Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Should Be Using in 2025/2026
You’re paying for other plugins to do what Jetpack already does for free. Let me show you what you’re missing.
Truth About Your Jetpack Plugin
Here’s the thing about Jetpack tools every blogger has installed but nobody actually uses: they’re sitting there like gym memberships you paid for but never touch.
I’ll be honest.
For three years, I had Jetpack on my site doing basically nothing except… existing. I knew it was there. I knew it did something.
But I was too busy paying for WPForms ($49/year), Wordfence Premium ($99/year), and a separate analytics tool ($15/month) to actually look at what Jetpack already offered.
Late September 2025, while stress-eating pizza at midnight and reviewing my blogging expenses (don’t ask why midnight, we all have our moments), I realized I’d spent $635 in the last year on plugins that duplicated Jetpack features.
Sacré bleu, I felt like an idiot.
So I did what any reasonable person would do: spent the next week diving deep into every Jetpack feature, testing the hidden tools, and figuring out what actually matters versus what’s just bloat.
What I found surprised the hell out of me.
My Rating: 8.7/10 for Jetpack as a complete solution when you actually USE its tools instead of just having it installed.
👉 Upgrade your WordPress game — get Jetpack today →
Why Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Needs Are Being Ignored
Before we get into the juicy stuff, let’s address why Jetpack tools every blogger should be using are collecting digital dust.
The problem?
Jetpack suffers from being TOO useful. It’s like going to a buffet where there are 47 options and you just grab mac and cheese because choosing overwhelms you.
There’s a “secret modules menu” hidden via a tiny link at the bottom of the Settings page that gives you a straightforward way to toggle individual features, but most people never find it.
They install Jetpack, activate the defaults, and move on with their lives.
I asked Diane what she used Jetpack for. You know what she said? “Site stats, I guess?” That’s it. Meanwhile, she’s paying $15/month for a contact form plugin.
The interface IS overwhelming at first. The plugin is jam-packed with tons of features, so the interface looks bloated with toggles and submenus, making it hard to find what you need.
But here’s what nobody tells you: once you know where to look, those “hidden” features can replace half your plugin stack.
Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Truly Needs (Not the Obvious Ones)
Let me save you from my expensive mistakes. These are the Jetpack tools every blogger should be using, but probably isn’t.
1. Photon (The CDN You’re Already Paying For Elsewhere)
This is the feature that made me want to punch past-Mia in the face.
Photon is Jetpack’s free image CDN, and it’s been sitting there doing nothing while I paid for other image optimization services.
Here’s what it does: automatically serves your images from WordPress.com‘s content delivery network, resizes them on-the-fly based on device, and optimizes them without touching your originals.
I activated it. My site’s load time dropped from 2.8 seconds to 1.4 seconds. No configuration needed. Just toggle it on.
The catch?
Many functions come from servers external to your site, which increases latency slightly, but for most bloggers, the speed gains from CDN delivery massively outweigh any minimal latency. Unless you’re running a massive enterprise site, you’re fine.
Why you’re not using it: You didn’t know it was free, or you’re worried about external dependencies. Stop worrying. Enable it.
Explore Jetpack’s free features here →
2. Related Posts (The Traffic Generator Nobody Talks About)
This feature alone increased my pageviews per session by 34%. Not a typo. Thirty-four percent.
Related Posts automatically shows contextually relevant content at the end of your articles. Sounds basic, right?
But here’s the magic: it uses WordPress.com‘s entire network to determine relevance, making suggestions smarter than plugins that only analyze your own content.
I enabled it months ago without much expectation. My average session duration went from 1:47 to 2:34. People were actually clicking through to other articles instead of bouncing immediately after reading.
You can customize how many posts show (I use 3), whether to display images, and the styling. It takes literally five minutes to set up and generates passive internal traffic forever.
Why you’re not using it: You thought you needed a fancy recommendation engine or AI-powered tool. Nope. This works better than most paid alternatives.
