdown timer plugins for WordPress. This list includes multiple types of countdown timers in various price ranges and feature sets. OptinMonster is a must for websites that want to take marketing to the next level, and their countdown timer is just one of many tools available. If you’re looking for a great timer-centric plugin, it’s hard to top Countdown Timer Ultimate.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 OptinMonster $9.00 per month ❌ Visit
    🥈 Countdown Timer Ultimate $169.00 per year ✔️ Visit
    🥉 Hurry Timer $39.00 per year ✔️ Visit
    4 Countdown Builder $23.98 lifetime ✔️ Visit
    5 Sales Countdown Timer $20.00 lifetime ✔️ Visit
    6 Evergreen Countdown Timer $47.00 per year ✔️ Visit
    7 Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown $29.00 lifetime ✔️ Visit
    8 Divi $89 per year ❌ Visit

    No matter what type of WordPress countdown plugin you need, you’re sure to find something on this list to meet those needs.

    We want to hear from you. What’s your favorite WordPress countdown plugin on this list? Let us know in the comments.

    Featured image illustration via garagestock / shutterstock.com

    The post 8 Best Countdown Plugins for WordPress in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 10 Best WordPress Testimonial Plugins in 2023

    In today’s digital age, the internet has become the go-to resource for consumers seeking businesses, products, and services. However, with so many options available online, shoppers often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about where to turn. As a result, they rely heavily on the opinions and feedback of others to help guide their purchasing decisions. That’s where customer testimonials come in. By showcasing the experiences and satisfaction of previous customers, businesses can build trust and credibility with potential buyers. But how can you effectively display these testimonials on your WordPress site? Fortunately, there are a variety of best WordPress testimonial plugins available to help you do just that.

    From simple display options to more advanced features like review management and social proof integration, these plugins offer a range of solutions for businesses of all sizes and industries. In this post, we’ll introduce ten of the best WordPress testimonial plugins currently available. Whether you’re looking for a basic, no-frills option or a more robust tool with advanced functionality, there’s sure to be a plugin on this list that meets your needs. So without further ado, let’s dive in and explore the top WordPress testimonial plugins.

    What is a WordPress Testimonial Plugin?

    A WordPress testimonial plugin is a tool that allows website owners to display testimonials or reviews from their clients or customers on their WordPress website. Moreover, it provides an easy way to collect and showcase social proof to potential clients or customers. Essentially, this plugin serves as a powerful marketing tool for businesses looking to build trust and credibility with their audience.

    A WordPress testimonial plugin usually comes with features that enable users to customize the look and feel of the testimonials, such as adding photos, filtering by category or tag, and displaying them in different formats, such as sliders, grids, or carousels. Some plugins also allow users to collect testimonials directly on their website, either through a form or via social media integration.

    It’s a great way to show potential clients your success stories and get them interested in your brand.

    Furthermore, it’s important to keep in mind that testimonials should be authentic and genuine. Don’t be tempted to fabricate or manipulate reviews, as this can backfire and damage your reputation in the long run. Instead, encourage satisfied customers to share their feedback and use their words to showcase the value of your products or services.

    Ultimately, the right WordPress testimonial plugin can help you effectively showcase customer reviews and build trust with potential buyers. So, by carefully considering your options and selecting a plugin that meets your specific needs, you can create a powerful tool for boosting sales and growing your business.

    Top 10 WordPress Testimonial Plugins

    To compile this list, we took into account customer ratings and reviews, sales and activation installations, features, and price. We’ve also included a few top Divi Extensions for Elegant Themes members to try out.

    Let’s get started!

    1. Strong Testimonials

    The Strong Testimonials WordPress plugin.

    First up, Strong Testimonials is a popular, feature-rich freemium WordPress testimonial plugin. It lets you quickly and easily display client feedback. This plugin also offers a handful of layouts and lets you customize the background and font colors. That includes a choice between light and dark themes.

    In addition, this tool features a simple, easy-to-use interface that helps you quickly fill out customer testimonial information:

    The screen to add a new testimonial with Strong Testimonials.

    Also, the free version comes with standard features, including a form builder and editor:

    The Strong Testimonials Form page.

    The above screen lets you quickly rearrange and modify the form fields on your customer testimonials. Furthermore, the Pro version also comes with various additional settings and options. For example, you have the ability to create multiple forms.

    Key Features:

    • Review imports from a variety of platforms, including Facebook, Yelp, and Google My Business
    • Testimonial collection forms
    • Grid, masonry, carousel, and slider layouts
    • Color customization options with light and dark themes
    • Ability to add translations with WPML, Polylang, and WPGlobus
    • Custom notification emails
    • Anti-spam form protection

    Strong Testimonials is for you if…

    … you’re looking for an easy-to-use tool that is beginner-friendly. It’s also a strong option if you want a few customization options without having to sort through a lot of features.

    Price: Free, with a premium version starting at $29.00/yr

    Get Strong Testimonials

    2. Real Testimonials

    The WordPress Testimonial Slider Plugin.

    Next up is Real Testimonials, a handy tool for displaying feedback on your site. You can also use it to add reviews or quotes from your customers. Then you can display them with an easy-to-use shortcode generator:

    The Testimonial Slider 'Add New" page.

    This solution includes all the basics you should expect from the best WordPress testimonial plugins, such as areas for each customer’s name, a title, an image, and a star rating. However, it also offers a lot of customization options for its slider transitions and “play mode.”

    For instance, you can set your testimonials slider to auto-play and have it stop when a user hovers over it. This feature provides a seamless user experience, as visitors can interact with the slider without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

    Key Features:

    • Beginner-friendly and intuitive interface
    • Shortcode generator
    • Option to add unlimited testimonials
    • AutoPlay feature
    • Control over the number of testimonials to display
    • Star rating system
    • Color customization options
    • Translation with WPML, Polylang, WPGlobus, Google Language Translator, and more
    • Schema.org compliant JSON-LD markup

    Real Testimonial is for you if…

    … you’re looking for a lightweight plugin that provides the standard features for displaying testimonials on your site. It’s also worth considering if you want to showcase the testimonials as a slider rather than as a grid or carousel.

    Price: Free, with a premium version starting at $49/yr

    Get Real Testimonials

    3. Thrive Ovation

    Thrive Ovation logo
    Thrive Ovation is a powerful plugin part of the Thrive Themes suite. It makes it easy for website owners to collect and manage customer testimonials on their WordPress websites. With Thrive Ovation, website owners can gather testimonials from multiple sources, including social media, email, and other sources, and then display them on their websites in various ways.

    Key Features of Thrive Ovation:

    • Automated testimonial requests
    • Customizable forms for gathering customer feedback
    • A range of templates for displaying testimonials in different ways
    • Tools for managing and organizing customer feedback

    Testimonal Page

    One of the key benefits of the plugin is its automated testimonial request feature. This feature allows website owners to automatically request testimonials from customers after they’ve made a purchase or completed some other action on the website. Consequently, this saves time and effort for website owners. Additionally, it increases the likelihood of receiving valuable testimonials.

    Moreover, the plugin also offers customizable email templates, which allow website owners to personalize the message sent to customers requesting a testimonial. This can help increase the chances of receiving a response and a high-quality testimonial.

    Thrive Ovation is for you if…

    You are using Thrive Themes and want to boost your credibility and improve conversion rates. This plugin is ideal for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large corporations.

    Pricing: $49 per year for a single-site license

    Get Thrive Ovation

    4. WP Testimonials with Widget

    best wordpress testimonial plugins

    WP Testimonials with Widget is a flexible, freemium tool that offers many customization options. In addition to making it easy to gather and showcase client reviews, you can also easily organize them using tags and categories.  Additionally, it provides a simple form that asks for basic information:

    The WP Customer Reviews with Rotator Widget form.

    You can add all the testimonials you need via shortcodes or blocks. Then you can use the included parameters to further tailor their appearance. Alternatively, you can use the plugin’s dedicated widget, which also provides the same customization options as the shortcode.

    Key Features:

    • Input fields for title, testimonial content, company, site URL, and photo
    • Testimonial categories and tags
    • Gutenberg block
    • More than 15 designs (premium only)
    • Star rating system (premium only)

    WP Testimonials with Rotator Widget is for you if…

    … you need some of the other tools included in the WP OnlineSupport Essential Plugin bundle. Otherwise, the premium version can be pretty pricey. While the free version offers some basic functionality, you’ll likely want to upgrade to pro to get the most out of this tool.

    Price: Free, with the premium version included in a bundle for $169/yr

    Get WP Testimonials with Widget

    5. Site Reviews

    The Site Reviews plugin.

    With the Site Reviews plugin, you can enable customers, clients, and users to submit star ratings from one to five on your site. It’s also a streamlined solution. That makes it ideal if you want a no-frills, zero-hassle way to accept ratings.

    The features and functionality on offer are also straightforward. For example, you can “pin” the best client reviews, so they are listed first on the front end. You can also configure the settings so that checks must be moderated before they’re published:

    The Site Reviews settings page.

    This feature is helpful in controlling and minimizing any unfair, spam, or negative reviews. Site Reviews also lets you only allow ratings from logged-in users, which is very useful if you have a membership site.

    Key Features:

    • One-to-five star rating system
    • Option to use shortcodes and blocks
    • Ability to pin the best reviews, so they appear first
    • New submission approval
    • Rating comment functionality
    • Custom notifications for new submissions
    • Integration with WooCommerce Reviews
    • Developer-friendly

    Site Reviews is for you if…

    … you want to give your users a quick and easy way to submit star ratings. It’s also a handy tool if you’re looking for a solution that gives you a lot of control and moderation options.

    Price: Free

    Get Site Reviews

    6. WP Customer Reviews

    The WP Customer Reviews plugin.

    Next on our list, WP Customer Reviews is another completely free WordPress testimonial plugin. This tool makes displaying customer feedback on your site as easy as possible.

    With it, you can create a page on your site that’s dedicated to client testimonials. That feedback can be about your business in general or a specific product. Then you can add a form to collect reviews from your users:

    The form settings page of the WP Customer Reviews plugin.

    This is a simple solution when compared to many other options, but it’s reliable, and it gets the job done. With over 40,000 active WordPress installations and a 4.5 out of 5-star rating, it’s also quite a popular solution. Best of all, it offers a robust feature set for a free plugin.

