WordPress plugins are like apps for your website. They help you add new features and website functionality such as making an online store, adding contact forms, and more.

Like WordPress itself, plugins are also written in the PHP programming language. PHP code runs on your website’s hosting server and utilizes its resources.

Ever since WordPress 1.2, plugins have been a blessing for users. WordPress without plugins is like a toy store with no toys.

it is the plugins that are widely responsible for making WordPress the most popular website builder in the world.

The number of total WordPress plugins available has grown over the years. At the time of writing this article, there are more than 54,000 free WordPress plugins available in the official plugins directory.

Apart from these free plugins, there are also thousands of premium WordPress plugins sold by third-party companies and developers.

Plugins can help you improve SEO, increase security, manage users, and more. It would be quite difficult to grow your business without using WordPress plugins on your website.

If you use a popular plugin, chances are that it will not be discontinued. If it is, then someone else will likely fork it and continue the development. That’s the power of the open-source.

-WP Beginner