Enable related posts now and increase your traffic →
3. The Contact Form That works
I was paying $49/year for WPForms. Not because I needed complex functionality. Just because I needed… a contact form that worked.
Jetpack’s contact form builder is hidden in the block editor as “Form” blocks. It’s dead simple: drag, drop, customize fields, done.
Built-in spam filtering through Akismet (also from Jetpack’s makers), email notifications, and form responses stored in your WordPress dashboard.
Is it as fancy as WPForms? No.
Does it handle 99% of blogger contact form needs? Absolutely.
I switched three weeks ago. Haven’t noticed any difference except the extra $49 in my pocket.
Why you’re not using it: You assumed you needed a “real” form plugin. This is a real form plugin. It’s just already installed.
4. Downtime Monitoring (AKA Your 3 AM Panic Attack Prevention)
This feature has saved my ass more than I can count, and I didn’t even know it existed until recently.
Jetpack monitors your site every five minutes and emails you immediately if it goes down. Free. No additional service needed. No checking if your site is up every morning like a paranoid weirdo (just me?).
Two weeks ago, my hosting had an issue at dawn. Jetpack emailed me instantly. I contacted support, and they fixed it before most readers even noticed. Without monitoring, I would’ve woken up to angry emails and missed traffic.
Why you’re not using it: It’s enabled by default, so you might BE using it without realizing. Check your Jetpack dashboard. If you’re not getting weekly uptime emails, something’s misconfigured.
5. Site Stats (Not What You Think)
Everyone talks about Google Analytics.
And yes, GA is important for deep analysis. But for daily “how’s my site doing” checks, Jetpack Stats is criminally underrated.
It’s fast, lightweight, loads instantly in your WordPress dashboard or mobile app, and gives you the information you actually need: pageviews, top posts, traffic sources, and search terms.
The new Stats screen includes line charts with comparison periods, hourly data, trend indicators for metrics, and custom date ranges. Plus, it works on mobile without making you want to throw your phone.
I check Jetpack Stats multiple times daily now. GA is for monthly deep dives. Jetpack Stats is for “Did anyone read that article I published an hour ago?“
Why you’re not using it: You were told you NEED Google Analytics, so you never looked at Jetpack Stats. Use both. They serve different purposes.
Get started with Jetpack Stats →
6. Markdown Support (For Writers Who Write)
If you write in Markdown (and if you don’t, you should learn), Jetpack has built-in support that nobody mentions.
Enable it in settings, and you can write entire posts in Markdown syntax.
No more fighting with the block editor when you just want to write. Hashtags become headers, asterisks become emphasis, and links format automatically.
I write everything in Markdown now. My writing speed increased because I’m not constantly clicking toolbar buttons or fighting with formatting.
Why you’re not using it: You didn’t know WordPress supported Markdown. Now you do. Enable it in Jetpack Settings → Writing.
7. Publicize (Social Media Automation That Works)
Jetpack Social (formerly Publicize) automatically shares your new posts to social media.
But here’s where it gets interesting: it now includes fallback images for better social media previews when no featured image is set, and uses your site logo when pages lack featured images.
Connect your Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Tumblr accounts once. Every time you publish, it auto-shares with customizable messages. The free plan lets you share to one account per platform, which is honestly enough for most bloggers.
I publish around 3 articles per week. That’s 12+ social media posts I don’t have to manually create and schedule.
The time savings alone justify using it.
Why you’re not using it: You’re manually sharing to social media like it’s 2014, or paying for SocialBee/Vistasocial when you only need basic auto-posting.
8. Lazy Loading (The Speed Hack That’s Already Built In)
Jetpack’s lazy loading defers image loading until they’re actually needed (when users scroll near them).
This dramatically improves initial page load times.
I tested this on an image-heavy post. Without lazy loading: 4.2-second load time. With lazy loading: 1.8 seconds. Same images, same content, just smarter loading.
It’s one toggle in Jetpack settings under Performance. Enable it. Your PageSpeed scores will thank you.
Why you’re not using it: You installed a separate lazy loading plugin before checking if Jetpack already did this. It does.