    Key Features:

    • WordPress multisite compatible
    • Ability to moderate submissions
    • Anti-spam features to minimize and block spam reviews
    • Customizable fields and the option to add your own
    • Shortcode generator
    • Ability to respond to reviews

    WP Customer Reviews is for you if…

    … you’re looking for a free plugin for displaying testimonials. It’s also a strong option if you want to be able to customize your form fields.

    Price: Free

    Get WP Customer Reviews

    7. Testimonial Builder

    The Testimonial Builder WordPress plugin.

    With Testimonial Builder, you get a simple yet intuitive WordPress testimonial plugin with plenty of customization options. In addition to choosing your own colors for the display, you can also select the fonts and font sizes you want. This helps ensure that your testimonials look stunning on your existing site:

    Adding a new testimonial via Testimonial Builder plugin.

    Moreover, this plugin enables you to display customer feedback in either a grid or list style, and you can customize its appearance using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. This feature ensures that you can create visually appealing testimonials that capture visitors’ attention and promote trust in your brand.

    Key Features:

    • Two design themes
    • Color customizations
    • Option to add custom CSS code
    • Customizable font and font styles

    Testimonial Builder is for you if…

    … you want an inexpensive but highly-flexible testimonial plugin.

    Price: Free, with a premium version starting at $14

    Get Testimonial Builder

    For Elegant Themes Members

    8. Divi Carousel Module

    The Divi Testimonial Carousel extension.

    If you’re a Divi user, you can use our Divi Carousel Module to display testimonials on your site. This powerful, feature-rich extension offers many content carousels to choose from. This includes options that are specifically designed for displaying testimonials. It’s also our most powerful and beginner-friendly plugin!

    Key Features:

    • Unlimited site usage
    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • Ability to design an unlimited number of carousels
    • Intuitive interface
    • Slider options, including loop, autoplay, and pause
    • Lightbox functionality
    • Image overlay with or without an icon
    • Multiple content areas with a rating system

    Divi Carousel Module is for you if…

    … you’re an Elegant Themes member and want more than a basic way to display testimonials. Also, this plugin is highly recommended if you need multiple types of content carousels on your site.

    Price: $29

    Get Divi Carousel

    9. Divi Testimonial Extended

    The Divi Testimonial Extended extension.

    Next up, Divi Testimonial Extended provides you with a variety of options for creating stunning testimonials. You get access to multiple layout options, sliders, grids, custom post types, and more. There’s also an easy-to-use form builder:

    A "submit testimonial" form.

    As far as the best WordPress testimonial plugins go, you can’t go wrong with this extension. That’s especially true if you’re already using Divi. It offers you a high amount of control. Therefore, you can make sure customer feedback integrates seamlessly with your site’s design and branding.

    Key Features:

    • More than 20 layout options
    • Slider and grid views
    • Testimonial Categories
    • Four testimonial slider animations
    • Custom post type
    • Multiple column control for each layout
    • Multiple pagination styles

    Divi Testimonial Extended is for you if…

    … you want a premium tool for your Divi site that comes with as many testimonial-related features and layouts as possible.

    Price: $49

    Get Divi Testimonial

    10. Testify Testimonial Carousel

    The Testify Testimonial Carousel extension.

    Last but not least, Testify Testimonial Carousel is another powerful, premium tool. It provides you with a lot of features and customization options for showcasing stunning testimonials:

    A demo of the Testify Testimonial Carousel Divi extension.

    It’s also fully compatible with Divi and is easy to use. This tool offers a handful of widget design options for displaying testimonials. In addition to being beginner-friendly, Testify Testimonial Carousel is fully responsive and highly customizable in addition to being beginner-friendly.

    Key Features:

    • Unlimited site usage
    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • Full integration with the Divi Builder
    • Option to add custom CSS
    • Multiple layout choices
    • Ability to integrate with popular form builder plugins

    Testify Testimonial Carousel is for you if…

    … you’re a Divi user and want a simple, clean, and highly-flexible extension for designing and customizing testimonial sections on your site.

    Price: $49

    Get Divi Testimonial

    Wrapping Up WordPress Testimonial Plug

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 Strong Testimonials $29.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Nextend Social Login and Register $49.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥉 Thrive Ovation $49.00/yr ❌ Visit
    4 WP Testimonials with Widget $169.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    5 Site Reviews Free ✔️ Visit
    6 WP Customer Reviews Free ✔️ Visit
    7 Testimonial Builder $14/lifetime ✔️ Visit

    Displaying customer reviews on your site is a great way to add social proof. It also shows visitors that your business is trustworthy. However, with so many options to choose from, figuring out which WordPress testimonial plugin to use can be tricky. Based on our research, we highly recommend the Strong Testimonials plugin. Not only does it offer extensive features, including customizable templates, multiple display options, and rich snippet support, but it is also user-friendly and easy to set up.

    In addition to considering your budget and the specific features you’re looking for, we also suggest thinking about compatibility. For example, if you’re a Divi user, we highly recommend checking out our dedicated extensions, such as the Divi Carousel Module.

    Do you have any questions about using a testimonial plugin on your WordPress site? Let us know in the comments section below!

    Featured image illustration via Saxarinka / shutterstock.com

    The post 10 Best WordPress Testimonial Plugins in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 10 Best WordPress Project Management Plugins in 2023

    Staying organized is one of the most important things you can do when running a business. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. If you skip organization, your revenue will likely suffer. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools out there for addressing this problem, including WordPress project management plugins. With the right solution, you can keep your team on track without leaving WordPress.

    What is a WordPress Project Management Plugin?

    A WordPress project management plugin is a software extension that adds project management functionality to a WordPress website. It’s incredibly useful for those who work within a larger team or organization. With a project management plugin installed, WordPress users can manage projects, tasks, team members, and project-related files, all from within the WordPress dashboard.

    WordPress project management plugins typically include features such as task management, milestone tracking, time tracking, data visualization, and file sharing. They can be used by individuals, teams, freelancers, agencies, and businesses to streamline project management tasks, increase productivity, and improve project efficiency.

    Top 10 Best WordPress Project Management Plugins

    In this post, we’ll introduce you to ten of the best WordPress project management plugins on the market. Each one has useful features, lots of positive user ratings, as well as updates, and support from its developer.

    Let’s get to it!

    1. WP Project Manager

    WP Project Manager

    You can’t talk about WordPress project management plugins without mentioning WP Project Manager. This tool adds a full-featured project management system to your site’s dashboard. You can set up new projects, assign tasks to specific users, track how long it takes them to complete the work, and more:

    Adding new tasks to the project manager

    Tasks can have set deadlines, and members can launch project-specific discussions to keep each other in the loop. This plugin also lets you upload files for each task, set milestones, and much more.

    WP Project Manager uses a module system that gives you control over what features you want to enable. For example, if you’d rather use Slack for communication instead of the built-in messaging boards, you can disable that module.

    Key Features:

    • Launch new projects
    • Assign specific tasks and to-do lists to projects
    • Assign projects and tasks to specific members
    • Enable members to communicate using project-specific discussions
    • Upload files related to each project
    • Disable the plugin modules you don’t need

    WP Project Manager is for you if…

    …you want access to a full-featured project management system within WordPress. WP Project Manager offers enough features to compete against professional project management platforms, and it’s much cheaper. Therefore, if you’re part of a big team and you’re already using WordPress, this plugin can save you a lot of money.

    Price: Free, with premium plans starting at $79 per year

    Get WP Project Manager

    2. Project Panorama

    Project Panorama

    Next up, Project Panorama stands out because of the sleek interface and the client/admin dashboard available on the front end. This plugin automatically keeps track of progress for each project as members update tasks, and it also enables clients to stay informed:

    Project Panorama

    Along with assigning tasks to specific team members, you can also set due dates and add documentation to each project. You can create multiple teams, with each one tackling specific tasks. Project Panorama also gives you access to a project calendar. Therefore, you can get a quick overview of all the tasks in your docket.

    Key Features:

    • Get access to a project calendar
    • Add projects to your docket
    • Set up tasks and milestones for each project
    • Automatically update project progress as you complete tasks
    • Create multiple teams with different members
    • Communicate using discussion threads for each project

    Project Panorama is for you if…

    …you want to use a WordPress project management plugin that enables you to keep clients informed about their projects. Project Panorama lets clients check in on a specific project’s progress any time they want, so you don’t have to send update emails every day.

    Price: Plans start at $69 per year

    Get Project Panorama

    3. PublishPress Editorial Calendar

    PublishPress Editorial Calendar

    There’s a whole suite of PublishPress plugins, and all of them are focused on helping you manage complex editorial calendars. For example, PublishPress Editorial Calendar is a fantastic project management plugin for WordPress content. If you run a multi-author website or publish content regularly, you can use a customizable calendar to help you manage those tasks:

    Using a content calendar to schedule a post

    Ideally, you should be planning content for your blog in advance. With a content calendar, you can ensure that all of your writers know what’s on their schedules well ahead of time.

    Key Features:

    • Use a content calendar to schedule posts in advance
    • Assign upcoming posts to specific authors
    • Let authors know what content is on their schedule

    PublishPress Editorial Calendar is for you if…

    …you run a WordPress blog and want to schedule content in advance. Having an editorial calendar is a lifesaver, so you should definitely try it out.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $129 per year

    Get PublishPress Editorial Calendar

    4. Upstream

    Upstream

    UpStream is a project management plugin for WordPress that focuses on ease of use. It provides a project management back end that requires no coding knowledge to use effectively.

    With UpStream, you can add new projects to your dashboard, including milestones, target dates, and specific tasks. Projects also have specific sections for adding bugs as custom tasks. That makes this plugin perfect for tech-related projects:

    Adding a bug to your task list

    You can assign projects and tasks to specific team members. Moreover, the plugin also lets you categorize tasks by their urgency. Team members can also update their statuses when they’re done.

    Key Features:

    • Add projects to your dashboard
    • Add tasks to each project
    • Set milestones and end dates for your projects
    • Assign team members to projects and tasks
    • Categorize tasks by urgency and update their statuses

    UpStream is for you if…

    …you’re looking for a no-frills WordPress project management plugin. UpStream is free to use, and it lets you manage both simple and complex projects. The plugin also offers a lot of premium add-ons. However, its free core functionality stands well on its own.

    Price: Free, with premium extensions available

    Get UpStream

    5. SP Project & Document Manager

    Smarty Pants

    SP Project & Document Manager is all about file and document management. You can use this plugin to transform your WordPress website into a remote file storage solution for your business, with folders for each individual project.

