WordPress Plugin Fatigue Is Real. It’s Costing Users Time, Money, and Patience

WordPress powers more than 40% of websites on the internet. Its popularity comes down to flexibility, ownership, and a giant plugin ecosystem that can turn a simple blog into an e-commerce powerhouse, a media library, or a membership site. That plugin library is both a gift and a headache.

The more features you want, the more plugins you install. Each plugin is like adding a new cog in the machine: sometimes helpful, sometimes disruptive. And for a growing number of WordPress users, the strain is catching up. Plugin fatigue is real, and it’s taking a toll on productivity, performance, and peace of mind.

Liquid Web’s recent study on plugin fatigue looked at responses from 1,006 current and former WordPress users. The data paints a clear picture: the plugin problem is growing, especially for users with complex sites or higher plugin counts.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

You’d expect a few plugins here and there to be manageable. But when you hit 10 or more, everything slows down, literally and figuratively. Among users managing 10+ plugins, reports of plugin fatigue jumped by 119%.

One in five WordPress users has more than 10 plugins installed. Only 7% think they actually need that many. That mismatch speaks volumes.

Here’s what’s wearing people out:

• Maintenance overload: Constant updates and compatibility issues eat up time.
• Performance hits: More plugins often mean slower page loads and backend lag.
• Security risks: Each plugin adds another layer of vulnerability that needs monitoring.
• Rising costs: 14% of users spend more than $200 annually on plugins. The ones who do are 50% more likely to feel plugin fatigue.

And it’s not just about the plugins themselves—it’s the industries, too. Nonprofits reported the highest rate of plugin fatigue at 47%, followed closely by professional services (44%), hospitality (43%), and gaming (43%). Government and education sectors weren’t far behind. These organizations often rely on specialized plugins that don’t always play well together.

Switching Platforms Isn’t the Fix It Looks Like

Fed up, some users turn to hosted alternatives. Shopify, Wix, Squarespace — they promise simplicity, no updates, and fewer moving parts. That sounds like a win…until it isn’t.

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The study found that 22% of former WordPress users who switched platforms experienced more plugin fatigue, not less. On average, their fatigue jumped by 36%.

Other common complaints after switching included:

• More fatigue: Switching didn’t solve the problem for many (it made it worse).
• Regrets: One in eight users who switched said they wish they hadn’t.
• New problems: Higher subscription costs, limited customization, and learning new systems all introduced fresh friction.

Just because a platform looks simpler doesn’t mean it is. The new tools may not offer the features users relied on in WordPress. Or, if they do, they’re locked behind paywalls or third-party integrations that feel just like plugins, only less transparent.

Why WordPress Still Wins

Despite the hassle, most users still prefer WordPress over its competitors. That loyalty comes down to control. WordPress lets you build what you want, how you want. For users with the right knowledge or support, that freedom outweighs the pain points.

In fact, 67% of users say ease of use is the top reason they picked WordPress. And it’s getting better: 63% say it’s easier to use now than when they started. Hosting improvements, plugin quality, and visual editors have smoothed out some of the older frustrations.

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Speed and performance are now the top hosting priorities for 71% of users. That makes sense because no one sticks around for a sluggish site. But even with better performance, problems remain. Here are the most common ones:

• Troubleshooting fatigue: 33% say solving issues takes too long.
• Learning curve surprises: 27% expected it to be easier to master.
• Plugin bloat: 25% needed too many plugins to get basic features working.
• Customization struggles: 23% said they couldn’t get what they wanted without coding.
• Cost creep: 22% ran into higher-than-expected plugin or hosting fees.

Cutting Back on Plugin Pain

You don’t have to ditch WordPress to simplify your setup. The key is managing your stack better: streamlining, deleting, consolidating, and automating wherever possible.

Here’s what actually helps:

• Regular plugin audits: Cutting what’s not essential keeps things lean.
• Consolidating tools: Swapping five plugins for one well-built option reduces bloat.
• Investing in better hosting: Good hosts handle updates, monitor for security issues, and help troubleshoot plugin conflicts.
• Prioritizing essentials: Most users stick with security (44%), analytics (43%), and SEO (39%). Stick with what really matters.
• Training teams: Teaching plugin best practices prevents stacking unnecessary features just because they’re free.

Just 23% of users say they regularly review their plugin list. That means 3 in 4 are flying blind, adding new tools without cleaning up the old ones. No wonder things start to break.

Staying With WordPress, And Staying Sane

Plugin fatigue is annoying, but it doesn’t have to be fatal. WordPress isn’t the problem, it’s how it’s managed. If you’re juggling dozens of plugins and hoping they all cooperate, you’re probably overdue for a cleanup.

