45 Essential WordPress Widgets to Use Free Without Plugins

Have you ever hesitated to add a widget to your self-hosted WordPress site using plugins because it might harm your site or create a mess that cannot be easily reversed?

As the most popular content management system¹, the WordPress ecosystem allows content creators to add widgets for WordPress sites using plugins on the plugins repository or third-party developers.

However, using a WordPress widgets plugin has many disadvantages compared to using standalone widgets on WordPress sites.

Consume your resources: When running a self-hosted WordPress site, one concern is managing and accessing server resources such as storage and CPU. One downside of using WordPress widget plugins is that they use server resources in one way or another. For instance, if you install an Amazon product reviews WordPress plugin for your niche affiliate site, it will store all the review content, including images (those might not have been optimized) on your site. The more reviews you save, the more server resources are consumed, even though the review plugin is not highly used.
Conflicts with other plugins: Another reason to consider no plugin WordPress widgets is to reduce the conflicts with other essential plugins on your site. You will probably have to add multiple widgets to your WordPress site, such as a countdown timer, chat widget, and social feed widget. The more plugins you use for those widgets, the more likely it is to have conflicts with other plugins over time.
Impacts on the loading speed: Most third-party WordPress widget plugins mainly render external scripts and use different architectures to build widgets. Due to these reasons, plugins add more HTTPS requests, fill the WordPress site database with more data, and slow down the site’s front end. Even though you can use site speed optimization plugins such as WP-Rocket and Perfmatters, it can be a bit technical over time when you have embedded more WordPress widgets through plugins.

Also, using third-party HTML widgets instead of plugins has several benefits. Here are some:

Improve performance: You can use a script manager such as Google Tag Manager and Cloudflare’s Zaraz to load the widget scripts asynchronously and control your site’s script loading sequence/priority. Hence, manage the site’s loading performance compared with plugin alternatives.
Widget Management: Many widget sites let you manage widgets (ex, organize widgets under projects, add collaborators, share widgets via link) and turn on or off the appearance of widgets on your site from under one dashboard.
Integrate widgets with other site builders: Use your HTML widgets beyond WordPress. Ex: using countdown top bar widget on WordPress and checkout pages (ex: ThriveCart)

Other reasons for using third-party widgets on WordPress are that there are no plugin alternatives or solutions and that available plugins are ineffective. For instance, using a third-party live chat provider to manage chats on a dedicated dashboard is better than a live chat WordPress plugin.

So, what are the best Wordpress widgets to use without plugins that work as well (or better) compared to Wordpress widget plugins?

In our recent articles on best Blogger widgets and Google Sites add ones, we shared lists of top widgets to use on those platforms. In this article, you will discover the best WordPress widgets and how to embed them on widget areas such as the sidebar, footer, and inside posts & pages using the most effective ways, features, and demos of WordPress widgets.

Table of Contents

How to add HTML Widgets to WordPress

Before exploring top HTML widgets for WordPress, you should learn how to embed widgets in a WordPress site.

HTML code of widgets

Most HTML widget providers provide simple embed codes. These codes include a link to an external JavaScript file and a div element with a unique CSS class or ID.

Elfsight's LinkedIn Feed widget embed code

An example HTML widget code:

<script src="https://static.elfsight.com/platform/platform.js" async></script>
<div class="elfsight-app-23511d74-8f29-4211-8a70-9b944052f3bf" data-elfsight-app-lazy></div>

In our example of the above screenshot, the part with <script is the JavaScript external file. The best part is that the code does not change based on which WordPress widget you want to install. Therefore, you can load it once on a web page and embed as many WordPress HTML widgets as you wish.

See the example below:

Embed Multiple HTML Widgets on WordPress — You can install multiple HTML widgets on WordPress by placing the JavaScript once and every div element places where you want to load them.

Place the HTML code with a div tag where you want to display the widget. This embedding method is also known as inline widget installation.

Here’s how the webpage looks after installing the widgets shown in the above screenshot:

Multiple WordPress widgets on same page — Multiple WordPress widgets on the same page

In specific cases, such as website popup widgets, you can place the div code at the end of the body tag (ex: </body>) on your WordPress site to load the popup. You can use a plugin like Insert Header and Footer to add effective custom codes throughout the WordPress site.

Embedding third-party HTML widgets on WordPress

You can install HTML widgets on WordPress in many places. Here are the most popular ways in brief:

On widget areas

Widget areas in WordPress depend on the theme. Many themes include sidebars, footers, and even header widget areas.

Go to the Widget area, click on the ‘+‘ plus icon under the widget area, and search for the “Custom HTML” block, as shown in the screenshot below.