    Its standout feature is a front-end file uploader that team members can use without logging into the dashboard. This means you can use SP Project & Document Manager to easily share files with coworkers and clients. The plugin also lets you assign specific folders and documents to users, limiting access as needed.

    Key Features:

    • Create dedicated project folders for file storage
    • Enable users to upload files to dedicated folders through the dashboard or the front end
    • Share access to files or folders with specific users

    SP Project & Document Manager is for you if…

    …you’re already using a project management solution that lets you keep track of projects and tasks. However, you need a more organized platform for file storage. SP Project & Document Manager lets you transform your website into a cloud storage solution that’s perfect for collaborating on large projects.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $75

    Get SP Project & Document Manager

    6. Projectopia

    Projectopia

    Projectopia is the top-selling project management plugin on CodeCanyon. You can use this tool to manage projects through the dashboard. You can also give clients access to their own areas where they can monitor progress on their commissions:

    The Projectopia client dashboard

    This plugin also enables you to offer clients quotes and estimates within the system. Customers can even use their dashboards to submit support tickets, and you can assign team members to take care of them.

    You can use Projectopia to set up as many projects as you want, assign specific roles to team members, and set milestones. Finally, the plugin also comes with built-in payment processing functionality. This makes it a great all-around option.

    Key Features:

    • Create projects
    • Set milestones and timed tasks
    • Assign specific roles and tasks to team members
    • Give clients access to their own dashboards
    • Provide clients with quotes and invoices, and process payments
    • Enable clients to submit support tickets

    Projectopia is for you if…

    …you want a WordPress project management plugin that offers a powerful client dashboard and built-in payment processing functionality.

    Price: $79/lifetime

    Get Projectopia

    7. Task Manager Pro – Task Management Plugin For WordPress

    Task Manager Pro
    Task Manager Pro is a task management plugin designed specifically for WordPress users. It allows individuals, teams, freelancers, agencies, and businesses to manage tasks and projects within the WordPress dashboard, streamlining the process of task management and increasing productivity.

    Task Manager Pro dashboard

    Task Manager Pro offers powerful task management functionality within the WordPress environment, including task categorization, task assignment, deadline tracking, time tracking, and reporting. By using Task Manager Pro, users can streamline task management, collaborate more effectively with team members, and improve productivity.

    Key Features:

    • Create and manage tasks
    • Customizable task fields
    • Simple and intuitive interface
    • Assign tasks to team members
    • Track task progress
    • Advanced Reporting
    • WordPress-specific integration
    • Email notifications for task updates

    Task Manager Pro is for you if…

    You want robust reporting functionality that allows users to generate detailed reports on task and project progress, including data on task completion, time spent, and other metrics.

    Price: $22/ lifetime

    Get Task Manager Pro

    8. Kanban Boards for WordPress

    Kanban Boards for WordPress

    Kanban Boards for WordPress is one of the simplest and most powerful WordPress project management plugins available. Using Kanban boards is a great way to manage nearly anything you have to keep track of. You can set up boards for project management, editorial calendars, sales pipelines, and even custom use cases:

    Setting up a Kanban board

    With a Kanban board, you can also track how long it takes you to complete projects and specific tasks. The plugin lets you see updates in real-time as other team members finish their own tasks. Therefore, you’ll know where each project stands at any time.

    Key Features:

    • Set up a Kanban board for project management
    • Add projects and tasks to the board
    • Set time estimates for each task
    • Track how long it takes you to complete work

    Kanban Board is for you if…

    …you’re already a fan of Kanban. If you’ve used this platform in the past, you’ll have no problem jumping in with Kanban Boards for WordPress. Otherwise, keep in mind that there’s a learning process involved as you adopt the Kanban system.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $149 per year

    Get Kanban Board

    9. Zephyr Project Manager

    Zephyr Project Manager

    If you have a lot going on, Zephyr Project Manager lets you set up projects and add as many tasks as you need to each of them. You can also assign team members to specific projects or tasks, and anyone can comment on ongoing projects:

    Creating a project in Zephyr

    This WordPress project management plugin lets you upload files to projects, monitor progress, and more. You’ll also get to use a project calendar, and you can decide which WordPress users get access to management functionality.

    Key Features:

    • Add projects to WordPress
    • Set up tasks for specific projects
    • Enable team members to leave comments on projects
    • Get access to a project calendar
    • Decide which users get access to project management features

    Zephyr Project Manager is for you if…

    …you want to use a project management tool with a sleek, user-friendly interface. Zephyr Project Manager also offers all the features that medium or large teams need within its free version, which makes it one of our top picks.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $69 for a lifetime license

    Get Zephyr Project Manager

    10. Business Manager

    The Business Manager plugin

    Business Manager doubles as a WordPress project management plugin and a Human Resources (HR) solution. You can use this plugin to keep track of projects, employees, and clients. It lets you store key information such as client addresses, available hours, tax ID numbers, and much more:

    Adding client details to Business Manager

    By using this tool, you can keep track of project deadlines, add tasks to each entry, and assign work to specific team members. The plugin also lets you add project notes and files to keep everything organized.

    Key Features:

    • Manage projects, employees, and clients
    • Store critical client and employee information in WordPress
    • Keep track of project deadlines
    • Add tasks to each project and assign them priority levels
    • Add project notes

    Business Manager is for you if…

    …you want a WordPress project management plugin that also lets you keep track of critical client and employee information.

    Price: Free, with premium add-ons starting at $29

    Get Business Manager

    Conclusion

    If you’ve used project management software in the past, you’ll likely be surprised at how well some of these plugins compare against professional platforms. When you’re already using WordPress, a project management plugin can help you work on many tasks without leaving your dashboard.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 WP Project Manager $79.00 per year ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Project Panorama $69.00 per year ❌ Visit
    🥉 PublishPress Editorial Calendar $129.00 per year ✔️ Visit
    4 Upstream Free ✔️ Visit
    5 SP Project & Document Manager $75.00 lifetime ✔️ Visit
    6 Projectopia $79.00 lifetime ❌ Visit
    7 Task Manager Pro $22.00 lifetime ❌ Visit
    8 Kanban Board $149 per year ✔️ Visit
    9 Zephyr Project Manager $69 lifetime ✔️ Visit
    10 Business Manager Free ✔️ Visit

    If you’re still not sure what project management plugin to use, you can’t go wrong with WP Project Manager or PublishPress Editorial Calendar.

    Do you have any questions about how to get started with project management? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

    Featured image illustration via venimo / shutterstock.com

    The post 10 Best WordPress Project Management Plugins in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 8 Best WordPress Portfolio Plugins in 2023

    If you’re a photographer, a writer, or a creative of any kind, then you need a portfolio. Moreover, that collection of work needs to reflect the fact that you’re a professional who can get the job done. Without an up-to-date portfolio, finding work that befits your talents can be difficult.

    The right WordPress portfolio plugin can help you showcase your work in all its glory. The following six tools go above and beyond to offer you key functionality and also boast strong ratings and regular updates.

    What is a Portfolio Plugin For WordPress

    A portfolio plugin for WordPress is a tool that enables you to create and display your portfolio on your WordPress website. These plugins provide various options to display your work, such as custom layouts, filters, and categories. Ideally, they will help you add and manage your portfolio items, including images, videos, and other media files, through an intuitive interface.

    With a portfolio plugin, you can customize the design and functionality of your portfolio to match your branding and style. You can also add interactive features to make your portfolio more engaging for your visitors, such as animations, hover effects, and social media integration.

    8 Best Portfolio Plugins for WordPress

    With a wide range of plugins available, it can be challenging to find the right one for your needs. To make it easier, we’ve compiled a list of the eight best portfolio plugins for WordPress. From cost to features and performance, we’ve taken all of these factors into account to help you find the best option to display your work. Let’s get to it!

    1. Spotlight

    Spotlight, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    A lot of artists choose to use their social media profiles as a kind of portfolio. If you use Instagram to show off your best work, you can find a way to integrate your feed into WordPress. That way, you won’t need to create a new gallery to display your work on your website. Plus, you’ll be able to direct visitors to your social media profiles.

    Spotlight is a simple plugin that enables you to embed your Instagram feed anywhere on your website. You can display your Instagram posts as a grid, and choose how many images to showcase on your site:

    Spotlight in action

    This plugin lets you set a custom bio description and change your account’s logo. Plus, you can include a Follow button so visitors can follow your account without leaving your website.

    Using Spotlight, you can embed personal or business Instagram accounts. Moreover, the plugin lets you embed feeds from multiple accounts on the same page or on different pages.

    Key Features:

    • Embed Instagram feeds in WordPress
    • Customize your feeds’ styles
    • Add a follow button to your embedded feeds

    Spotlight is for you if…

    …you use your Instagram profile as a portfolio. With this plugin, you can display that portfolio on your WordPress site and gain more followers for your social media account.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $39/yr

    Get Spotlight

    2. Envira Gallery

    Envira gallery WordPress plugin Logo.

    Envira Gallery, one of the best WordPress gallery plugins, can also be used as a great portfolio plugin to showcase your work or projects. With its customizable features, templates, and user-friendly interface, Envira Gallery is an ideal solution for creating a stunning portfolio that represents your brand or style.

    Example of grid builder

    You can use Envira Gallery’s drag-and-drop builder to create a portfolio that looks great on all devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The mobile-friendly design ensures that your portfolio is easily accessible to your visitors, regardless of their device.

    The eCommerce integration feature enables you to sell your work or services directly from your portfolio. You can add custom CSS or JavaScript to further customize your portfolio and make it stand out from the rest. Additionally, social media sharing options enable you to share your portfolio with your social media followers and increase your reach.

    Key Features of Envira Gallery:

    • Drag & Drop Builder.
    • Mobile Friendly.
    • Social Media Sharing.
    • Ecommerce integration.
    • Add custom CSS or JavaScript

    Uploading images via the dashboard is incredibly simple; creating a new gallery takes just a few clicks.

    Upload gallery

    The adaptive drag-and-drop gallery builder is simple to use and will make your grid or masonry galleries look great on all devices.

    However, the free version only offers a handful of features, so you’ll have to go premium to get the most out of the product’s features.

    Envira Gallery is for you if…

    …if you’re looking for a powerful and user-friendly portfolio plugin for your WordPress website. With its drag-and-drop builder and customizable templates, Envira Gallery makes it easy to create a stunning portfolio that showcases your work in the best possible light.

