18 Helpful Plugins for WordPress Multisite Networks

WordPress lets you create and manage multiple websites from a single installation by using the multisite feature. Within your WordPress network, each site can have its own plugins, themes, and even end users. Once enabled, multisite for WordPress has many compatible plugins to harness the power of the network.

Here is a list of helpful plugins for multisite networks on WordPress. There are plugins to control access, clone websites, enhance performance, back up your network, and more. Nearly all of these plugins are free, though many have premium plans as well.

Plugins for WordPress Multisite

MultiSite Clone Duplicator can copy any site on your network, including data, files, users, and roles. Configure a master clone to define a unique “pattern” site.

Multisite Plugin Manager uses a backend “options” page to adjust plugin permissions for all the sites in your network.

Multisite Language Switcher adds multilingual support to a WordPress multisite installation. Manage translations of posts, pages, custom post types, categories, tags, and custom taxonomies.

Multisite Toolbar Additions adds useful admin links to your toolbar and admin bar in multisite installs, as well as installs for single sites. Manage network-wide plugins, the theme editor, new content, and more.

Broadcast syndicates posts and content across your multisite network. Broadcasted posts can be linked to their parents and updated when parent posts are changed, including their title, slug, content, custom fields, and attachments.

WP Security Audit Log is a real-time user activity and monitoring log plugin. It’s a good tool for tracking activity across a multisite network, such as adding, deleting, or archiving sites, and adding or removing users from sites.

Disable Comments allows administrators to disable comments globally on any post type. On multisite installations, it can disable comments on the entire network.

User Switching allows you to quickly swap between user accounts in WordPress — to instantly log out and log in as your desired user. It’s handy for administrators to switch between multiple accounts.

NS Cloner will clone any site on your WordPress multisite network into a new one that is identical in theme, plugins, content, pictures, videos, and settings.

User Role Editor allows you to change user roles and capabilities easy. Just check boxes of capabilities you wish to add to the selected role and click the “Update” button to save. Add new roles and customize capabilities according to your needs, or copy an existing role.

Multisite Enhancements is a tool for multisite super-admins that enhances the functions of the network area. Add (i) the blog and user IDs in network view and (ii) the status of each site in the admin bar. Show active plugins or themes on each site, and add several additional items to the network admin bar.

Inactive Logout is a handy tool if you have a network with multiple users who need access to the backend. The plugin logs out inactive users after a specific period, to mitigate security risk.

Jetpack, the tool for security and site management, now has support for multisite. Activate site accelerator tools, and monitor and back up your entire site in real-time. Administer all connections from your super-admin accounts.

Google Image Sitemap Feed With Multisite Support generates an image sitemap for Google by creating a virtual sitemap-image.xml file. It is compatible with multisite installations.

LiteSpeed Cache is an all-in-one site acceleration plugin, featuring server-level cache and a collection of optimization features. LiteSpeed Cache supports WordPress multisite and is compatible with most popular plugins, including WooCommerce and Yoast SEO.

Gravity Forms is a tool to create advanced forms for your WordPress sites. Select the fields, configure the options, and easily embed the forms. The Elite License on Gravity Forms is compatible with multisite.

BackWPup can back up your entire WordPress multisite network to an external storage service such as Dropbox or Amazon S3.

Smush Image Compression and Optimization can resize, optimize, and compress all of your images. Optimize up to 50 images with one click. The plugin is multisite compatible with both global and individual settings.