Tools I actually use.

Why This Page Exists

I get asked constantly what tools I use on client projects. Instead of repeating myself in every email, here is the complete list — organized by category, with honest notes on each one.

Every tool on this page is something I have used on real production projects. If I have not shipped work with it, it is not listed here. Some of these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. This does not affect my recommendations — I recommend the same tools whether there is an affiliate program or not.

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Hosting

Cloudways (Managed Cloud Hosting)

Best for: WooCommerce stores, high-traffic WordPress sites, developers who want server control without sysadmin overhead.

My go-to hosting for client projects. I have deployed SagoneBrand, ShopFromChina, and multiple other production stores on Cloudways. The combination of DigitalOcean/Vultr infrastructure with managed WordPress tooling hits the sweet spot between performance and convenience.

• Server-level caching and CDN included
• One-click staging environments
• SSH access and WP-CLI for developers
• Pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $14/month
• Free site migration

What I like: Consistent sub-1-second TTFB across all my client sites. The staging-to-production workflow saves hours.

What I don't: The UI can feel cluttered for non-technical users. Not ideal if your client needs to manage hosting themselves.

Try Cloudways →

Kinsta (Premium Managed WordPress)

Best for: Agencies managing multiple client sites, enterprise WordPress, sites where uptime is mission-critical.

Premium pricing but genuinely premium infrastructure. Google Cloud Platform backbone, automatic daily backups, built-in CDN, and the best WordPress-specific dashboard I have used.

• MyKinsta dashboard is excellent for developers
• Automatic scaling handles traffic spikes
• Free premium migrations
• Starting at $35/month

What I like: The developer tools (SSH, WP-CLI, phpMyAdmin, APM) are best-in-class. DevKinsta for local development is solid.

What I don't: Price. For a basic blog or brochure site, it is overkill.

Try Kinsta →

Performance & Caching

WP Rocket (Caching Plugin)

Best for: Every WordPress site. Period.

The caching plugin I install on every client project without exception. It handles page caching, browser caching, GZIP compression, lazy loading, database optimization, and critical CSS generation — all without requiring you to understand what any of those things mean.

I used WP Rocket on ShopFromChina and LetsGoTennis to achieve sub-2-second load times on sites with hundreds of products.

• One-click setup, works immediately
• WooCommerce-aware (excludes cart/checkout from cache)
• CDN integration built in
• Removes unused CSS (huge for speed)
• $59/year for a single site

What I like: It works out of the box. No tweaking, no conflicts, no debugging. Just fast.

What I don't: No free version. But the time it saves versus configuring free alternatives makes it worth every dollar.

Try WP Rocket →

Perfmatters (Performance Plugin)

Best for: Developers who want granular control over script loading and asset optimization.

The companion to WP Rocket, not a replacement. Perfmatters lets you disable scripts and styles on a per-page basis, lazy load everything, and strip out WordPress bloat (emojis, embeds, dashicons on the frontend). Essential for WooCommerce stores where plugins load their assets on every page regardless of need.

• Script Manager for per-page asset control
• Disable unused WordPress features
• Lazy loading for images, iframes, videos
• $24.95/year

Try Perfmatters →

SEO

Rank Math (SEO Plugin)

Best for: Anyone who wants Yoast-level functionality with better UI and more features in the free tier.

I switched to Rank Math after years on Yoast and have not looked back. The content analysis is more detailed, the schema markup builder is visual and intuitive, and the free version includes features that Yoast locks behind premium (redirection manager, advanced schema, content AI).

• Advanced schema markup builder
• Built-in redirection manager
• Content AI for optimization suggestions
• WooCommerce SEO features included
• Free version is genuinely powerful
• Pro from $59/year

What I like: The schema markup module alone is worth the switch. No more manual JSON-LD for basic structured data.

What I don't: Can be overwhelming for non-technical users. Too many settings if you just want "make my SEO work."

Try Rank Math →

Page Builders & Themes

Elementor Pro (Page Builder)

Best for: Client sites where non-technical users need to edit pages visually. Service business websites, landing pages.

The most popular page builder for a reason. I have built custom Elementor widgets for client projects and used Elementor Pro on sites like AdoptZone and NegiAndNori. The theme builder and popup builder features reduce development time significantly for marketing-focused sites.

• Full site builder (header, footer, archive templates)
• Custom widget development API
• Popup and form builder included
• WooCommerce builder for product/shop pages
• From $59/year

What I like: Client handoff is smooth — they can edit without breaking things. The template system saves hours on multi-page sites.

What I don't: Performance impact. Elementor adds weight to every page. For performance-critical sites, I prefer lightweight themes or custom builds.