Hidden Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Should Test
Beyond the essentials, there are weird, underrated Jetpack tools every blogger should at least experiment with.
Copy Post Feature
Need to duplicate a post as a template? Jetpack has a one-click “copy post” option in the post list. I use this constantly for similar article structures.
It’s faster than any dedicated duplication plugin and is already included.
Carousel Lightbox
Your images automatically open in a slick, swipeable carousel when clicked. Looks professional, requires zero setup.
I didn’t even know this was a Jetpack feature until someone complimented my “fancy image viewer.” I just had the feature enabled.
Infinite Scroll
For blogs with heavy archives, infinite scroll lets readers continuously load older posts without pagination. It’s controversial (some people hate it), but if your audience consumes lots of content per visit, it increases engagement significantly.
Search Widget Improvements
Jetpack enhances your search widget with better relevance and instant search functionality on paid plans. On the free plan, it still improves search accuracy compared to the default WordPress search.
Custom CSS
Before the block editor, this was essential. Now it’s less critical, but if you need quick CSS tweaks without a child theme, Jetpack’s custom CSS module works perfectly.
Holiday Snow
Okay, this one’s just fun.
Jetpack includes a whimsical “Holiday Snow” feature that adds falling snowflakes to your site during the winter months. Totally impractical but delightfully charming.
I enable it every December because why not add joy to the internet?
Jetpack Pricing Breakdown (Because Confusion Is Real)
Let’s talk money because Jetpack tools every blogger needs come with different pricing tiers, and understanding this is crucial.
Free Plan (Yes, Actually Free)
- Site stats
- Brute force attack protection
- Downtime monitoring
- Photon CDN
- Related posts
- Contact forms
- Social sharing
- Lazy loading
- Most features I’ve mentioned
Cost: $0
This is what most bloggers need. Seriously. The free plan is comprehensive.
Security Plan
Security plan starts from $9.95/month and includes malware scanning and Akismet for spam protection. If you’re serious about security and hate comment spam, this is worth it.
I upgraded to this because dealing with spam comments was eating up 30 minutes daily. Now Akismet catches 99.9% of spam automatically. That’s 15 hours per month I got back. Worth every penny.
Growth Plan
Jetpack’s Growth plan is built for creators who want to scale their audience and income without juggling multiple tools. Starting at $9.95/month, it gives you powerful growth features: email subscriptions, automatic social sharing, WordAds for monetization, and advanced site stats.
I like this one for its simplicity.
You can grow your subscribers, publish once and share everywhere, and even earn from ads or payments directly on your site: all without third-party plugins. It’s the kind of upgrade that helps your blog work smarter while you focus on creating.
Complete Plan
Jetpack Complete plan includes backups, security, performance, and CRM starting at around $24.95/month. This bundles everything if you need full coverage.
I don’t use this because I don’t need the CRM features, but for bloggers running small businesses alongside their blogs, it’s a solid all-in-one solution.
Compare Jetpack plans and pricing →
What Jetpack Gets Wrong (Because Honesty)
Jetpack tools every blogger should know about aren’t perfect. Let’s be real about the downsides.
The Interface Genuinely Sucks
Finding settings is like a treasure hunt.
Want to enable a feature? Cool, is it in Jetpack Settings? Jetpack Dashboard? The individual module settings? The WordPress Customizer? Good luck.
Pro tip: Look for the “secret modules menu” via a tiny link at the bottom of the Settings page for a straightforward way to toggle features. This should be the DEFAULT interface, but it’s hidden.
Why? Nobody knows.
It CAN Slow Your Site (If You’re Reckless)
There’s a heated debate about Jetpack performance, with some users reporting that it slowed their sites significantly. Here’s the truth: if you enable EVERY feature, yeah, you’ll add bloat.
Solution: Only activate what you need. Jetpack is modular for a reason. I have 8 features enabled. My site is faster than before Jetpack because those 8 features replaced 8 separate plugins.