    Envira Pricing: Free, with plans starting at $26 per year

    Get Envira Gallery

    3. GS Logo Slider

    GS Logo Slider, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    A lot of portfolios include logos for the clients that professionals work with. Displaying logos for past and current clients is a simple way to showcase that you’re in demand and you’ve worked with companies visitors might know.

    With that in mind, GS Logo Slider enables you to add each of your client’s logos to your site and display them using sliding galleries:

    A sliding logo gallery

    This plugin offers a broad range of gallery styles, and you can configure each logo to lead users to another page or website. For example, you can add URLs to project pages for each specific client, talking about the work you’ve done together.

    Using GS Logo Slider, you can add sliding logo galleries to your pages using shortcodes or blocks. Moreover, the plugin lets you create categories and tags for your clients’ logos.

    Key Features:

    • Create sliding logo galleries
    • Add your client’s logos to a library and categorize them
    • Create categories and tags for client logos
    • Place logo sliders on your pages using shortcodes or blocks

    GS Logo Slider is for you if…

    …you want a quick way to show off what clients you’ve worked with. You can also include that information within specific entries in your portfolio gallery. However, a logo slider offers a much easier (and more visually appealing) way to impress visitors when they visit your home page.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $30

    Get GS Logo Slider

    4. Real Testimonial

    Testimonial, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    Testimonials are a key tool for encouraging potential customers to trust you. If someone is getting to know your work through your portfolio, a few positive messages from previous clients can help convince them that you’re the right person for their project.

    Using the Real Testimonial plugin, you’ll be able to display customer testimonials using sliders. You can add testimonials manually and include everything from custom titles and descriptions to ratings. Customers can also add links to their sites and social media profiles and even include video testimonial recordings.

    Here’s what the basic testimonial slider looks like:

    A testimonial slider

    You can create multiple sliders using different templates and assign custom settings to them. For example, you can choose what order to display your testimonials in, how many to include in your slider, and whether to add schema markup.

    Customers can include photographs alongside their testimonials, and you can choose where and how they’ll appear. However, one feature that is missing from the plugin’s free version is the option for customers to submit testimonials through a form. Instead, you’ll have to contact them and collect feedback personally.

    Key Features:

    • Display testimonial sliders
    • Add titles, descriptions, ratings, and contact information to your testimonials
    • Create multiple sliders and customize their settings
    • Add sliders to pages using shortcodes

    Real Testimonial is for you if…

    …you have a few previous clients you can solicit positive feedback from, and you want to add compelling social proof to your portfolio site.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $49/yr

    Get Real Testimonial

    5. Divi Builder

    Divi Builder, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    Divi Builder is a page builder plugin that you can use alongside most modern themes, including our own Divi Theme. Particularly if you use the plugin and theme together, you’ll get access to a broad range of features that can help you build the perfect WordPress portfolio.

    Using the Divi Builder, you can add a Portfolio or a Filterable Portfolio module to any of your pages. Those modules work with the custom Project post type, which the Divi Builder sets up for you. You can add project pages and divide them into categories using Divi:

    You’ll also get a broad range of customization options for every module. You can modify each element’s design, layout, effects, and even custom CSS.

    Moreover, the Divi Builder gives you access to a large library of pre-built page templates you can use. Among those, you have several options for full portfolio websites focusing on different types of creative work:

    Several examples of Divi portfolio templates

    The Divi Builder also includes a powerful Theme Builder tool. You can use this to create theme templates that you can assign to the custom page and post types. In addition, Divi Builder can help you add links to social media, so potential customers can follow you online.

    Key Features:

    • Use Divi’s portfolio modules to build project galleries
    • Get access to a new custom post type for portfolio projects
    • Use pre-built templates to set up portfolio pages
    • Customize portfolio modules
    • Use Divi’s Theme Builder to create templates for custom posts and page types

    Divi Builder is for you if…

    …you’re already using the Divi theme. Even if you’re using a different theme, however, you can still use the Divi Builder page builder plugin to set up portfolios that look precisely the way you want.

    Price: Licenses start at $89

    Get Divi Builder

    6. Visual Portfolio

    Visual Portfolio, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    Next on our list, Visual Portfolio is a gallery plugin that enables you to use multiple types of portfolio layouts within the Block Editor. With this plugin, you can add masonry, grid, tile, justified, and carousel galleries to any of your pages:

    Adding Visual Portfolio blocks

    It also enables you to set up new categories for your work and build a library of portfolio items. You get access to a custom post type for portfolio pages, and each module supports multiple types of files, including images as well as hosted video and audio.

    Visual Portfolio offers plenty of customization settings for each of its portfolio blocks. You can modify layouts, add visual effects to individual galleries, and choose what information to display at a glance:

    Customizing a portfolio block

    If you’re not using the Block Editor, Visual Portfolio also integrates with Elementor and WPBakery. In those cases, the plugin lets you create reusable portfolio layouts that you can add to any page using shortcodes.

    Key Features:

    • Get access to multiple types of gallery blocks
    • Add images and posts to your portfolio galleries
    • Embed-hosted video and audio files within your galleries
    • Customize each gallery block
    • Integrate your portfolio layouts with Elementor and WPBakery

    Visual Portfolio is for you if…

    …you want to access easily-customizable portfolio blocks. This plugin lets you set up as many custom portfolio galleries as you need. Plus, you can divide your portfolio into categories, which is perfect if you want to showcase a large library of work.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $39/yr

    Get Visual Portfolio

    7. Portfolio Gallery

    Portfolio Gallery, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    Portfolio Gallery enables you to set up as many individual galleries as you need to showcase portfolio items. It also lets you choose between multiple styles.

    Moreover, you can create sub-galleries for each entry in your portfolio. Here’s how that looks when using the Portfolio Gallery builder:

    Using the Portfolio Gallery builder

    On top of adding sub-galleries for each entry, you can also include titles and descriptions, and set images to lead to external URLs. This plugin also lets you add each portfolio item under multiple categories for easier sorting. Here’s what that looks like from the front end using the Content Popup style:

    An example of a portfolio gallery popup

    Portfolio Gallery’s styles are perfect if you want to include multiple pictures for each entry in your portfolio. You can also take advantage of descriptions to talk about each project and how you approached it.

    One downside of using this plugin is that it doesn’t offer many options when it comes to visual customization. Although you can choose from multiple gallery styles, you can’t modify colors, add effects to galleries, or even use custom CSS without some tinkering (at least, not without the premium version).

    Key Features:

    • Create as many portfolio galleries as you need using multiple styles
    • Add sub-galleries to individual portfolio items
    • Add images and/or videos to your galleries
    • Embed galleries anywhere on your site using shortcodes
    • Disable right-clicking on galleries

    Portfolio Gallery is for you if…

    …you want a WordPress portfolio plugin that doesn’t require much customization. The plugin’s default style works well for minimalist portfolio websites. Moreover, you can include a lot of information and display additional images for each project.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $19/yr

    Get Portfolio Gallery

    8. Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery

    Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery, a WordPress portfolio plugin.

    Next up, Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery is what we’d call an all-in-one WordPress portfolio plugin. This tool enables you to set up portfolio galleries, normal photo albums, client logos, and team showcases. When you combine all of those features, you get a solution that’s perfect for large agencies:

    An example of a GridKit gallery

    You can add titles, descriptions, and URLs for each project in your portfolio galleries. If you set up client-based galleries, you’ll be able to add multiple projects to each of them. Each gallery that you create gets its own shortcode, which you can place anywhere you want on your website.

    Although Grid Kit Portfolio is a fantastic option for agencies, the free version is missing gallery customization functionality. You don’t get to choose specific layouts or customize the style of your galleries.

    Key Features:

    • Create portfolio galleries
    • Add regular galleries and photo albums to your site
    • Create client logo galleries
    • Set up galleries to introduce team members

    Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery is for you if…

    …you’re happy using basic grid galleries for your portfolio. Alternatively, the premium plugin offers a broad range of portfolio gallery types that you can use, and it’s perfect for agencies.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $49.99

    Get Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery

    Which Portfolio Plugin is The Best?

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 Spotlight $39/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Envira Gallery $26/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥉 GS Logo Slider $30/yr ✔️ Visit
    4 Real Testimonial $49/yr ✔️ Visit
    5 Divi $89/yr ❌ Visit
    6 Visual Portfolio $39/yr ✔️ Visit
    7 Portfolio Gallery $19/yr ✔️ Visit
    8 Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery $49.99/lifetime ✔️ Visit

    Using WordPress to create a portfolio is relatively simple. With the right WordPress portfolio plugins, you’ll be able to display your work, show who you’ve worked with, and even share client testimonials. All of these elements are key components of a strong portfolio, whether you’re a graphic designer, a developer, or anything in between.

    If you’re still not sure which WordPress portfolio plugin to use, we’re big fans of Envira Gallery due to its ease of use and monetization features. However, if you want to use a page builder instead, Divi Builder offers plenty of modules and templates that will help you design a gorgeous portfolio website.

    Do you have any questions about how to create an effective WordPress portfolio? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

    Featured image illustration via klyaksun / shutterstock.com

    The post 8 Best WordPress Portfolio Plugins in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 9 Best WordPress Sitemap Plugins for Busy Site Owners in 2023

    Optimizing your website for organic search traffic is crucial for any website. This task can be time-consuming for busy site owners. Sitemaps are some of the best tools available to improve your website’s SEO.

    They not only provide information about your website to search engines to help them index your site, but they also ping them when you update your website. In this article, we’ll look at the 8 plugins to help you decide which is the best WordPress sitemap plugin for your needs.

    What is a WordPress Sitemap?

    A sitemap is a list made with XML that tells search engines about your content and the structure of your website. They include page URLs, when the content was last modified, the type of content, etc. Post types are identified, and you have the option to keep post types from indexing if you want to keep them private.

    Search engines such as Google can crawl your website on their own, but this takes time. Providing a sitemap ensures that search engines have all the information they need to index your website.

    The XML document can be created by hand, but the best way to create a sitemap is with a WordPress sitemap plugin. Sitemap plugins inform search engines of changes on your website, so their information is always up to date. They’re easy to use, and there are plenty to choose from.

    For this list, I’ve separated them into two types: SEO plugins that include sitemaps and those that are dedicated to sitemaps. I’ve only included plugins that create sitemaps for search engines since our focus is on improving search engine optimization (SEO).