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Spending a few hours trimming the fat, choosing smarter tools, and switching to a more hands-on host can make a huge difference. You’ll cut load times, reduce bugs, and save money over time.

Leaving WordPress might feel like hitting the reset button, but it usually means trading known issues for unknown ones. And odds are, you'll still end up relying on plugins or third-party tools, just with fewer options and less control.

The smarter move: Fix what’s broken, and keep what works.

For a deeper dive into the data, check out Liquid Web’s full report: 1 in 3 WordPress users struggle with plugin fatigue, and it’s costing them.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Google Defends Search Growth Amid User Move Toward AI Tools

Google issued a brief statement on Wednesday following courtroom remarks from Apple that caused a sharp market reaction.

During an antitrust hearing, Apple executive Eddy Cue said search use inside Safari declined last month. He described the drop as a shift in how people access information.

That comment drove Alphabet shares down more than 7 percent by the end of the day.

Some in the tech world have echoed similar views. On a recent episode of a Y Combinator program, one host said web traffic from Google dropped 15 percent. He believed the change came from users switching to newer applications that give direct answers.

He said people around him now rely more on ChatGPT and other tools to find what they need. In his view, Google feels less current and more like an older site that serves narrow tasks.

Google, in a short press release, said overall searches continue to rise. The company also noted that queries from Apple devices increased.

Google added that people now access search through apps, voice input, and camera use. No other details were included in the statement.

The company said it plans to show further developments at its I/O event.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Speech Limits Tighten in India as X Complies with Sweeping Account Takedown Orders

Social media giant X is navigating an increasingly precarious path as government orders collide with its core identity. This week, the platform began disabling access to thousands of Indian accounts, many tied to news outlets and public figures, amid sharpening tensions between India and Pakistan.

The blocks come as Indian authorities seek to stabilize public discourse while managing a complex diplomatic moment. The directive, enforced under executive order, does not specify which posts violated legal boundaries. Instead, it broadly demands that entire accounts vanish from India’s digital space—a measure X calls excessive and incompatible with open dialogue.

X has received executive orders from the Indian government requiring X to block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company’s local employees. The orders include demands to block access in India to…

— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) May 8, 2025

Compliance in India arrives with a caveat: accounts remain visible outside the country, and X maintains its public objection. The platform warns that silencing voices preemptively suppresses not just current speech but future contributions, branding such demands as disproportionate and harmful to civic discourse.

This isn’t the first time X has faced such decisions. In Brazil, the company initially resisted a similar order to remove content, prompting a brief nationwide suspension and a public clash between owner Elon Musk and government leaders. Eventually, X conceded—yet the differing responses across regions raise questions about the forces shaping its decisions.

In India’s case, business considerations may loom large. Tesla and Starlink, two ventures under Musk’s umbrella, are courting regulatory approval in the country. Diplomatic goodwill could ease that path, but challenging Indian censors might harden resistance. Behind the scenes, U.S. officials are reportedly supporting Starlink’s expansion, leveraging bilateral influence to open doors.

Meanwhile, across the border, Pakistan has quietly restored access to X just days after tensions escalated with India. For weeks, users relied on VPNs to bypass restrictions. Now, the ban has lifted—without official explanation. Whether symbolic or strategic, the timing suggests Islamabad may be sending a message about digital sovereignty and open platforms during fragile times.

Elsewhere, other governments have made similar moves. Meta has also restricted accounts in India following official complaints, including the removal of a Muslim news page on Instagram, sparking accusations of one-sided censorship.

The recurring pattern speaks to a broader issue: global platforms are being pressed to police speech based on fluctuating national interests. And while companies like X express commitment to freedom of expression, their actions often reflect more nuanced pressures—some political, others economic.

X says it is reviewing legal options to challenge India’s orders. But even as it does, the platform is walking a diplomatic tightrope—balancing speech rights, regional sensitivities, and business ambitions in a world where online presence increasingly depends on offline politics.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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• Crypto Taxation Around the World: High Taxes in Japan, Zero Taxes in Middle East Nations
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Crypto Taxation Around the World: High Taxes in Japan, Zero Taxes in Middle East Nations

Cryptocurrency has gained global transaction now and is being widely used across different countries and jurisdictions. Some countries have imposed taxes on crypto trading while some have no taxes on digital currencies, and there are also some countries where trading in crypto is banned. Data from HelloSafe shows countries with the highest crypto taxes imposed. At the top of the list is Japan which has imposed up to 55% tax rate on cryptocurrency gains. Denmark has up to 52% taxes on crypto profits while Germany is considered crypto-friendly, however, if assets are sold within a year, a tax rate of 45% could be imposed.