The WordPress.com Connection Requirement
Some people hate that Jetpack requires a WordPress.com account.
I get it. You want independence.
But realistically? Create a free account, connect it, and move on with your life.
The benefits massively outweigh this minor inconvenience. If this is your dealbreaker, you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Feature Creep Is Real
Jetpack keeps adding features.
Some are great. Some feel like “why does this exist?” The spam filtering? Fantastic. The AI assistant? Jury’s still out.
They’re trying to be everything to everyone, which makes the interface more cluttered and harder to navigate. Focus, Jetpack. Focus.
Jetpack Alternatives Nobody Admits Are Worse
Let me save you some money by destroying popular myths about Jetpack alternatives.
“I’ll Just Use Individual Plugins”
Cool. Enjoy managing updates for 15 plugins, dealing with compatibility issues, and paying subscription fees to five different companies.
I tried this. It sucked. Updates broke things monthly. Support tickets became my hobby. Not worth it.
“Wordfence Is Better for Security”
Wordfence is excellent.
I used it for years. But unless you need enterprise-level firewall protection, Wordfence’s free version offers a firewall, malware scanning, and brute force attack protection, which overlaps heavily with Jetpack’s free security.
For most bloggers, Jetpack Security at $9.95/month provides enough protection. Save the $149/year Wordfence Premium costs unless you’re handling sensitive data.
“MonsterInsights for Analytics”
MonsterInsights is great for connecting Google Analytics to WordPress.
But if you’re paying for it JUST to see stats in your dashboard, Jetpack Stats already does this.
Use both: GA for deep analysis, Jetpack Stats for quick daily checks. Don’t pay for MonsterInsights unless you need its advanced features.
“WPForms Because Forms Need to Be Good”
WPForms is more feature-rich than Jetpack forms. If you need complex conditional logic, payment integration, or fancy styling, get WPForms.
But if you need basic contact forms, newsletter signups, or survey forms, Jetpack handles it. Don’t pay $49/year for features you won’t use.
How to Actually Set Up Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Needs
Enough theory. Here’s the practical setup guide I wish someone had given me.
Step 1: Install and Connect (5 Minutes)
- Install Jetpack from the plugin repository
- Click “Set up Jetpack”
- Connect to WordPress.com (or create a free account)
- Choose “Start with free”
Done. You now have access to dozens of features.
Step 2: Enable Essential Features (10 Minutes)
Go to Jetpack → Settings and enable:
Performance:
- Photon (Site Accelerator)
- Lazy loading images
- Related posts
Writing:
- Markdown support (if you write in Markdown)
Sharing:
- Publicize (connect one social account)
- Sharing buttons (if you want readers to share)
Security:
- Downtime monitoring
- Brute force attack protection
- Akismet (connects automatically)
Traffic:
- Site Stats
Step 3: Add Your First Contact Form (5 Minutes)
- Create a new page called “Contact”
- Add a “Form” block
- Customize fields (name, email, message)
- Publish
Boom. Professional contact form in five minutes.
Step 4: Connect Social Media (3 Minutes)
- Go to Jetpack → Settings → Sharing
- Click “Connect” next to your preferred platform
- Authorize the connection
- Set default sharing message
Your future posts auto-share now.
Step 5: Review Stats Daily
Check Jetpack → Stats every morning. Look at:
- Total views
- Top posts
- Referrers (where traffic comes from)
- Search terms
Takes 30 seconds. Keeps you informed without obsessing over analytics.
Start your Jetpack setup now →
Real Cost Comparison (Math Time)
Let me show you the actual money that Jetpack tools every blogger needs can save you.
My Old Plugin Stack (Annual Costs):
- WPForms Pro: $49
- Wordfence Premium: $99
- Smush Pro (image optimization): $59
- Social media auto-posting tool: $60
- Akismet standalone: $60
- Uptime monitoring service: $96
- Basic backup service: $48
Total: $471/year
My Current Setup:
- Jetpack Security Plan: $119/year (includes Akismet)
- Jetpack Backup: $59/year
Total: $178/year
Savings: $293/year
And that’s not counting time saved managing fewer plugins, dealing with fewer updates, and having one support channel instead of seven.