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    WordPress SEO Plugins with Sitemap Features

    Since sitemaps are an important part of SEO, creating a sitemap is a standard function of SEO plugins. Here are the best SEO-focused WordPress sitemap plugins with awesome sitemap features.

    1. Rank Math SEO

    Rank Math SEO

    Rank Math SEO includes a fast-loading sitemap that works with different post types, including attachments, projects, custom post types, etc. It also creates sitemaps for taxonomies. It includes lots of detailed options for customizing your sitemaps. Generate Locations KML files for local sitemaps.

    It will also create a WooCommerce sitemap. Even though this plugin has a premium version, everything you need for sitemaps is included in the free version.

    Key Features:

    • Fast loading
    • Works with custom post types
    • Local sitemaps
    • WooCommerce sitemaps
    • Include images in your sitemaps
    • Exclude posts
    • Exclude terms

    Price: Free the pro version starts at $59.00/yr

    Get Rank Math

    2. All-in-One SEO

    All in One SEO

    All-in-One SEO  provides several types of sitemaps, including the standard XML map, a news sitemap, a video sitemap, and an RSS sitemap. The pro version adds news, video, and RSS.

    Sitemaps are included in the free version and give you the ability to enable indexes, enter the number of links per sitemap, choose the post types and taxonomies, disable by date, disable by author, enter specific URLs, and set up advanced settings.

    Key Features:

    • Standard XML sitemap
    • News sitemap
    • Video sitemap
    • RSS sitemap
    • Advanced settings for each type of sitemap

    Price: Free for XML sitemaps, $49.50 per year for Pro (adds news, video, and RSS sitemaps)

    Get All-in-One SEO

    3. SEOPress

    SEOPress

    SEOPress creates a sitemap for post types, taxonomies, videos, images, and HTML. The sitemap features are included in the free version. The general XML sitemap and Image sitemap are enabled by default. The settings are simple and you can adjust the general options and options for the post types, taxonomies, and HTML sitemaps independently. You can view the sitemap, ping Google manually, and flush the permalinks.

    Exclude pages, posts, custom post types, or terms from the sitemap. You can also set the sort order and disable the publication date. It’s limited to 1000 posts per post type.

    Key Features:

    • XML sitemap
    • Image sitemap
    • Author sitemap
    • Video sitemap
    • HTML sitemap
    • Independent options for each type
    • Ping Google manually
    • Flush permalinks

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $49.00/yr

    Get SEOPress

    4. Yoast SEO

    Yoast SEO

    Out of all the top WordPress SEO plugins, Yoast SEO is by far the most popular, and it includes a sitemap feature. For this reason alone, it’s one of the best choices to build a sitemap for your WordPress website. It’s available in both a free version and a premium version with expanded features.

    The free version includes sitemap features, which are enabled by default. You have control over the number of sitemap entries. Mark post types that you don’t want to appear in your sitemap. Add an external sitemap if you have sitemaps for other parts of your website.

    Key Features:

    • Automatically generates a sitemap
    • Limit the number of sitemap entries
    • Mark post types as index
    • Add an external sitemap
    • View the sitemap

    Price: Free; premium version starts at $99.00/yr

    Get Yoast SEO

    5. Jetpack

    Jetpack

    Jetpack is a popular plugin from Automattic, the creators of WordPress, and happens to be a good option for a WordPress sitemap plugin. The free version comes with a set of traffic tools that includes sitemap features. It automatically generates a sitemap for your public posts and pages.

    You can enable custom post types. It also generates a sitemap specifically for Google News. If there is another sitemap plugin in use, this feature is automatically disabled. It warns you if you have search engine visibility disabled in your WordPress settings.

    Key Features:

    • Generates sitemaps for your public pages and posts
    • Add new custom post types
    • Creates a sitemap for Google News
    • Automatically disables the sitemap feature if another sitemap plugin is in use

    Price: Free

    Get Jetpack

    Dedicated WordPress Sitemap Plugins

    Dedicated WordPress sitemap plugins have no other features aside from creating a sitemap. Here’s a look at the most popular dedicated sitemap plugins.

    6. Sitemap by BestWebSoft

    Sitemap by BestWebSoft

    Sitemap by BestWebSoft supports standard pages, custom post types, and taxonomies. It can be integrated with your Google Webmaster Tools account. Create sitemaps for your media.

    The pro version adds features that support custom URLs, multisite, exclude posts, and set the frequency of your changes. The free version has tools not found in other plugins, but some of the most common features are only available in the pro version.

    Key Features:

    • Integrates with Google Webmaster Tools
    • Custom post types
    • Creates media sitemaps
    • Compatible with their Multilanguage plugin
    • Pro version supports custom URLs
    • The pro version supports multisite
    • Pro version includes tools to exclude pages and posts

    Price: Free for basic features, $24.00 per year for pro features

    Get Sitemap by BestWebSoft

    7. Google XML Sitemaps

    Google XML Sitemaps

    Google XML Sitemaps is one of the oldest, most popular, and highest-rated sitemap plugins available. It includes multiple languages and it’s compatible with multisite WordPress installations. It calculates the priority of posts based on their number of comments. You can set it to prioritize by comment average or disable the priority feature.

    It also includes filters that allow other plugins to add their pages to the sitemap. Sitemaps include post types, taxonomies, and custom post types. Include or exclude items, change the frequencies, and change the priority of each post type.

    Key Features:

    • Calculates the priority of posts based on comments.
    • Includes multiple translations
    • Compatible with multisite
    • Allows other plugins to add to the sitemap

    Price: Free

    Get Google XML Sitemaps

    8. XML Sitemap & Google News

    XML Sitemap & Google News

    XML Sitemap & Google News creates a standard XML sitemap and a sitemap for Google News. You can control which sitemaps are enabled, which post types and taxonomies are included, how priority is calculated, and who to ping when the site is updated.

    You can also set robots.txt rules, add external pages, and add external sitemaps. It’s compatible with multisite and it’s multilingual-ready. Several one-click tools help you ping search engines, clear cache, etc.

    Key Features:

    • Creates a sitemap for Google News
    • Choose the post types and taxonomies
    • Add external pages
    • Add external sitemaps
    • Multisite compatible
    • Polylang and WPML compatible

    Price: Free

    Get XML Sitemaps & Google News

    9. Simple Sitemap

    Simple site map logo

    Simple Sitemap is a WordPress plugin that helps improve the SEO ranking of a website by automatically generating an HTML sitemap of its content. With the latest version, users can build and preview their sitemap visually directly in the post editor without using complicated shortcodes. The plugin offers standard or tabbed layouts, responsive sitemap tabs, and plenty of flexible customization options.

    One of the standout features of Simple Sitemap is its responsive design. The sitemap is optimized for all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This means that your visitors can easily navigate your website and find the content they are looking for, no matter what device they are using.

    Key Features:

    • Allows users to choose the specific post types and taxonomies to include in the sitemap
    • Provides the ability to add external pages to the sitemap
    • Supports the inclusion of external sitemaps
    • Compatible with multisite setups

    Price: Free

    Get Simple Sitemap

    Selecting the Right Sitemap Plugin

    Choosing the right WordPress sitemap plugin is an important step in improving your website’s SEO. The best option for your website will depend on the other SEO tools you need. Be sure to check if the features you need are available in the free version or if the premium version is required.

    Many website owners prefer a one-stop solution such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO. These are the most popular SEO plugins available, and they’re solid options.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 Rank Math $59.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥈 All-in-One SEO $49.50/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥉 SEOPress $49.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    4 YoastSEO $99.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    5 Jetpack Free ✔️ Visit

    If you need a feature that isn’t provided in the standard SEO plugins, dedicated sitemap plugins might be a better option. Google XML Sitemaps and XML Sitemap, and Google News are excellent choices.

    If you need options for WooCommerce and products, take a closer look at the plugins with options for images. Several of the sitemap plugins throughout this list include options for images.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 Sitemap by BestWebSoft $24.00/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Google XML Sitemaps Free ✔️ Visit
    🥉 XML Sitemaps & Google News Free ✔️ Visit
    4 Simple Sitemap Free ✔️ Visit

    Ending Thoughts

    That’s our look at the 9 best WordPress sitemap plugins for busy site owners. There are lots of good options available, and many of them are free. In our opinion, you can’t run a successful website without good SEO tools, and Rank Math provides everything you need.  If you’re just looking for a sitemap solution, however, you can’t go wrong with Sitemap by BestWebSoft.

    Whatever your sitemap needs are, you’re sure to find the right plugin on this list.

    We want to hear from you. What’s your favorite WordPress sitemap plugin? Let us know in the comments below.

    Featured image illustration via hanss / shutterstock.com

    The post 9 Best WordPress Sitemap Plugins for Busy Site Owners in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 7 Best WordPress Live Streaming Plugins and Software in 2023

    Live streaming has become more popular than ever. Many social platforms allow for live streaming, but it’s also possible to live stream from your WordPress website. It sounds complicated, but it’s easier than most realize. In this article, we’ll look at the best WordPress live-streaming plugins and software to help you get started.

    Why Live Stream?

    Live streaming is great for broadcasting events such as sports, weddings, concerts, theater, and more. It’s a great way to build brand awareness and promote products. It’s also a great way to build and engage with your audience.

    A few examples include:

    • Video games
    • Webinars
    • Live coaching
    • Classes
    • Church services
    • Product demonstrations

    What You Need to Live Stream

    There are two types of software you need to create your live stream:

    1. Software to capture your video for the live stream. This is usually done with specialized software.
    2. A way to embed the live stream into your WordPress website. This is usually done with WordPress live-streaming plugins.

    The Best Live Streaming Software

    First, you’ll need to create the live stream. This portion of the list shows the best software for creating the live stream. Of course, you’ll need a camera, microphone, video capture hardware, or any other equipment based on the type of content you’re creating.

    The live stream software will provide you with code to embed within your WordPress website. This code can be embedded using the WordPress live-streaming plugins we’ll discuss in the next section.

    1. XSplit Broadcaster

    XSplit Broadcaster

    XSplit Broadcaster is a live streaming and recording studio designed with gaming and esports in mind. It works just as well for any type of streaming. It integrates with Skype and Zoom video calls, includes desktop sharing, and allows for overlays. Use multiple sources for media and drag or resize them.