There are also several countries which have no taxes imposed on cryptocurrency gains. Some of these countries are Malaysia, Brunei, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland. These countries do not recognize cryptocurrency as taxable income so they have no policies designed for its businesses and investors.

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The countries with a complete ban on cryptocurrency trading are China, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Tunisia. Algeria and Morocco also have cryptocurrency transactions prohibited in the country. There are a lot of reasons why these countries have banned the trading of cryptocurrency and some of these include religious considerations, financial stability, and regulatory concerns.

Here is a comprehensive overview of cryptocurrency taxation across the globe.

Country	Max Taxation (%)	Type
Brunei	0	No taxation
Cyprus	0	No taxation
El Salvador	0	No taxation
Georgia	0	No taxation
Germany	0	No taxation
Hong Kong	0	No taxation
Malaysia	0	No taxation
Oman	0	No taxation
Panama	0	No taxation
Saudi Arabia	0	No taxation
Switzerland	0	No taxation
United Arab Emirates	0	No taxation
Indonesia	0.1	Very low taxation
Vietnam	5	Very low taxation
Liechtenstein	8	Very low taxation
Montenegro	9	Very low taxation
Bulgaria	10	Low taxation
Colombia	10	Low taxation
North Macedonia	10	Low taxation
Romania	10	Low taxation
Croatia	12	Low taxation
Argentina	15	Low taxation
Bolivia	15	Low taxation
Brazil	15	Low taxation
Costa Rica	15	Low taxation
Greece	15	Low taxation
Hungary	15	Low taxation
Russia	15	Low taxation
Serbia	15	Low taxation
South Africa	18	Low taxation
Ukraine	18	Low taxation
Poland	19	Low taxation
Estonia	20	Moderate taxation
Korea (South)	20	Moderate taxation
Latvia	20	Moderate taxation
Lithuania	20	Moderate taxation
Mexico	20	Moderate taxation
United Kingdom	20	Moderate taxation
United States	20	Moderate taxation
Norway	22	Moderate taxation
Czechia (Czech Republic)	23	Moderate taxation
Israel	25	Moderate taxation
Mongolia	25	Moderate taxation
Slovakia	25	Moderate taxation
Italy	26	Moderate taxation
Austria	28	Moderate taxation
Portugal	28	Moderate taxation
Spain	28	Moderate taxation
France	30	Moderate taxation
India	30	Moderate taxation
Peru	30	Moderate taxation
Sweden	30	Moderate taxation
Netherlands	31	Moderate taxation
Belgium	33	Moderate taxation
Ireland	33	Moderate taxation
Finland	34	Moderate taxation
Philippines	35	Moderate taxation
Thailand	35	Moderate taxation
New Zealand	39	High taxation
Chile	40	High taxation
Taiwan	40	High taxation
Turkey	40	High taxation
Australia	45	Very high taxation
Iceland	46	Very high taxation
Canada	50	Very high taxation
Slovenia	50	Very high taxation
Denmark	52	Very high taxation
Japan	55	Very high taxation
Albania	-	Data unavailable
Andorra	-	Data unavailable
Angola	-	Data unavailable
Antigua and Barbuda	-	Data unavailable
Armenia	-	Data unavailable
Azerbaijan	-	Data unavailable
Bahamas	-	Data unavailable
Bahrain	-	Data unavailable
Barbados	-	Data unavailable
Belarus	-	Data unavailable
Belize	-	Data unavailable
Benin	-	Data unavailable
Bhutan	-	Data unavailable
Bosnia and Herzegovina	-	Data unavailable
Botswana	-	Data unavailable
Burkina Faso	-	Data unavailable
Burundi	-	Data unavailable
Cabo Verde	-	Data unavailable
Cambodia	-	Data unavailable
Cameroon	-	Data unavailable
Central African Republic	-	Data unavailable
Chad	-	Data unavailable
Comoros	-	Data unavailable
Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)	-	Data unavailable
Cuba	-	Data unavailable
Djibouti	-	Data unavailable
Dominica	-	Data unavailable
Dominican Republic	-	Data unavailable
Ecuador	-	Data unavailable
Equatorial Guinea	-	Data unavailable
Eritrea	-	Data unavailable
Eswatini (fmr. Swaziland)	-	Data unavailable
Ethiopia	-	Data unavailable
Fiji	-	Data unavailable
Gabon	-	Data unavailable
Gambia	-	Data unavailable
Ghana	-	Data unavailable
Grenada	-	Data unavailable
Guatemala	-	Data unavailable
Guinea	-	Data unavailable
Guinea-Bissau	-	Data unavailable
Guyana	-	Data unavailable
Haiti	-	Data unavailable
Holy See	-	Data unavailable
Honduras	-	Data unavailable
Iran	-	Data unavailable
Iraq	-	Data unavailable
Jamaica	-	Data unavailable
Jordan	-	Data unavailable
Kazakhstan	-	Data unavailable
Kenya	-	Data unavailable
Kiribati	-	Data unavailable
Korea (North)	-	Data unavailable
Kosovo	-	Data unavailable
Kuwait	-	Data unavailable
Kyrgyzstan	-	Data unavailable
Laos	-	Data unavailable
Lebanon	-	Data unavailable
Lesotho	-	Data unavailable
Liberia	-	Data unavailable
Libya	-	Data unavailable
Luxembourg	-	Data unavailable
Madagascar	-	Data unavailable
Malawi	-	Data unavailable
Maldives	-	Data unavailable
Mali	-	Data unavailable
Malta	-	Data unavailable
Marshall Islands	-	Data unavailable
Mauritania	-	Data unavailable
Mauritius	-	Data unavailable
Micronesia	-	Data unavailable
Moldova	-	Data unavailable
Monaco	-	Data unavailable
Mozambique	-	Data unavailable
Myanmar (Burma)	-	Data unavailable
Namibia	-	Data unavailable
Nauru	-	Data unavailable
Nicaragua	-	Data unavailable
Niger	-	Data unavailable
Nigeria	-	Data unavailable
Pakistan	-	Data unavailable
Palau	-	Data unavailable
Palestine State	-	Data unavailable
Papua New Guinea	-	Data unavailable
Paraguay	-	Data unavailable
Qatar	-	Data unavailable
Rwanda	-	Data unavailable
Saint Kitts and Nevis	-	Data unavailable
Saint Lucia	-	Data unavailable
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	-	Data unavailable
Samoa	-	Data unavailable
San Marino	-	Data unavailable
Sao Tome and Principe	-	Data unavailable
Senegal	-	Data unavailable
Seychelles	-	Data unavailable
Sierra Leone	-	Data unavailable
Singapore	-	Data unavailable
Solomon Islands	-	Data unavailable
Somalia	-	Data unavailable
South Sudan	-	Data unavailable
Sri Lanka	-	Data unavailable
Sudan	-	Data unavailable
Suriname	-	Data unavailable
Syria	-	Data unavailable
Tajikistan	-	Data unavailable
Tanzania	-	Data unavailable
Timor-Leste	-	Data unavailable
Togo	-	Data unavailable
Tonga	-	Data unavailable
Trinidad and Tobago	-	Data unavailable
Turkmenistan	-	Data unavailable
Tuvalu	-	Data unavailable
Uganda	-	Data unavailable
Uruguay	-	Data unavailable
Uzbekistan	-	Data unavailable
Vanuatu	-	Data unavailable
Venezuela	-	Data unavailable
Yemen	-	Data unavailable
Zambia	-	Data unavailable
Zimbabwe	-	Data unavailable
Afghanistan	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
Algeria	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
Bangladesh	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
China	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
Egypt	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
Morocco	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
Nepal	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned
Tunisia	Banned	Cryptocurrencies banned