Try Elementor →

GeneratePress (Lightweight Theme)

Best for: Developers who want speed and clean code. Performance-focused WordPress sites.

The theme I recommend when Elementor's weight is a concern. Under 30KB, no jQuery dependency, and full compatibility with the block editor. Pairs well with GenerateBlocks for a lightweight builder approach.

• Under 30KB — one of the lightest themes available
• Full site editor and block theme support
• Excellent developer hooks and filters
• $59/year or $249 lifetime

Try GeneratePress →

Forms & Lead Generation

WPForms (Form Plugin)

Best for: Client websites where forms need to be easy to build and manage. Lead generation, contact forms, surveys.

Clean drag-and-drop builder, conditional logic, payment integration, and entry management. I use WPForms on client projects where the team needs to create and modify forms without developer help.

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Conditional logic
• Payment integration (Stripe, PayPal)
• Entry management and export
• Spam protection built in
• From $49.50/year

Try WPForms →

Gravity Forms (Advanced Form Plugin)

Best for: Complex form workflows, developer-heavy projects, integrations with CRMs and APIs.

When forms need to do more than collect data — calculate pricing, trigger API calls, create WordPress posts from submissions, or integrate with CRM systems — Gravity Forms is the tool. I used it on the DocuSign Automation project where form submissions trigger automatic document generation and e-signature workflows.

• Advanced calculation fields
• Developer-friendly hooks and filters
• Extensive add-on ecosystem
• REST API for headless usage
• From $59/year

Try Gravity Forms →

Email Marketing

FluentCRM (Self-Hosted Email Marketing)

Best for: WordPress site owners who want email marketing without monthly SaaS fees. Privacy-conscious businesses.

Self-hosted email marketing that lives inside your WordPress dashboard. No per-subscriber pricing, no data leaving your server. I recommend it for WooCommerce stores where customer email data should stay on your own infrastructure.

• Unlimited contacts and emails
• Visual automation builder
• WooCommerce integration (purchase triggers, segmentation)
• One-time annual license, not per-subscriber pricing
• From $129/year

Try FluentCRM →

MailerLite (SaaS Email Marketing)

Best for: Small businesses that want simple, affordable email marketing without self-hosting complexity.

The best value in email marketing SaaS. Clean UI, solid automation, landing page builder, and a generous free tier (1,000 subscribers). When clients ask "what email tool should I use?" and they do not want to self-host, this is my default answer.

• Free up to 1,000 subscribers
• Visual automation builder
• Landing page and form builder included
• Solid deliverability rates
• From $10/month for paid plans

Try MailerLite →

Security

Wordfence (Security Plugin)

Best for: WordPress sites that need firewall protection, malware scanning, and login security.

The security plugin I install as a baseline on every WordPress site. The free version includes a web application firewall, malware scanner, and brute force protection. Premium adds real-time firewall rules and country blocking.

• Web application firewall
• Malware scanner with auto-remediation
• Login security (2FA, CAPTCHA, rate limiting)
• Free version is genuinely useful
• Premium from $119/year

Try Wordfence →

Development Tools

Local by Flywheel (Local Development)

Best for: WordPress developers who need fast local development environments.

One-click local WordPress setup with SSL, Mailhog, and live link sharing. I use it for every WordPress project before deploying to staging. Free.

Git + GitHub (Version Control)

Best for: Every development project. Non-negotiable.

All my projects — including this portfolio site — live in Git repositories. Version control is not optional for professional development.

VS Code (Editor)

My primary editor. Extensions I rely on: PHP Intelephense, ESLint, Tailwind CSS IntelliSense, GitLens.

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Automation & Integration

Make (formerly Integromat)

Best for: Connecting business tools without code. Automating repetitive workflows between platforms.

When clients need systems connected — CRM to email, form to spreadsheet, order to invoice — Make handles the automation layer. More flexible than Zapier for complex multi-step workflows, and more affordable at scale.

• Visual workflow builder
• 1,000+ app integrations
• Complex branching logic
• More affordable than Zapier at scale
• Free tier available

Try Make →

WooCommerce Extensions

WPML (Multilingual Plugin)

Best for: WooCommerce stores serving multiple language markets. International ecommerce.

The multilingual architecture behind SagoneBrand. Not cheap, not simple, but when you need real multilingual ecommerce — translated products, localized checkout, multi-currency — WPML is the most complete solution I have used.

WooCommerce Subscriptions

Best for: Stores selling recurring products, membership boxes, or subscription services.

The official subscription extension for WooCommerce. Handles recurring billing, subscriber management, and subscription lifecycle.

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Last updated: March 2026. I review and update this page quarterly.

Have questions about which tools fit your project? Get in touch — I am happy to give specific recommendations based on your situation.