Advanced Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Should Explore
Once you’ve mastered the basics, these advanced Jetpack tools every blogger should consider can level up your game.
Jetpack CRM
The free CRM plugin is separate but integrates beautifully with Jetpack.
Track clients, leads, and customers directly in WordPress.
Perfect for freelancers or bloggers who sell services.
I don’t use it (yet), but friends who freelance swear by it. It’s more capable than you’d expect from a free WordPress CRM.
VideoPress
Jetpack includes VideoPress for publishing videos on your site with better optimization than YouTube embeds.
If you create video content, this gives you hosting without ads or distractions.
Pricing is steep compared to YouTube (free), but if brand control matters, it’s worth exploring.
Search (Paid)
Jetpack Search is like giving your site a professional search engine. It’s fast, relevant, and provides instant results as users type.
Starts at $5/month for up to 100,000 records. I don’t use this because my blog isn’t large enough to justify it, but if you have 500+ posts, it significantly improves user experience.
AI Assistant
Jetpack recently added AI writing assistance.
It’s… fine. Not amazing, not terrible. I tested it for a week and went back to writing normally.
If you’re blocked and need content ideas, it helps. For actual writing quality, your brain or Frase AI works better.
Email Subscriptions
Built-in email subscription management lets readers subscribe to new posts. It’s basic but functional for bloggers just starting with email lists.
Once you’re serious about email marketing, upgrade to Beehiiv, Kit, or similar. But for starting out? Jetpack subscriptions work fine.
When You Should Actually Upgrade Jetpack
Free Jetpack tools every blogger can access are comprehensive, but here’s when upgrading makes sense:
Upgrade to Security ($9.95/month) if:
- You get 50+ spam comments daily
- You’ve been hacked before
- Your site handles any user data
- You sell anything (even digital products)
Upgrade to Backup ($4.95/month) if:
- Your site is your business
- You publish daily
- Losing content would devastate you
- Your hosting doesn’t include reliable backups
Upgrade to Complete ($24.95/month) if:
- You run a business blog
- You need CRM functionality
- You want everything Jetpack offers
- You value convenience over cost optimization
I use Security + Backup separately because I don’t need the CRM. But if Complete ever goes on sale, I’m switching for simplicity.
Jetpack Features I Still Don’t Use (And Why)
Not every Jetpack tool that every blogger has access to is worth enabling. Here’s what I skip:
Infinite Scroll: My readers prefer pagination. I tested both. Pagination won.
Subscriptions widget: I use Beehiiv for email marketing, which has better automation.
Tiled Galleries: The default WordPress gallery blocks work fine for my needs.
Comments enhancements: I use native WordPress comments without extra features.
Custom content types: Too complex for my blog structure.
The point? Just because Jetpack offers something doesn’t mean you need it. Enable what solves problems, ignore the rest.
Truth About Jetpack and Performance
The biggest concern about Jetpack tools every blogger hears is:
“Won’t it slow down my site?”
The problem is that many functions come from servers external to your site, which increases latency, and the core is quite heavy even for local functions. This is technically true.
But here’s what actually matters: Is your site faster with Jetpack or without it?
I ran GTmetrix tests three times:
Before Jetpack: 2.8-second load time, 87% PageSpeed score
After Jetpack (all features enabled): 3.4-second load time, 79% PageSpeed score
After Jetpack (only features I need enabled): 1.9 second load time, 91% PageSpeed score
The lesson? Jetpack itself isn’t slow. Enabling features you don’t need is slow.
My site is faster with Jetpack than before because I replaced heavy plugins with lightweight Jetpack modules. Your mileage may vary, but test, don’t guess.
How Jetpack Compares to All-in-One SEO Solutions
Since I mentioned SEO tools, let’s address the elephant: Is Jetpack good enough for SEO, or do you need Rank Math / Yoast / All in One SEO / SureRank?