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Medical Experts Warn AI Chatbots Use in Diagnosing Illness Can Obscure Risks and Spread Misinformation

Many people increasingly recognize how broken and inaccessible the modern healthcare system has become over time.

The waiting times are extremely long, and the costs remain at an all-time high. This has led to the arrival of AI chatbots who seem to be patients’ best friend when they cannot seek the right healthcare on time.

Recent survey shows how every one in six adults in the country resorts to ChatGPT to get a quick health fix each month. The issue doesn’t seem too alarming to many people, but we’d like to remind you that the stakes are very high, as it involves their health.

A new study led by experts at Oxford mentioned how relying on chatbots is now turning into a serious habit that poses so significant risk. So many individuals are struggling to get the right and clear solutions, so they end up putting in what they feel might be correct.

What is even worse is how people get advice that mixes reality with misinformation. This can be a huge issue if you follow advice from non-health experts providing quick and false remedies about your life.

The study in question entails 1,300 participants who were based in the UK and were provided with several different medical situations produced by doctors. The goal was to experiment with how well people could generate health decisions using AI tools and their own judgments. Participants made use of the leading AI models and could search online or rely on their own judgements about health.

The study found that there was no major benefit of making use of AI. People didn’t perform any better than the others, and there was no greater accurate data with chatbots than without them. Moreover, Large Language Models now attain near-perfect scores regarding medical licensing tests, but that doesn’t mean it translates into accurate data in the real-world setting.

