Why I Avoid Plugins (But I’m Not a Snob About It)

I don’t hate plugins.

But I’ve seen enough WordPress sites break, slow down, or spiral out of control because of plugin overload. So I try to avoid them when I can.

Not because I think plugins are bad. I just prefer building functionality into the theme when it makes sense.

Let me explain.

The Problem With “Just Install a Plugin”

For a lot of clients, the instinct is to search for a plugin any time they want something new. Sliders. Popups. Social feeds. Event calendars. There’s a plugin for everything and five more trying to do the same thing.

But every plugin adds weight. It’s more files, more scripts, more styles. More things that can conflict with other parts of your site. More things that need to be updated. More things that might get abandoned. And often, more backend clutter for clients who just want to make edits and move on.

And yeah, sometimes one plugin update takes the whole site down. Ask me how I know.

When I Do Use Plugins

There are great plugins out there. Some I use on almost every site:

• Advanced Custom Fields Pro
• Yoast SEO or AIOSEO
• UpdraftPlus
• Gravity Forms or Formidable Forms
• Event Calendar Pro

If it solves a real problem, is well-supported, and doesn’t try to hijack the admin, I’m good with it.

But I still ask the same questions before adding anything new:

• Can I build this in the theme instead?
• Will the client actually use it?
• Does it load anything on the front end we don’t need?
• Will it cause issues with caching or performance?

The Case for Custom Code

Sometimes, a few lines of code in functions.php do the same thing as a whole plugin.

The benefit? Fewer moving parts. Better control. And no surprise UI changes when a plugin pushes an update.

Plus, when I build something, I know exactly how it works. I’m not digging through plugin settings or hoping someone on the support forum responds in a week.

Bottom Line

If a plugin saves time, adds real value, and doesn’t get in the way, I’ll use it.

But I’m not interested in stacking 40 plugins and hoping they play nice.

Clean, lean, and purposeful wins every time.