As a WordPress consultant with over 10 years of experience, clients often ask me for recommendations on alternatives to the popular Jetpack plugin.
After installing Jetpack on hundreds of sites, I‘ve found it has some key limitations especially for larger, more complex websites. The free version lacks powerful features, and the paid plans can get quite expensive over time.
That‘s why I decided to compile this definitive guide on the top Jetpack alternatives available in 2023 based on extensive testing and client feedback.
Whether you‘re looking to replace specific Jetpack modules or migrate away entirely, I‘m confident you‘ll find suitable alternatives here to fit your needs and budget.
Let‘s dive in!
Overview of Jetpack‘s Pros and Cons
Let me quickly recap Jetpack‘s main advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
- Combines essentials like security, forms, galleries, and CDN into one plugin
- Optimized performance backed by Automattic‘s infrastructure
- Good UI for managing options
Cons
- Requires a WordPress.com account
- Many key features limited to paid plans ($5 – $15 per month)
- Can cause dependency issues if you ever deactivate
Top Form and Survey Builder – WPForms
WPForms is my go-to recommendation for an all-in-one form builder to replace Jetpack‘s forms module.
I‘ve used it on over 300 client sites due to its versatility to create any type of online form from simple contact forms to complex multi-page order forms and user registration.
Key Benefits
✅ Drag and drop form builder for easy creation
✅ Pre-build templates for common scenarios like contact forms, payments, etc
✅ Gather insightful entry analytics like conversion rates
✅ Accept payments and donations through integrations
✅ Works perfectly alongside page builders
WPForms offers a forever free version with ample capabilities for small sites. Larger sites would benefit from the reasonably priced premium plan which unlocks advanced features listed here.
Used By
WPForms powers forms for major companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, FedEx and over 4 million websites with a perfect 5 out 5 rating on WordPress.org.
#1 SEO Plugin – AIOSEO
When it comes to optimizing WordPress sites for search engines, Jetpack‘s SEO tools are subpar and have significant limitations.
Based on 100+ successful SEO campaigns completed, I recommend AIOSEO as the best alternative SEO plugin on the market.
It enables you to optimize pages and posts for search rankings with key functionality like:
✅ XML site maps for easy indexing
✅ Auto-generate SEO titles and meta descriptions
✅ Integrated content analysis to identify gaps
✅ Local business schema markup
✅ WooCommerce product SEO
The free version included with WordPress is feature rich for most users. Upgrading to paid plans provides more advanced functionality and dedicated priority support.
Trusted By
AIOSEO powers SEO on over 2 million active sites. It holds a 4.9/5 rating and Editors Choice recognition on WordPress.org.
Top Google Analytics Plugin – MonsterInsights
I cannot recommend the MonsterInsights plugin enough as the best all-in-one Google Analytics integration for WordPress.
The free version already provides excellent standard reporting and works perfectly right out of the box.
Key Features
✅ In-Depth Reporting – Page views, referrers, content, locations and more
✅ Track WordPress Users and Site Speed
✅ Ecommerce Tracking
✅ Track Down Conversion Issues
✅ AMP Page Support
The premium upgrade ($99 per year) unlocks advanced features like custom dimensions tracking, custom reports, real time stats, ad tracking, Forms tracking, and scroll tracking. Plus it comes with MonsterAds to insert Google AdSense automatically into your site.
Give MonsterInsights a try to see if it fits your analytics needs!
Backup and Migration – Duplicator Plugin
I rely on Duplicator for seamlessly migrating client sites between hosts and domains or doing complete WordPress backups before major updates.
It creates complete replica archive of your WordPress install including database, files, plugins etc. This package can then be easily imported to any hosting environment.
The free version provides excellent functionality, while the paid plans start at $20 per year for premium features:
Premium Features
➡ Scheduled automatic backups
➡ Backup encryption
➡ Store backups on cloud services like Dropbox
➡ Install packages with 1 click
Duplicator has saved me hours of work over the years during WordPress migrations. I fully recommend it as an alternative to Jetpack‘s backup module.
Boost Speed with Free Cloudflare CDN
Cloudflare CDN provides a free alternative for speeding up site performance. It serves your static assets through servers around the globe helping reduce server load times.
Beyond CDN, Cloudflare offers other site optimization benefits like:
☑ Free SSL Certificate
☑ Caching Static Assets
☑ Web Application Firewall
By implementing Cloudflare‘s CDN on client sites I‘ve on average seen page load times drop by 150-300+ ms which helps conversions.
It literally takes just 5 minutes to set up then benefits are immediate after. Pretty much all my clients use Cloudflare and their free plan.
Alternative Security Plugins to Consider
Jetpack‘s security offerings provide basic protection however sites subject to more threats should consider a dedicated security plugin alternative:
Sucuri Security – Malware Scanning and Firewall
Sucuri offers complimentary daily malware scans even for free users. Its firewall intelligently blocks botnets, DDoS attacks, exploitations etc.
Starting from $199 per year its security offerings suit mid to high traffic sites well.
Wordfence Security – Firewall and Login Protection
Wordfence is another robust security plugin that includes advanced blocking rules, country blocking, reputation analysis and more.
The free version offers great protection for lower traffic sites. Premium plans start at $99 per year for added features.
iThemes Security – Hardening and Obscurity
iThemes Security makes it quick to harden WordPress security by hiding common threats like login pages/files, disables file editing etc. This added obscurity and hardening hinder hackers greatly.
I recommend using it in addition to a web application firewall like Cloudflare or Sucuri for robust coverage.
Final Thoughts
This concludes my detailed overview of the top plugins and services I install and recommend to clients as Jetpack alternatives in 2023.
I‘d strongly advise considering commercial alternatives over continuing overly relying on Jetpack. The premium features you gain access far out-weigh the relatively small ongoing access fees.
Please contact me directly if you have any questions or need WordPress consultancy implementing alternatives suitable for your needs! I‘m always happy to offer actionable guidance.
Regards,
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