I clearly remember the day I upgraded from the free version to the WordPress.com Business plan.
I was so excited, thinking, “Yes! I can finally install as many plugins as I want!”
But I quickly learned that too many plugins can really slow down a site.
Fast forward seven or eight years: I now work entirely locally and don’t use any plugins at all.
Why to Use Instead of Mu-Plugins
Even before AI exploded, I didn’t need security or caching plugins because Cloudflare handled all the speed and security aspects perfectly.
Now, with the advanced capabilities of AI chatbots like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek, I can easily design a homepage, an archive page, and a 404 page without having to rely on blocks or other design plugins.
Plus, tools like Tailwind CSS make it incredibly easy and fast to customize those theme templates exactly how you want them.
Sure, you have to put in the time to figure things out and probably break stuff along the way, but there’s nothing more rewarding than true customization.
A custom theme and Must-Use Plugins (Mu-Plugins) are truly all you need, especially if you’re developing locally, pushing your work to GitHub, and then deploying to a service like Cloudflare Pages or Netlify.
What about Big Complex Sites?
Of course, all that changes if you need to run a membership site, an e-commerce store, or anything else that requires frequent user sign-ups and logins.
In those scenarios, relying only on custom code isn’t realistic. You have to use robust, well-maintained plugins for core functionality like payments, secure user management, and subscriptions.
Even then, the goal remains the same: be strategic. You can still stick to only the essential plugins that power those crucial user-facing features.
Manuel Campos
I'm a WordPress enthusiast. I document my journey and provide actionable insights to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of WordPress."