Custom HTML block WordPress widgets area

You will now see an HTML box. Copy and paste the HTML embed code of the WordPress widget into the box.

Embed widgets' HTML code using WordPress custom HTML block

Click on the “Preview” button to view the embedded widget live.

Previewing embedded HTML widget on WordPress widget area

Note: It’s recommended to use the custom CSS of the widget editor instead of editing the HTML code of the embed code.

On posts and pages

Search for the “Custom HTML” block in the Gutenberg editor.

Custom HTML block WordPress Gutenberg page editor

Copy and paste the embed code into the field and click the ‘Preview‘ button to view the embedded widget in the editor.

Tips to consider when embedding widgets on WordPress

Use a script manager: Third-party script management services such as Google Tag Manager and Cloudflare’s Zaraz help minimize external third-party widgets’ impact on the site’s overall performance.
Concerning page loading speed: Resize and compress large images using a tool like ShortPixel Image Compressor, use image formats such as WebP and AVIF, and use website fonts (e.g., inherited fonts).
Keep user experience in mind: UX is a big part of any professional website design. Even small things, like relevant, readable fonts and complementary colors in widgets, visitor targeting, device settings (e.g., hiding photo sliders on mobile devices), and widget placement (e.g., hiding popup widgets on converted subscribers or website users who closed the popup), matter eventually.

Forms

Form widgets can come in different forms. Contact forms, customized forms, and feedback forms are some of them. These WordPress form widgets allow you to collect data from website users.

Contact forms

A contact form widget on your WordPress site allows website users to contact you by submitting the form.

Here are some HTML contact form widget creators:

Use the contact widget builder below to create a Contact widget for WordPress.

Customized forms

There are numerous widgets for use in various circumstances. Some of them are booking, Calculation, Feedback, Onboarding, questionnaire, RSVP, Report, Petition, Payment, Evaluation, Consent, Assessment, Appointment, Agreement, and Business forms.

To create a custom form widget for WordPress, you should use a robust form-building tool that provides an efficient form builder with support for multiple data types, integrations, and features such as conditional fields and calculators.

Here are some custom form widget builders for WordPress:

Use the following custom form widget builder to create a custom form widget for WordPress.

Feedback forms

Quizzes, Polls, and Survey widgets are feedback forms that enable you to get customer feedback in engaging ways.

Review widgets

Many studies, like this one from Spiegel Research Center, show that online reviews impact sales generation. One statistic is that the purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than without reviews.

Online Reviews Financial Impact Conversions Chart — Conversions increase versus the number of reviews shown

There are many review platforms to collect reviews on a business or product.

Google Business Profile: Also known as Google Reviews, Google shows reviews of businesses and locations on Google search result pages and Maps.
Amazon Customer Reviews: Displayed on every product page on Amazon.
Facebook Page Ratings and Reviews: Also known as Facebook Recommendations.
Yelp Reviews: Reviews about local businesses.
Other review platforms: TrustPilot, G2, Capterra, OpenTable, Instagram, Booking.com, BBB, eBay, Google Play, and Apple App Store

All-in-One Review widgets

All-in-One review widgets aggregate reviews from multiple platforms and display all of them on one widget.

Here are some All-in-One review widgets for WordPress:

Use the following review widget builder to create an All-in-One reviews widget for WordPress.

Testimonials widgets

Powr's Testimonial Slider Widget Editor — Powr’s Testimonials slider widget editor

Testimonial widgets let you embed editable customer reviews on your WordPress site. They are helpful if you collect reviews directly, such as via email.

Here are several testimonials widgets to use on your WordPress site without plugins:

Use the following testimonials widget builder to create a custom testimonials widget for WordPress.

Google Reviews

Google Reviews widgets let you embed reviews from Google Business Profile on your site. Suppose your WordPress site is about a local business or place with a Google Business profile created. In that case, you can utilize WordPress Google Business review widgets to rent credibility from Google reviews and boost conversions.

Here are a few Google Review widgets for WordPress:

Use the following Google Reviews widget builder to create a Google Business Reviews widget (slider, carousel, or grid).

Amazon Reviews

Suppose you are an Amazon product seller, eCommerce site owner, niche affiliate website owner, or product creator. In that case, you can utilize reviews on Amazon on your WordPress site to boost conversions by highlighting customer testimonials.

Here are several Amazon Review widgets for WordPress:

Use the following Amazon Reviews widget builder to create a product review widget (slider, carousel, or grid).

Facebook Reviews

With over 3 billion monthly active users (MAU) and tools for local businesses to reach more customers and grow their networks, Facebook reviews are of utmost significance.

