WordPress has thousands of plugins, and most people only know about the big names like Yoast SEO, Elementor, and WP Rocket. But here’s the thing: some lesser-known free plugins can save you hours every week by automating tasks, improving site management, and boosting performance.
If you’re tired of wasting time on repetitive tasks, check out these underrated free WordPress plugins that will make your life easier.
1. Advanced Editor Tools (Formerly TinyMCE Advanced)
Why You Need It:
The default WordPress editor is decent, but it lacks advanced text formatting options. Advanced Editor Tools brings back the classic TinyMCE toolbar with extra formatting features like:
✅ Custom fonts & sizes
✅ Table creation (without HTML!)
✅ Indents & justified text
✅ Better copy-paste support
If you write long blog posts, this plugin saves time by eliminating the need for extra HTML coding or external text editors.
2. WP Rollback
Why You Need It:
Ever updated a plugin only to have your site break? WP Rollback lets you revert to an older version of any theme or plugin in one click.
How It Works:
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Find the plugin you want to roll back
- Click the Rollback button and select a previous version
No need to manually download older versions from WordPress.org—this plugin does it instantly.
3. Code Snippets
Why You Need It:
Tired of editing functions.php every time you need a custom function? Code Snippets lets you add small PHP scripts without touching theme files.
Best Uses:
✔️ Add tracking codes (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel)
✔️ Customize WooCommerce behavior
✔️ Remove unnecessary WordPress features (like emoji scripts)
No more worrying about breaking your theme or losing custom code when you update your site.
4. Auto Image Alt Text
Why You Need It:
Alt text is crucial for SEO and accessibility, but adding it manually to every image takes forever. Auto Image Alt Text automatically generates alt text based on:
🔹 File name
🔹 AI-powered descriptions (if enabled)
🔹 Post title or category
This plugin saves hours if you upload lots of images and want better SEO without extra work.
5. WP Mail SMTP
Why You Need It:
By default, WordPress emails often go to spam or don’t get delivered at all. WP Mail SMTP fixes email issues by routing your emails through services like:
📩 Gmail
📩 SendGrid
📩 SMTP servers
If you run a contact form or WooCommerce store, this plugin ensures important emails (like order confirmations) actually reach your customers.
6. Duplicate Post
Why You Need It:
Manually copying and pasting content between pages wastes time. Duplicate Post lets you:
✅ Clone pages & posts in one click
✅ Copy custom post types (like products in WooCommerce)
✅ Retain SEO settings, meta descriptions, and images
Perfect for content-heavy sites, agencies, and online stores.
7. WP Last Modified Info
Why You Need It:
Google prefers fresh content, but updating old posts doesn’t always show a new date. WP Last Modified Info adds a “Last Updated” date to your posts, which can:
✔️ Improve SEO rankings
✔️ Increase user trust (especially for news or tutorial sites)
✔️ Encourage clicks by showing content is up-to-date
This is a must-have if you update old blog posts regularly.
8. Broken Link Checker
Why You Need It:
Nothing hurts SEO more than broken links (404 errors). Broken Link Checker scans your entire site and:
🔹 Detects broken internal & external links
🔹 Lets you fix or remove links directly from the plugin
🔹 Sends alerts when new broken links are found
It runs in the background, so you never have to manually check old posts for dead links again.
9. WP Optimize
Why You Need It:
Over time, your WordPress database fills up with junk—revisions, spam comments, and unnecessary data. WP Optimize helps by:
✅ Cleaning up your database in one click
✅ Compressing images for faster load times
✅ Caching pages to speed up performance
A slow website can hurt SEO and conversions. This plugin keeps things running smoothly without manual database management.
10. Simple History
Why You Need It:
If you run a multi-author blog or WooCommerce store, tracking who changed what can be a nightmare. Simple History keeps a log of every action in WordPress, including:
🔹 Post edits & updates
🔹 Plugin activations & settings changes
🔹 Login attempts & user activity
This is invaluable for troubleshooting or preventing unauthorized changes.
Final Thoughts
These underrated WordPress plugins can save you time, improve security, and optimize your site—all without spending a dime.
Which plugin are you excited to try? Let me know in the comments! And if you found this helpful, share it with someone who could use these time-saving tools. 🚀