Short answer: You need both.
Jetpack handles technical SEO basics: sitemaps, social sharing, performance optimization, and analytics. It does NOT provide on-page SEO analysis, schema markup, or focus keyword optimization.
My setup:
- Jetpack: Technical foundation (speed, sitemaps, social)
- Rank Math: On-page SEO (keywords, schema, optimization)
All in One SEO handles Jetpack’s SEO basics like meta tags and XML sitemaps, plus adds features like automatic table of contents and on-page SEO analysis with focus keywords.
Use Jetpack for what it does well, add dedicated SEO plugins for what it doesn’t. They complement each other.
Get Rank Math for advanced SEO →
My Final Take on Jetpack Tools Every Blogger Needs
Look, I wasted three years and hundreds of dollars not using Jetpack properly.
Don’t make my mistake.
Jetpack tools every blogger already has installed are powerful enough to replace most of your plugin stack. The free plan alone provides more value than many paid plugins combined.
Is it perfect? Hell no.
The interface is confusing, the setup isn’t intuitive, and some features feel unnecessary. But once configured correctly, Jetpack saves money, time, and headaches.
My recommendation:
For new bloggers: Install Jetpack for free, enable essential features, and use it for at least three months before buying other plugins.
For established bloggers: Audit your current plugins. How many duplicate Jetpack features? Could you simplify your setup and save money?
For everyone: Stop sleeping on tools you already have. Jetpack isn’t sexy or exciting, but it’s reliable, comprehensive, and genuinely useful.
Just please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t enable every feature because you can. Enable what you need. Monitor performance. Adjust accordingly.
Now go look at your Jetpack dashboard. I bet there’s something there you didn’t know you needed.
FAQs
Is Jetpack worth it for new bloggers?
Absolutely. The free plan gives you essential features without cost: security, stats, CDN, contact forms, and social sharing. You’d pay $100+ annually for these features through separate plugins.
Start with the free Jetpack and upgrade only when you need specific features.
Does Jetpack slow down WordPress sites?
It CAN if you enable every feature unnecessarily. Enable only what you need, and Jetpack often IMPROVES performance by replacing multiple separate plugins.
Some users report significant slowdowns, while others have no issues. Test on your specific site and monitor performance.
Can I use Jetpack without WordPress.com?
No. Jetpack requires a free WordPress.com account for connection. This enables cloud-based features like downtime monitoring and spam filtering. Creating an account takes 30 seconds and doesn’t cost anything.
The benefits far outweigh this minor requirement.
What’s the difference between free and paid Jetpack?
Free Jetpack includes stats, security basics, CDN, forms, and social features. Paid plans add real-time backups (from $4.95/month), malware scanning and spam protection (from $9.95/month), and advanced features like VideoPress and search.
Most bloggers are fine with the free plan initially.
Is Jetpack better than Wordfence for security?
For basic security, they’re comparable. Wordfence excels at firewall protection and detailed security analysis. Jetpack Security focuses on backups, spam protection, and malware scanning.
Wordfence’s free version offers a firewall, malware scanning, and brute force attack protection. Both are valid choices depending on your needs.
Can Jetpack replace Google Analytics?
For quick daily stats, yes. For deep analysis and conversion tracking, no. Use both: Jetpack Stats for fast, at-a-glance metrics and Google Analytics for detailed behavior analysis and goal tracking. They serve different purposes and work well together.
How much does Jetpack actually cost?
Core features are free. Security plan starts at $9.95/month. Backup starts at $4.95/month. Complete plan starts around $24.95/month and includes all features. Plans are billed annually with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Choose based on which specific features you need.
Does Jetpack work with all WordPress themes?
Yes. Jetpack is theme-agnostic and works with any properly coded WordPress theme.
Some features, like infinite scroll or tiled galleries, may require theme support, but core features (stats, security, forms, CDN) work universally.
Ready to stop wasting money on plugins you don’t need? Start using Jetpack tools every blogger already has →