Here are several Facebook Review widgets for WordPress:

Use the following Facebook Reviews widget builder to create a Facebook Reviews widget (slider, carousel, or grid) for WordPress.

As a site owner (and business owner), one of the first things you should implement is collecting visitor data, especially their email addresses.

Why?

Because most of the first-time visitors (~95%) to your site will never return.

Once you have built a targeted email list of people interested in your offers and articles, you can drive them to your latest posts. This will help your site in numerous ways, such as increasing the number of returning visitors and average time on the page.

Building an email list also provides many opportunities to make money, such as promoting offers and selling email clicks. You can also drive traffic to your WordPress site through periodic newsletters.

Here are a few third-party email capture widget creators:

Popup widgets display an HTML box on top of your website content. They are usually used when a user abandons a web page.

These widgets collect user information, such as email addresses, and get more clicks.

Here are a few of the best popup widget creators:

Use the website popup creator below to embed a free widget on your WordPress website.

Age Verification Widgets

Common Ninja's Age Verification Popup Plugin

These are another popup widget type that allows you to add an age-gate to your WordPress site. These are essential WordPress widgets to use, especially if your site’s content undergoes any of the following niches:

Adult content
Whisky
Beer
Wine
Vaping
Cigars
Marijuana
Tobacco
Weed
Survival
Video streaming & online gaming
Online movie streaming

The age verification widget lets website admins filter the right audience to grant access to a particular piece of content and gate content from underaged visitors. This ensures that exemplary visitors receive offers and adhere to local laws and regulations.

Here are a few of the best age verification widgets for WordPress:

Use the widget creator below to add a free age gate widget to your WordPress website.

Spinning Wheel

The spinning wheel is a gamified popup widget that allows users to try their luck and win prizes you specify. Spinning wheel widgets are top WordPress widgets for Woocommerce sites to increase sales by giving away coupon codes while collecting email addresses.

Here are a few top spinning wheel widgets for WordPress:

Use the widget builder below to create your Spinning Wheel widget:

Announcements

Announcement widgets let you deliver essential messages in unique widgets. These widgets, also known as what’s new widgets, are mainly used to showcase product updates.

Here are several announcement widgets for WordPress:

Create your announcement bar using the following widget builder:

Common Ninja's Social Media RSS Feeds widget builder

Social Feeds widgets allow you to display social posts on different platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube on your Google Sites website.

Common Ninja Social Media and RSS Feeds widget

Social Media Aggregators lets you embed social feeds from multiple social media platforms using one widget only. If your business is active on various social media networks, all-in-one social media feed widgets would be complimentary widgets to use.

Here are a few of the best social media aggregator widgets for WordPress:

Use the following All-in-one social feed widget builder to create a mixed social feed widget for WordPress.

Instagram Feed Widget

Instagram feed widgets allow you to embed feeds from an Instagram account or feeds based on hashtag (#).

Here are a few Instagram widget creators:

Use the following Instagram widget builder to create an Instagram feed widget for WordPress.

TikTok Feed widgets

TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1.7 billion global monthly users. Its Chinese version, Douyin, has over 750 million daily active users and is one of the most popular apps in the country. TikTok Feed widgets allow you to embed posts on TikTok based on profiles and hashtags.

Here are a few TikTok widget creators:

Use the following TikTok widget builder to create a TikTok feed widget for WordPress.

Facebook Feed widgets

Using a Facebook feed widget, you can embed posts from Facebook pages and public groups on your WordPress website.

Here are some services that let you create them:

Use the following Facebook widget builder to create a Facebook feed widget for WordPress.

X Feed widgets

X feed widgets let you embed posts from a specific profile or hashtag on X.com (formerly known as Twitter).

Here are a few X feed widgets for WordPress:

Use the following X widget builder to create an X feed widget for WordPress.

eCommerce Widgets

These WordPress widgets improve conversion rates and ROI on marketing campaigns. Some popular eCommerce widgets for WordPress are pricing tables, countdown timers, comparison tables, coupon popups, pricing sliders, and payment buttons.

Countdown timer

Numerous case studies like this have shown that using countdown timers to add urgency can have positive results by boosting conversion rates.

Here are several of the best countdown widgets for WordPress:

Use the widget builder below to create a countdown widget for WordPress:

Pricing Tables

Pricing table widgets are used to showcase prices and feature comparison plans of services and products.

Here are pricing table makers for WordPress:

Use the following widget builder to create a pricing table for WordPress:

Comparison Tables

Comparison table widgets are used in WordPress sites, particularly niche affiliate sites, to compare products, highlight special features and USPs (Unique Selling Points), and provide reviewers’ scores.