    XSplit Broadcaster

    It includes many high-end features to create live streams that look professional. Set up scene presets, chroma key sensitivity, change the camera shape, adjust the audio levels for each scene, enable split-screen, and lots more.

    Features

    • Skype and Zoom integration
    • Desktop sharing
    • Overlays
    • Multiple media sources
    • Drag and resize sources
    • OBS importer
    • Stream to multiple platforms
    • Recording
    • Expandable
    • Green screen
    • Windows and Mac

    Price: $15 per month and up

    Get XSplit Broadcaster

    2. Wirecast

    Wirecast

    Wirecast is professional-grade streaming software that’s used by television broadcasters. It even has production gear available to start streaming from anywhere in minutes. You can stream to unlimited destinations including YouTube and other platforms. The stream can then be embedded into your WordPress website using plugins such as WPStream.

    Wirecast

    Capture multiple sources and edit them live. Add overlays, backgrounds, shots, and lots more.

    Features

    • Windows and Mac
    • Unlimited platforms
    • Stream and record
    • View up to 17 sources per monitor
    • ISO recording can be used for live instant replay
    • Multiple output options
    • Extensive training available

    Price: $599 lifetime

    Get Wirecast

    3. OBS Studio

    OBS Studio

    OBS Studio is a free and open course app with professional-level tools for live streaming and recording. Connect to multiple sources to show your desktop, specific windows, browser tabs, and cameras at the same time. Rearrange the screen to show the exact layout you want. It’s ideal for showing a video source, such as your desktop, while showing a camera capture in the corner. It’s best used with a streaming provider.

    This example shows my browser with an image captured from my webcam in the bottom right corner. I can move the webcam capture anywhere and make it any size.

    OBS Studio

    The live stream output can connect to a streaming service or you can create a custom output for your server.

    Features

    • Professional tools
    • Multiple capture sources
    • Open Source
    • Real-time audio and video capture
    • Output to multiple services
    • Unlimited scenes with transitions
    • Recording
    • Green screen
    • Runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux

    Price: Free

    Get OBS Studio

    4. YouTube Livestreaming

    YouTube Livestreaming

    YouTube has a live stream feature built-in. You just need enough subscribers and content to access it. It gives you the option to go live now or schedule it for later.

    YouTube Livestreaming

    You’ll then have the option to use your webcam or streaming software.

    YouTube Livestreaming

    Go through the process of setting up your live stream.

    YouTube Livestreaming

    It then gives you links that you can use to embed your live stream into your website. Paste the link into your pages, posts, Divi modules, etc., publish the page or post, and you’re live. You can set the live stream to “Public” so anyone on YouTube can see it or set it to private so only those visiting your WordPress website can see it. This might be the simplest method on this list.

    Features

    • Go live or schedule for later.
    • Use webcam.
    • Use streaming software.
    • Publish YouTube streams as public or private.
    • Paste the embed link anywhere on your website.

    Price: Free

    Get Youtube

    Live Streaming Software Comparison Table

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 XSplit Boradcaster $15/mo ❌ Learn More
    🥈 Wirecast $599 lifetime ❌ Learn More
    🥉 OBS Studio Free ✔️ Learn More
    4 Youtube Free ✔️ Learn More

    The Best WordPress Live Streaming Plugins

    Once you have your software, you’ll need a way to embed the live stream into your WordPress website. The easiest way to do this is to use one of the many WordPress live-streaming plugins that are available.

    This list is what I consider the best plugins for embedding your live streams. There are a few popular plugins that I didn’t include due to having a fatal error or having a reputation for publishing content without permission.

    1. WpStream

    WpStream

    WpStream allows you to stream video-on-demand, pay-per-view, and live streams. It requires a WPStream account and limits your streaming bandwidth based on the subscription you choose. It connects to broadcast software and smartphones. Create video channels as custom post types and embed them with shortcodes. It integrates with WooCommerce.

    WpStream

    Settings let you enter video channels to display, set user roles, choose the type of channel, and set the default price. You can also adjust the default channel settings, subscription options and customize the messages.

    WpStream

    Create the channels as a custom post type using the classic editor. It includes categories, tags, actors, media categories, movie ratings, and a featured image.

    Features

    • Connects to popular broadcast software
    • Stream with your smartphone
    • Video channel custom post type
    • Embed with shortcodes
    • 5GB bandwidth
    • 1GB media storage
    • Pay-per-view
    • Video-on-demand
    • WooCommerce integration
    • Pro version adds more bandwidth and storage, content protection, and removes ads.

    Price: Free, the pro version starts at $19 per month

    Get WpStream

    2. Embed Plus for YouTube

    Embed Plus for YouTube

    Embed Plus for YouTube is one of the most popular WordPress live-streaming plugins. It allows you to embed a YouTube video, playlist, channel, gallery, or live stream. Streams are easily embedded into the classic editor using the embed tools and into Gutenberg with the included block.

    Embed Plus for YouTube

    The settings screen gives you lots of control over how the embed works and looks.

    Embed Plus for YouTube

    It adds a new block to Gutenberg called YouTube Wizard. This allows you to embed a live stream or any other YouTube content you want.

    Features

    • Autoplay
    • Looping
    • Annotations
    • Related videos
    • Progress bar
    • Video controls
    • Localization
    • Default “not live” content
    • Gutenberg block
    • Pro version adds customizations, live chat, featured thumbnails, video SEO, and more.

    Price: Free, the pro version starts at $39.99

    Get Embed Plus for Youtube

    3. Bzplayer Pro

    bzplayer website

    Bzplayer Pro is a powerful and customizable video player that allows users to play and stream videos on their websites. With a sleek and intuitive interface, Bzplayer Pro offers a wide range of features and customization options to make the video playback experience as smooth and engaging as possible.

    Features:

    • Support for multiple video formats, including MP4, WebM, FLV, HLS, and MPEG-DASH
    • Customizable player skin with support for multiple color schemes
    • Responsive design to fit any screen size

    BZplayer demo

    Bzplayer Pro’s key features make it a versatile tool for anyone looking to enhance their website’s video playback experience. The support for multiple video formats ensures that users can play any type of video, while the customizable player skin allows them to match the player’s design with their website’s branding. Finally, the responsive design ensures that the player looks great on any device, from desktops to smartphones.

    Bzplayer Pro is for you if…

    • You want to enhance your website’s video playback experience with a customizable and versatile video player
    • You need a video player that supports multiple video formats and can be easily integrated into your website
    • You want a video player with a responsive design that looks great on any device

    Bzplayer Pro Pricing: $21

    Get Bzplayer Pro

    Live Streaming Plugin Comparison Table

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 WpStream $19/mo ✔️ Learn More
    🥈 Youtube Embed Plus $39.99/site ✔️ Learn More
    🥉 BzPlayer $21/site ❌ Learn More

    Which Live Streaming Solution Should You Choose?

    That’s our look at the 7 best WordPress live streaming plugins and software.

    WpStream might be the best solution overall. The stream is hosted on their powerful platform and includes lots of options. WpStream stands out for its robust hosting platform and extensive feature set. This plugin offers a range of customization options, including the ability to embed live streams on your website, add pay-per-view options for monetization, and set up multi-camera live streams.

    Having said that, you can’t go wrong with any of the options on this list. No matter your needs a budget; there’s sure to be something here to get you started with live streaming from your WordPress website.

    We want to hear from you. Have you tried any of these WordPress live-streaming plugins or software platforms? Let us know what you think about them in the comments.

    Featured Image via ingibiork / shutterstock.com

    The post 7 Best WordPress Live Streaming Plugins and Software in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 9 Best WordPress PayPal Plugins in 2023

    If you make purchases online, then you’re probably familiar with PayPal. This platform accounts for close to 22% of online transactions in the US. What’s more, the service boasts over 390 million accounts throughout the world. In other words, PayPal is everywhere, and if you sell products or services through WordPress, you’d do well to consider adding it as a payment processor.

    In this article, we’ll introduce you to eight of the best WordPress PayPal plugins you can use to add support for this platform. They’ve been chosen based on their feature sets, ratings and reviews, support, and pricing.

    Let’s get to it!

    What is a PayPal Plugin for WordPress?

    A PayPal plugin for WordPress is a powerful tool that can help website owners easily integrate PayPal payment functionality into their WordPress sites. PayPal is one of the most popular and trusted payment platforms globally, and integrating it with a WordPress site can be an excellent way to provide customers with a secure and convenient way to make payments.

    Typically, a PayPal plugin for WordPress will offer a range of features that make it easy to set up and manage payment processing. This includes payment buttons, shopping carts, order management tools, and more. These features can help to simplify the payment process for customers, which can help to increase sales and revenue for businesses.

    Additionally, some PayPal plugins may offer advanced features such as tax and shipping calculations, custom payment forms, and integration with other payment gateways. This can provide businesses with greater flexibility and customization options when it comes to setting up their payment systems.

    9 Best WordPress PayPal Plugins

    We’ve taken into account user reviews, regular updates, and a satisfied user base to ensure that the plugins on our list are reliable and easy to use. Whether you’re looking to sell digital products, physical goods, or services, these PayPal plugins can help you set up a payment system that works seamlessly with your WordPress site.

    1. GiveWP

    GiveWP donation plugin

    GiveWP is one of the most popular plugins available on WordPress, currently garnering over 100,000 active users, and for a good reason. It allows you to take one-time and recurring donations with PayPal (and other payment platforms.)

    One of the key benefits of GiveWP is its analytics reporting system, which allows you to track your donations and monitor the performance of your campaigns. This makes it easy to identify your top donors and optimize your fundraising efforts.

    Another advantage of GiveWP is its seamless integration with Divi, a popular WordPress theme. This allows you to create custom donation forms that match your site’s design, giving your donors a seamless and branded experience.

    Key Features of GiveWP:

    • Custom goals and templates.
    • Donation subscription services.
    • Full analytics reporting system.
    • Integrates with Divi

    A example of a form from GiveWP

    GiveWP offers a free version of the plugin that includes essential features like PayPal and Stripe integration, a donor database, and access to reports. For more advanced features like recurring donations and PDF receipts, you can purchase a premium package starting at $149.

    GiveWP is for you if…

    You’re seeking a comprehensive donation package, email marketing or multi-level donation campaigns, Stripe and PayPal integration, or use Divi.

