Introduction
While WordPress powers over 40% of the web, its true strength lies in its extensive plugin ecosystem. For developers, plugins are more than add-ons—they are tools that enhance workflow, debugging, performance, security, and even development standards.
Whether you build themes, plugins, or custom solutions, the right tools can supercharge your productivity. This article covers the 10 must-have WordPress plugins for developers in 2025 — tested, trusted, and tailored for development efficiency.
Query Monitor
Query Monitor is arguably the most essential plugin for developers working with WordPress.
Key Features:
- Tracks slow database queries
- Displays hooks fired on each page
- Shows HTTP API calls and scripts enqueued
- AJAX call monitoring
Why Developers Love It:
It provides a real-time debugging dashboard right inside the WordPress admin bar.
Great for: Performance optimization & debugging.
WP-CLI
Although technically a command-line tool, WP-CLI is indispensable for developers.
Capabilities:
- Manage themes, plugins, users, and updates via terminal
- Run search-and-replace across the database
- Create custom commands
- Perform migrations, installations, and testing scripts
Why Developers Love It:
Speed and control. WP-CLI eliminates the need to manually click through WordPress tasks.
Great for: Automation and faster workflows.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
ACF makes it easy to create and manage custom fields in WordPress without heavy coding.
Highlights:
- Over 30 field types (repeaters, galleries, date pickers, etc.)
- Supports blocks in Gutenberg
- Hooks and filters for custom logic
- Pro version for flexible content layouts
Why Developers Love It:
Rapid prototyping and custom dashboard development become effortless.
Great for: Theme development & custom admin panels.
User Switching
When developing websites with multiple roles, User Switching is a game-changer.
Features:
- Instantly switch between WordPress users
- No need to log out and back in
- Secure, quick testing for user role-specific features
Why Developers Love It:
Test permissions, redirects, and dashboards for various user roles in seconds.
Great for: Membership sites, eCommerce, and LMS development.
Debug Bar
Debug Bar adds a new admin bar menu with useful debugging information.
What It Shows:
- PHP warnings and notices
- MySQL queries
- Request data, object cache, and rewrite rules
Why Developers Love It:
Pairs perfectly with Query Monitor to provide a full debugging suite.
Great for: Early-stage bug detection.
WP Migrate (formerly WP Migrate DB Pro)
Created by Delicious Brains, WP Migrate is a powerful tool for syncing databases between environments.
Capabilities:
- Push/pull database and media files
- Search and replace URLs and paths
- Migration profiles and CLI support
Why Developers Love It:
Zero-downtime migration between staging and production. Saves hours in site transfers.
Great for: Staging → Live environment syncs.
WP Reset
Sometimes you just need to start fresh. WP Reset helps developers quickly reset the database.
Features:
- One-click reset without deleting files
- Create snapshots before making changes
- Safe debugging and testing space
- Emergency recovery tool
Why Developers Love It:
Essential when experimenting with new plugins, themes, or testing demos.
Great for: Testing and troubleshooting.
Code Snippets
Code Snippets allows developers to run PHP code directly without editing theme files or functions.php.
Features:
- Enable/disable snippets without affecting live code
- Organized snippet management
- Supports export/import
Why Developers Love It:
Keeps the functions.php file clean and structured.
Great for: Custom functionality testing.
Log Deprecated Notices
When maintaining legacy sites, Log Deprecated Notices helps identify outdated functions.
Features:
- Logs deprecated functions, files, and arguments
- Supports backtrace for better diagnostics
- Helps upgrade older themes or plugins
Why Developers Love It:
Keeps projects compatible with the latest WordPress updates.
Great for: Legacy code modernization.
FakerPress
FakerPress generates dummy content for posts, pages, comments, and users.
Features:
- Customizable content types
- Insert featured images, tags, and meta
- Supports custom post types and fields
Why Developers Love It:
Saves time when building themes or plugins that require sample data.
Great for: Theme demos and plugin UI testing.
Bonus Tools Worth Mentioning
- Regenerate Thumbnails – Useful when switching themes.
- WP Mail Logging – Test email delivery during dev.
- Theme Check – Ensures your theme meets WordPress standards.
- Health Check & Troubleshooting – Built-in site diagnostic tool.
Final Thoughts
Being a WordPress developer in 2025 means more than just writing code — it’s about creating smart, fast, and user-friendly experiences. These plugins simplify your workflow, improve your code quality, and help you maintain high-performing websites with ease.
From debugging tools to migration utilities and user simulation, having the right toolkit is essential. Consider adding some (or all) of these plugins to your development stack and elevate your WordPress projects.
Want to streamline your WordPress development process? Start using these must-have plugins today and watch your efficiency skyrocket!