Here are several product comparison tables for WordPress:

Affiliatable (Read our review from here)
Lasso
Common Ninja’s Comparison Tables
Fouita’s Comparison Tables

Notification widgets are used to utilize conversions such as purchases, newsletter subscriptions, appointments, donations, and reviews on your landing pages to boost conversions by using them as social proof.

Here are some social proof & FOMO widgets for WordPress:

Use the widget builder below to create a notification widget for WordPress:

Banners

Banner widgets are another necessary WordPress eCommerce widget type used in a website to promote a product or service.

You can use banner widgets in your sidebar (as a sticky widget), header & footer, and even inside blog content to maximize clicks. Furthermore, you can use link management software such as ClickMagick to track clicks and rotate URLs.

Here are a few banner widgets for WordPress:

Use the banner widget creator below to design an HTML banner for WordPress:

Social media utilization widgets include social sharing buttons, content lockers, and follow icons.

These widgets help you utilize social media networks to grow traffic to your site and influence social media platforms.

Social share widgets are among the most popular social media widgets for growing a business. They assist website owners in driving free referral traffic from social networks by allowing visitors to share the link to a page on their social accounts.

Here are a few social share widgets for WordPress to use without plugins:

Use the following social sharing button builder to create a social share widget for WordPress.

Shareaholic Follow buttons widget editor

These WordPress widgets let you highlight links to all your social media profiles or fan pages on your site to follow.

Here are a few services to use to create social media follow widgets for WordPress:

Live Chat

The chat widget helps provide customer service, convert people into leads, and convince on-the-fence visitors to become clients in real time. For example, 79% of companies say that implementing live chat has positively impacted sales, revenue, and brand loyalty.

There are three live chat widget types:

Social Live Chat widgets: These widgets use social messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, and Viber as the medium for conversations.
Business Live Chat messengers: These are custom live chat software developed by companies that offer functionalities such as Chat Bots, Product Tours, Event Tracking, and In-app messages.
Group chat widgets: These live chat widgets create environments to chat among website users. Some services allow anonymous chatting while making it possible to require a user profile to reduce spam.

Common Ninja All-in-One Chat Widget Editor

These WordPress chat widgets integrate with multiple messaging services, allowing you to provide more than one option for users.

Here are some All-in-One live chat widgets for WordPress:

Use the live chat widget builder below to add a chat widget for WordPress:

WhatsApp Chat Widgets

You can use WhatsApp widgets on your WordPress site to serve potential customers via WhatsApp messaging.

Here are a few WhatsApp widgets for WordPress:

Use the WhatsApp widget builder below to add a WhatsApp Chat widget for WordPress:

Telegram Chat Widgets

Using a Telegram Chat widget on your website, you can directly provide live support to over 950 million monthly active users.

Here are a few Telegram Chat widgets for WordPress:

Use the widget builder below to create a Telegram live chat widget:

Messenger Software

Here are several options if you are looking for a live chat provider for your WordPress blog. These services allow users to send messages anonymously and provide additional features such as email autoresponders, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Product Tours, Event Tracking, and In-app messages.

Content Widgets

These WordPress widgets allow you to add content to your site in various ways. For example, an Accordion widget enables the creation of a frequently asked question section.

Sliders

WordPress Slider widgets let you create image & video sliders to feature multiple offers simultaneously and capture attention with compelling images and videos.

Here are a few slider widgets for WordPress:

Use the builder below to create a Slider widget for WordPress:

Maps

A maps widget on a WordPress site lets you pin your business locations and assist customers with routes to your business locations.

Here are several of the best Google Maps widgets for WordPress:

Elfsight Google Maps Widget
Common Ninja’s Google Maps Widget
Fouita’s Google Maps Widget
Powr Maps Plugin (supports both Google Maps and OpenStreetMap mapping services)
Snazzy Maps

Use the widget builder below to create a map widget for WordPress:

File Viewer

These WordPress widgets allow you to embed files in different formats, such as PDF, Docx, PPT, and Xlsx, and make them viewable.

Here are free file viewer widgets for WordPress:

Use the following file viewer widget creator to add file embed widgets to your WordPress site:

FAQ Accordion

Many businesses (small to enterprise-level) commonly use FAQs in prominent parts of their sites (mainly on the pricing page and pages where a decision is made) to eliminate obstacles to clients’ purchasing decisions, help clients understand the business better, and reduce support service time and cost.

Here are a few FAQ accordions for WordPress:

Create a FAQ widget for your WordPress site using the widget builder below:

Business Hours

Business hours widgets showcase availability to website users. They are helpful for all sorts of businesses with local and international audiences.