    GiveWP Pricing: Free. The Basic Package starts at $149/yr

    Get GiveWP

    2. Easy Digital Downloads

    Easy Digital Downloads

    If you need a plugin that enables you to sell digital files via WordPress using PayPal (among other gateways), Easy Digital Downloads should be your top choice. This solution enables you to create a catalog of digital products, each with its own page. You can use Easy Digital Downloads to sell e-books, digital copies of photos, software, and any other file you want:

    Creating a new product using Easy Digital Downloads

    Easy Digital Downloads enables you to process payments and track orders, and it can automatically submit the files that users purchase. You can use this plugin to generate sales reports and keep track of customer histories.

    It also enables you to manage taxes with different rules for specific regions. Easy Digital Downloads can integrate with SendWP to send transactional emails, and it also supports the Recapture service, which can help you with re-targeting users who abandon their carts.

    Key Features:

    • Sell digital files using PayPal
    • Process orders and send transactional emails
    • Generate sales reports
    • Keep track of customer purchase histories
    • Set taxes for multiple regions

    Easy Digital Downloads is for you if…

    …you want to focus on digital files only. Easy Digital Downloads is very straightforward, and it supports PayPal payments out of the box.

    Price: Free, premium plans starting at $99.50/yr

    Get Easy Digital Downloads

    3. Paid Memberships Pro

    Paid Memberships Pro

    Paid Memberships Pro is a full membership solution for WordPress. Using this plugin, you can create multiple membership or subscription levels and tiers. You can decide what content each membership gets access to and process payments, all using one plugin.

    Out of the box, Paid Memberships Pro supports multiple gateways, including PayPal. You can set a default currency for PayPal payments and choose whether to include sales tax or not:

    On top of enabling you to restrict content to members, Paid Membership Pro also lets you set up a member directory and profiles. The plugin lets you restrict almost any type of content, including custom post types and WooCommerce products, on top of regular posts and pages.

    Key Features:

    • Create multiple memberships or subscription tiers
    • Decide what membership tiers get access to what content
    • Use PayPal and other gateways to process payments

    Paid Memberships Pro is for you if…

    …you want to run a subscription-based website. This plugin gives you full control over who can see what content, and you can set up as many membership tiers as you need.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $247/yr

    Get Paid Memberships Pro

    4. WooCommerce

    WooCommerce

    First and foremost, WooCommerce is by far the most popular WordPress e-commerce plugin on the market. This solution supports PayPal payments out of the box, and it enables customers to make purchases using their credit cards or account balances.

    You’ll need a PayPal Business account if you want to enable integration via WooCommerce. Once you connect your account, you’ll be able to start processing payments via PayPal:

    Enabling PayPal payments in WooCommerce

    With WooCommerce, you can use your WordPress website to sell both physical and digital products. This plugin enables you to manage inventory, coordinate shipping, send email notifications, and of course, process payments.

    Key Features:

    • Sell physical and digital products
    • Process product orders
    • Manage shipment options
    • Send email notifications concerning orders
    • Enable customers to pay using PayPal and other payment processors

    WooCommerce is for you if…

    …you want to launch an e-commerce website using WordPress. There are some e-commerce plugins that are more specialized than WooCommerce. However, none of them offer as many extensions or are as popular. Moreover, WooCommerce lets you enable PayPal payments in a matter of minutes.

    Price: Free, with premium extensions available

    Get WooCommerce

    5. WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart

    WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart

    In some cases, you might not need an e-commerce plugin that can handle hundreds of products. Instead, you may prefer a solution that enables your customers to add specific products or services to their carts and pay using PayPal. That’s precisely what WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart does.

    With this plugin, you can use shortcodes to create custom “add to cart” buttons that you can set up on any of your pages. You can configure as many buttons as you need, each one with a different price. Then you can add a cart and checkout section:

    A PayPal shopping cart

    This plugin enables you to configure your shopping cart and add shipping costs to customer orders. WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart also lets you send purchase confirmation emails, and you can use it to sell any kind of product you want through your website.

    Key Features:

    • Create custom “add to cart” buttons using shortcodes
    • Add cart and checkout sections to any part of your site
    • Configure shipping and payment settings for your cart
    • Offer coupons to your customers

    WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart is for you if…

    …you don’t want to use a full-fledged e-commerce solution for WordPress. This plugin is perfect if you just want to sell one type of product or service, or even a handful of them. If you’re planning on having a broader inventory of products, you’re likely better off using WooCommerce.

    Price: Free

    Get WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart

    6. Quick PayPal Payments

    Quick PayPal Payments

    So far, we’ve looked at multiple WordPress PayPal plugins for e-commerce websites. However, none are as easy to use as Quick PayPal Payments. This tool lets you set up one PayPal payment form that you can display anywhere on your site using the [qpp] shortcode:

    An example of a PayPal payment form

    Quick PayPal Payments gives you plenty of customization options for your payment form. You can add images, modify the text within each section, and even add custom fields to your form. You can also use this plugin to set up recurring payments for customers.

    Keep in mind that you can only set up one payment form using Quick PayPal Payments, however. That makes the plugin a great option if you sell only one type of product or service, but it’s less useful if you have a large inventory.

    Key Features:

    • Create a PayPal payment form for your website
    • Customize your payment form’s style and the fields it includes
    • Enable recurring payments

    Quick PayPal Payments is for you if…

    …you want to accept donations through your website, or you sell only one type of product or service. If all you need is one PayPal payment form, this plugin is probably perfect for you.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $14.99/yr

    Get Quick PayPal Payments

    7. PayPal Donation

    PayPal Donation

    You’ve probably seen a lot of websites that include PayPal donation buttons. PayPal Donation, one of the many great WordPress donation plugins available today, connects to your account and helps you create that button:

    Creating a PayPal donation button

    PayPal Donation enables you to set a default currency for donations and a language for your button. You can also add pre-set donation options to your button. That way, you can suggest what amounts of money users might contribute to your cause.

    This plugin lets you set up as many donation buttons as you need and generates unique shortcodes for each of them. Finally, PayPal Donation keeps track of every donation that users make through your website. You can check donation history through your dashboard and see how much each user paid (and when).

    Key Features:

    • Set up as many PayPal donation buttons as you need
    • Configure a default language and currency for each button
    • Add buttons to pages using shortcodes
    • Keep track of donations through your dashboard

    PayPal Donation is for you if…

    …you want the option to set up more than one type of donation button for your website. If you’re collecting money for multiple causes via PayPal, this plugin should be a great fit for your site.

    Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $29.99/yr

    Get PayPal Donations

    8. Payment Button For PayPal

    WordPress PayPal

    Payment Button for PayPal works similarly to the last plugin that we talked about. This WordPress PayPal plugin enables you to create multiple types of buttons, including options for payments, donations, and subscriptions.

    When users are ready to check out, they can do so by clicking on a “View Cart” button. You can place that element anywhere on your site, and it will send users to PayPal to complete their purchases.

    Although WordPress PayPal supports a broad range of PayPal operations, we can only recommend that you use this plugin if you’re comfortable with shortcodes. WordPress PayPal doesn’t offer any configuration options, and you have to read its documentation to check out all of the shortcode parameters it offers.

    If you can look past that, WordPress PayPal enables you to create highly-customizable PayPal buttons. You can set up buttons that add multiples of any item and include shipping costs, taxes, and much more.

    Key Features: 

    • Set up PayPal payment, donation, and subscription buttons
    • Enable users to check out through PayPal
    • Customize your PayPal buttons using shortcode parameters

    Payment Button for PayPal is for you if…

    …you want a plugin that supports payments, donations, and subscriptions via PayPal. However, we only recommend using this tool if you don’t mind configuring shortcode parameters manually.

    Price: Free

    Get Payment Button for PayPal

    9. Seamless Donations

    Seamless Donations plugin logo

    If you need a solution that can help you collect donations for multiple causes using PayPal, you’re going to like Seamless Donations. This plugin enables you to set up a donation form that lets users choose how much they want to donate and to what causes. More importantly, it lets them pay using PayPal:

    Seamless Donations settings page

    You can configure pre-set donation levels and decide what information you want to collect from donors. This plugin lets you set up multiple causes or “funds” that users can select when they make donations, and you get to choose from two form-style templates.

    One feature that is lacking in the free version of the plugin is the ability to fully customize your form’s style. If you pay for the premium version, you can use a broad collection of pre-built style templates, but a lot of them look somewhat outdated.

    Key Features:

    • Set up a PayPal donation form for your website
    • Create multiple funds or causes, and let users decide which one(s) to donate to
    • Configure pre-set donation levels
    • Choose what information users need to fill out to make a donation

    Seamless Donations is for you if…

    …you want to collect donations for multiple causes. This plugin lets you do that using a single form, which is perfect if you’re planning on creating a dedicated donations page.

    Price: Free, with premium add-ons

    Get Seamless Donations

    Wrapping Up PayPal Plugins for WordPress

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 GiveWP $149/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Easy Digital Downloads $99.50/yr ✔️ Visit
    🥉 Paid Memberships Pro $247/yr ✔️ Visit
    4 WooCommerce Free ✔️ Visit
    5 WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart Free ✔️ Visit
    6 Quick PayPal Payments $14.99/yr ✔️ Visit
    7 PayPal Donations $29.99/yr ✔️ Visit
    8 Payment Button For PayPal Free ✔️ Visit
    9 Seamless Donations Free ✔️ Visit

    There are a lot of ways you can integrate PayPal with WordPress. If you plan on selling products or services through WordPress, most of the e-commerce plugins you can use support payments via PayPal. The same applies to tools that help you sell subscriptions and collect donations. Providing access to this key payment gateway is an excellent method for improving the customer experience.

    If you’re planning to start an online store that accepts PayPal, WooCommerce is a top option. However, if you only plan on selling digital files, Easy Digital Downloads might be a better choice. For collecting donations, we recommend using the PayPal Donation plugin.

    Do you have any questions about how to integrate PayPal with WordPress? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

    Article thumbnail image by Inspiring / shutterstock.com

    The post 9 Best WordPress PayPal Plugins in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • 8 Best WordPress Wiki & Knowledge Base Plugins in 2023

    Wikis and knowledge bases are some of the most popular methods of providing information. They’re especially popular for the first line of support. Knowledge bases and wikis are great for articles, documents, and FAQs. With the right tools, it’s not difficult to integrate a wiki into your WordPress website. In this article, we’ll look at 8 options to help you decide which is the best WordPress wiki plugin for your needs.

