Themes & plugins
WordPress themes and plugins for speed, layout, backups and spam control, so you can extend a blog without writing code.
7 tools
- GeneratePressgeneratepress.comLightweight, fast WordPress theme with a free core and a premium add-on.Our pickFreemium
- Kadencekadencewp.comBlock-based theme and blocks for building layouts in the WordPress editor.Freemium
- Akismetakismet.comCatches comment and form spam before it reaches your moderation queue.Freemium
- UpdraftPlusupdraftplus.comScheduled backups of your site to Google Drive, Dropbox or S3.Freemium
- Astraastrawp.comA lightweight, fast WordPress theme with ready-made blog layouts and a generous free version.Freemium
- Blocksycreativethemes.comA modern WordPress theme with a clean block-editor workflow and a capable free version.Freemium
- WP Rocketwp-rocket.meA caching plugin that speeds up a WordPress blog with sensible defaults and little setup.Paid
Often used alongside Themes & plugins
Platforms / CMS
Blogging platforms and publishing software, from self-hosted WordPress to hosted tools with newsletters built in.
SEO
SEO tools for bloggers: see how readers find your posts, fix indexing problems and research keywords.
More resource categories
- Hosting12Web hosting for blogs, from managed WordPress to static site hosts, with notes on price, support and ease of setup.
- Domains4Where to register a domain name for your blog, with privacy options and fair renewal prices, and how to keep it if you change platforms.
- Email & newsletters5Newsletter and email tools for bloggers who want to send new posts straight to readers.
- Analytics7Analytics for blogs, including privacy-friendly options, to see which posts people read and where visitors come from.
- Writing & editing6Writing and editing tools for bloggers: grammar and spelling checkers, readability editors and Markdown writing apps.
- Images & stock6Free stock photos and image tools for blog posts, including ways to compress and resize pictures so pages load faster.
- Design tools5Design tools for blog headers, social images and colour palettes, with free options for personal use.
- Monetization5Ways for bloggers to earn from their writing, from reader tips and memberships to one-off support pages.