Here are a few Business Hours widgets for WordPress:

Create a Business Hours widget for WordPress using the widget builder below:

Image Widgets

These WordPress widgets provide ways to utilize images to enhance your site.

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery widgets showcase your images in an interactive, customizable gallery. Although they are best suited for photo-related websites, they can be helpful in many circumstances.

Here are a few photo Gallery widgets for WordPress:

Use the following photo gallery widget builder to create an image gallery widget for WordPress:

Before/After Image Slider

Before and After Slider widget editor - Common Ninja

Before-and-after image Slider widgets emphasize the then-and-now look using images. These WordPress widgets highlight finished works, particularly in the construction, beauty, and fashion industries, and compare products in e-commerce.

Here are a few before & after image slider widgets for WordPress:

Use the following widget builder to create a Before and After Image Slider for WordPress:

Showcase Logos

Logo showcase widgets emphasize a business’s authority by highlighting brands they have worked with or served.

Here are several logo showcase widgets for WordPress:

Create a logo showcase widget for WordPress websites using the following widget builder:

Tools

These WordPress widgets are used to add functionalities to enhance user experience.

Event widgets

Event widgets allow you to list events on your WordPress site and include details such as schedule, location, ticket prices, and registration instructions.

Here are a few event widgets for WordPress:

Elfsight’s Event Calendar widget
Common Ninja’s Events widgets, such as Event Calendar, Agenda, Event Flip Cards, RSVP form, and Event Lists
Powr’s Events widgets, such as Event Gallery, Event Slider, Event Registration form, and Appointments
TheEventsCalendar
Event Calendar App
Tockify

Create an event calendar widget for WordPress with details using the following widget builder:

Back to Element and Top widgets

These widgets add buttons that direct to a particular section or the top of the page. Back-to-top buttons are the most popular button type used in lengthier web pages.

Here are a few Back to Element/Top widgets for WordPress:

Create a back-to-top or link widget for WordPress websites using the following widget builder:

Gamification

Gamification widgets are used to expedite the growth of traffic, leads, and even sales by gamifying certain aspects of marketing campaigns. Due to some gamification elements, such as referring others to your business, gamification widgets can reduce CPL (Cost Per Lead) and improve ROI on your marketing campaigns.

Giveaway widgets

Holding giveaways, contests, or refer-a-friend loyalty programs can rapidly boost your business’s growth. To have a giveaway on WordPress, you can use third-party giveaway platforms.

Here are some services:

UpViral (read our review on UpViral to learn more)
SweepWidget
Vyper
Gleam
ViralSweep

Bracket Widgets

Bracket widgets are used to showcase tournament brackets with images, voting, and predictions. Many bracket makers provide additional HTML widgets for WordPress, such as points table.

Here are several tourney bracket makers for WordPress:

Video & Audio

Video and Audio widgets are popular WordPress widgets that allow you to utilize video and audio content on your site in various ways.

YouTube Gallery Widgets

Being the second most popular search engine behind Google and the most popular video platform for consumers, YouTube is a valuable social media platform content creators can use to drive traffic and boost sales.

YouTube feed widgets allow you to embed a YouTube channel, playlist, or set of videos on your site. This enables website visitors to watch your videos and subscribe to your channel right from your site.

Here are some YouTube feed widget creators:

Create a YouTube Gallery widget for WordPress using the widget builder below:

Radio Player Widgets

A radio player widget facilitates adding online streaming radio channels to your website and lets users turn on available channels and listen to the radio from your site. These widgets are helpful if your website covers mainstream topics such as news, sports, businesses, etc.,

Use the widget builder below to create an online streaming radio widget for WordPress:

Audio Player Widgets

Audio player widget is another widely used WordPress widget, especially by musicians and podcasters. An audio player widget can diversify content on your website by adding a music playlist, meditation & ambiance audio tracks, and creating an audiobook.

Here are a few audio player widgets for WordPress:

Use the audio player widget creator below to add an audio widget to your WordPress:

Background Audio Player

Background audio player widgets allow you to add background audio tracks to your website. Users can fine-tune the volume and turn the background sound on or off.

Here are a few background music players for WordPress:

Use the widget builder below to add a background audio player to your WordPress website:

Final Words on Best WordPress Widgets without Plugins

At some point, you will have no choice but to use a widget to accomplish specific tasks on your WordPress site, whether related to displaying information, collecting data, or adding website accessibility.

Although plugins can be used as widgets for WordPress, there are certain benefits of using third-party widget creators and embedding widgets on WordPress using HTML.

In this article, you discovered 40+ essential HTML widgets for WordPress. So, what has been missed from the list?

Resources:

Market share trends for content management systems – W3Techs ↩︎