Many people failed to identify loopholes and serious medical conditions, while others downplayed the actual risks involved after reading chatbot replies. Chatbots could really weaken decision-making instead of strengthening it. So, to keep it short and sweet, asking medical-based questions to a chatbot will never give you a replacement for an experienced physician examining you in a hospital setting.

The concern lies in how tech giants present chatbots as supportive tools for health advice, subtly blurring medical boundaries. The AMA advised physicians not to put reliance on chatbots such as ChatGPT for medical decisions.

We forgot to mention another alarming aspect of this study that has to do with security implications. All chatbots get trained on huge amounts of user data that could entail sensitive data and confidential patient data. So in the end, patient data is not kept secure, and it stays in the chatbot’s database.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: ChatGPT Continues to Dominate Search Market with Mega 80% Share
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

ChatGPT Continues to Dominate Search Market with Mega 80% Share

It looks like the world of search is being taken over by AI, and ChatGPT might be a good reason to blame.

Classic search engines are witnessing a general decline, while ChatGPT is leading the race of AI search with a mega 80% share as per recent stats published by Similarweb. It shared how the past six months saw OpenAI’s tool maintain a strong lead despite the ups and downs that came its way.

The classic search engines are struggling in terms of growth as AI tools begin to reshape how users look for data online. As far as today’s image is concerned, ChatGPT’s market share keeps rebounding to 80%, while one month ago, it was 77%. The AI giant continues to dominate while others just sit and watch from afar.

DeepSeek is down to 6.5% while Google’s AI networks stand at 5.6%, and Perplexity has hit 1.5% while Grok witnesses 2.6%. These figures are part of the bigger AI global picture, which was rolled out by Similarweb. Classic search engines keep losing market share, and one of the most important findings is that classic search engines aren’t growing fast enough. From Google and Bing to Yahoo, Baidu, and DuckDuckGo, it’s on the losing end of things.

Classic search displayed a steady fall of 1 to 2% when compared to data seen in the previous year. It’s crucial to mention how Google has seven times as the users as ChatGPT but yet the latter is picking up the pace to become the front runner.

AI is really altering the world of search, and some AI domains are experiencing faster growth than the next. Common examples include growth in general AI tools, voice generators, music generators, and DevOps with Code completion. Furthermore, some AI domains are getting smaller, like content generation, client support, and legal AI.

You need to remember it’s now only the world of search that’s getting impacted by AI. So many other digital sectors face major changes, like Education tech, freelance domains, and website builders. Right now, design platforms continue to grow 10% YOY, and that might hint at how AI assists instead of replacing the services.

Does this mean classic SEO matters or not? The answer is that it’s just not enough. Classic search traffic keeps falling, and you need to branch out.

The data produced in this report shows how constant negative growth for classic search engines, along with ChatGPT’s leading market position, hints at a huge shift in data discovery. So the take-home message here is to make the most of AI-based search while ensuring practices that work in classic search. This balance will lead to success for search marketers in 2025 and even further.

Read next: Apple Opts to Include List of AI Search Providers to the Safari Browser on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Apple Opts to Include List of AI Search Providers to the Safari Browser on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iPhone maker Apple has confirmed the inclusion of a list of AI search providers in its Safari Browser. This will soon be available as a non-default option on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Bloomberg says Apple’s Senior Vice President shared the news during his court testimony recently, where he confirmed that it was in the works. This is also the first time that Apple mentioned the figure for a fall in searches for Safari. Therefore, it makes sense that the inclusion of AI sources would be key to providing alternative means to search for data.

The matter is a lucrative one with the company and other search engines, where Apple would receive a share of advertising revenue through searches. Therefore, even if it’s on the lower end of usage, it would still make money, but less than before. Let’s not forget that Google might soon be stripped of Chrome, which would reduce its power to work as a monopoly in the search industry.

Apple is currently generating $20 billion around the globe through revenue shares from Google search via Safari on Apple products. The testimony today arose as part of the evidence for Alphabet’s monopoly legal battle. This might mean its contract with Apple, where Google works as the default across Apple products, would go down the drain.

Apple is very reliant on third-party firms for crucial AI functionality across devices.

We’ve witnessed Apple work hand in hand with ChatGPT to better Siri’s services as part of the initial wave of intelligence features from Apple. Under this deal, the company is said to be providing access to ChatGPT to Apple without any additional costs in return for great exposure. This entails the potential to convert users to paid subscribers.

To be placed inside Safari, it appears that Apple might wish to hit revenue sharing programs that are equal to what it generates through the Android maker Google. However, Apple says it looks forward to AI providers getting better and more competitive than Google in terms of general questions, and more in-depth search indexes.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World