    Why Do You Need a Wiki or Knowledge Base Plugin?

    A knowledge base plugin for WordPress can help you organize information in one central location, provide self-help resources to customers, increase user engagement, improve SEO with quality content, and save costs. It offers an effective way to reduce the load on customer support teams and provides customers with easy-to-find answers to frequently asked questions, improving their overall experience. In short, a knowledge base plugin can improve your website’s functionality and provide a better experience for both customers and businesses.

    The 8 Best Wiki and Knowledge Base Plugins

    Overall, a good wiki and knowledge base plugin should be customizable, easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and provide useful analytics and feedback to help you continuously improve your content. When building this list, we kept those key points in mind. So without further delay, here are our top picks.

    1. Echo Knowledge Base

    Echo Knowledge Base plugin

    Echo Knowledge Base includes a frontend editor with 26 templates and 500 icons. It has multiple tabs, allowing you to organize the documents by team, product, and service. Create articles that include a table of contents. The search bar provides listed results. Order the articles alphabetically, by time, etc.

    Setting up Echo is a breeze thanks to the easy configuration wizard.

    Echo Knowledge Base configuration wizard

    The plugins let you choose from several basic designs, tabs, or category layouts. The wizard changes the setup based on the type of layout you choose. For example, if you choose a category design, you’ll be given the option of left, right, or top category navigation.

    Echo category navigation

    Once you complete the wizard, you’ll have the option to add new articles to your knowledge base.

    add new articles

    If you are a Divi user, Echo features Visual Builder integration so that you can make your knowledge base articles fully customized.

    Divi integration

    Key Features for Echo Knowledge Base:

    • Frontend editor
    • 26 templates
    • Table of contents
    • Fast search with listed results
    • 500 icons
    • Ordering options
    • 5 levels of hierarchy
    • Pro version adds layouts, widgets, a link editor, ratings and feedback, advanced, search, groups, and more.
    • Divi Visual Builder integration

    Price: Free, pro add-ons start at $46 per year.

    Get Echo Knowledge Base

    2. Heroic Knowledge Base

    Heroic KB plugin

    Heroic Knowledge Base is a powerful plugin that offers an Ajax search feature for answers on the fly. It offers all standard features you’d expect from a wiki plugin such as content categorization, article attachments, widgets for displaying your knowledge base in the sidebar, as well as drag & drop ordering to make building your knowledge base simple.

    That being said, it offers something that others don’t. With Heroic’s KB offering, you can get critical insight into what your users think by making a user feedback section standard. This not only helps you improve your content but also aids in higher customer satisfaction.

    Heroic KB demo

    In addition to those features, Heroic Knowledge Base acts as a table of contents plugin, and gives you the ability to restrict access to your knowledge base to those who are logged in. This is especially useful if you’re building a membership website, or creating online courses.

    To make their product even more attractive, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is plenty of time to decide if Heroic KB is right for you.

    Key Features for Heroic Knowledge Base:

    • Ajax real-time search
    • Drag & drop content ordering
    • User feedback feature
    • Ability to restrict content to logged-in users only

    Price: Licenses starting at $149 per year.

    Get Heroic Knowledge Base

    3. BetterDocs

    Better Docs plugin

    BetterDocs is a popular WordPress wiki plugin that makes it easy to create a knowledge base to expand your support. It comes with several templates to get you started. A table of contents is created automatically as you type. You can make the TOC sticky. The advanced live search makes it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. A pro version is available that adds analytics, and an instant answer bot, and it allows you to create multiple knowledge bases for different products.

    Better Docs activation

    To help you get started, the quick setup option steps you through creating the pages, and content, and customizing it.

    Better Docs settings

    The settings screen gives you lots of control over the docs including the design, layout, and more. Settings are intuitive and simple.

    Key Features for Better Docs:

    • Premade templates
    • Shortcodes
    • Auto table of contents
    • Sticky table of contents
    • Advanced live search
    • Pro version adds templates, advanced search, floating table of contents, instant answers, analytics, and more.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $69 per year.

    Get Better Docs

    4. BasePress

    BasePress WordPress wiki plugin

    BasePress is a powerful WordPress wiki plugin that lets you build unlimited independent knowledge bases. It comes with three themes and you can customize them with simple adjustments and CSS. It builds an entry page where users can choose the knowledge base they need. The unlimited section hierarchy makes the knowledge bases easy to organize.

    The setup wizard steps you through to get started quickly with easy-to-follow settings screens including general settings, appearance, breadcrumbs, search, comment, and import and export tools.

    BasePress configuration wizard

    Once your custom post type for knowledge bases is created, you can customize your knowledge base with a title, slug, description, and image, as well as section and sub-section styles.

    wiki category styling

    Key Features for BasePress:

    • Theme editor
    • Icon manager
    • Advanced search with live results
    • Breadcrumbs
    • Drag and drop reordering.
    • 4 widgets
    • Pro version adds content restrictions, article voting and user feedback, automatic table of contents, statistics, and lots more.

    Price: Free, the pro version starts at $59 per year.

    Get BasePress

    5. weDocs

    weDocs wiki plugin

    weDocs by weDevs is an excellent choice to create visually stunning documentation for your website. While they don’t have any pre-made templates to choose from, you can use popular WordPress themes such as Divi to create your wikis and knowledge bases.

    Like, other plugins on our list, the knowledge base is created using a shortcode, allowing integration anywhere on your website.

    weDocs settings

    You can also add tags to your documentation pages, making it easy for users to search for specific information. Plus, it also provides a built-in search function to help users find what they need quickly.

    weDocs comes with a simple and clean interface that is easy to use, even for non-technical users. It also includes several customizable options, such as drag-and-drop reordering, the ability to add sections, and breadcrumbs for easy navigation.

    weDocs sections and articles

    Key Features for weDocs:

    • Easy integration with page builders like Divi
    • Style interface with CSS
    • Shortcode to display knowledge base virtually anywhere on your website
    • Breadcrumbs
    • Ability to allow comments on docs
    • Drag and Drop reordering

    Price: Free

    Get weDocs

    6. Yada Wiki

    Yada Wiki

    The Yada Wiki WordPress wiki plugin creates a new post type and provides an index and table of contents, making it easier for users to navigate your content. With customizable shortcodes, you can display categories, indexes, and a table of contents anywhere on your site. Additionally, the plugin adds a convenient wiki listing button that enables users to quickly access this information.

    Furthermore, Yada Wiki includes two sidebar widgets that display activity and the table of contents, providing a user-friendly experience. You can simply enable the features you wish by checking the boxes.

    Yada Wiki options

    To display your wiki, Yada gives you two blocks, the Yada Wiki activity block, as well as the table of contents block. You can embed these in Appearance > Widgets, or by creating a template with the WordPress site editor in a full site editing theme.

    Yada widgets

    Key Features for Yada Wiki:

    • Custom post type
    • Index
    • Table of contents
    • Shortcodes
    • 2 widgets

    Price: Free

    Get Yada Wiki

    7. Encyclopedia / Glossary / Wiki

    Encyclopedia Glossary Wiki

    Encyclopedia / Glossary / Wiki adds a new post type that allows you to label it any way you want. Create an encyclopedia, lexicon, glossary, dictionary, knowledge base, wiki, directory, etc. It will automatically generate an index page with all your items. The index is sorted alphabetically and includes a prefix filter. Every item has its own page. It’s limited to 13 items and many of the settings are locked, so the pro version is the better option.

    Encyclopedia settings

    The settings screen lets you adjust the labels, appearance, and features such as text editor, block editor, excerpt, and custom fields. As previously mentioned, some features such as taxonomies, revisions, comments, and feature images require a premium license.

    Adding entries works much like adding a post in the classic editor. You can add a title, content, excerpt, and tags.

    Encyclopedia entry

    Key Features for Encyclopedia / Glossary / Wiki:

    • Highly customizable
    • Index pages are generated automatically.
    • Automatic cross-linking with selectable content types.
    • Prefix filter
    • 5 widgets
    • Multilingual ready
    • Works with multisite
    • Limited to 12 items
    • Pro version unlocks settings and has unlimited items.

    Price: Free, pro version starts at $55 per year.

    Get Encyclopedia / Glossary / Wiki

    8. Very Simple Knowledge Base

    VS Knowledge Base

    Very Simple Knowledge Base is the simplest WordPress wiki plugin. It displays your content using shortcodes. The shortcode can be placed within your content to create any type of design you want. You can refine the shortcode to include or exclude categories, post types, set the number of columns, sort order, labels, etc. You can also include custom CSS that the shortcode will link to.

    Create a page and add the shortcode based on what you want it to display. Use shortcodes to specify which categories to include, and exclude, the number to display, the order to display them in, etc.

    knowledge base shortcode

    The page then displays articles automatically. The shortcode I’ve used shows all of my categories in a single column.

    Very Simple Knowledge Base display page

    The widget lets you add the title, text to appear above the articles, the number of columns to display, and the attributes to display.

    Key Features for VS Knowledge Base

    • Display with shortcodes within your content
    • Show categories.
    • Set the number of columns.
    • Determine the number and order of posts.
    • Change the labels.
    • Works with custom post types
    • Custom widget
    • Add custom CSS.

    Price: Free

    Get VS Knowledge Base

    WordPress Wiki Plugin Ending Thoughts

    That’s our look at the 8 best WordPress wiki and knowledge base plugins. They include a range of features and most can be expanded with a premium edition.

    Plugin Price Free Option
    🥇 Echo Knowledge Base Free, $46 per year ✔️ Visit
    🥈 Heroic Knowledge Base $149 per year ❌ Visit
    🥉 BetterDocs Free, $69 per year ✔️ Visit
    4 BasePress Free, $59 per year ✔️ Visit
    5 weDocs Free ✔️ Visit
    6 Yada Wiki Free ✔️ Visit
    7 Encyclopedia / Glossary / Wiki Free, $55 per year ✔️ Visit
    8 Very Simple Knowledge Base Free ✔️ Visit

    As for our top pick, we recommend Echo Knowledge Base. Whether you need a simple WordPress wiki plugin, an enterprise-level platform for a complete knowledge base, or integration with Divi, you’re sure to find what you need with Echo.

    We want to hear from you. Have you tried any of these WordPress wiki plugins for your website? Let us know what you think about them in the comments.

    Featured image illustration via artist / shutterstock.com

    The post 8 Best WordPress Wiki & Knowledge Base Plugins in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.