Add-ons are pieces of software written by players and/or developers that are designed to customize and maximize our experience in World of Warcraft (WoW). These are loaded into the game easily since they don’t require any program to install. In fact, as soon as you enter Azeroth you can start using the add-on you downloaded! Hopefully, you guys are excited about the Best WoW Add Ons!
These additions to the original interface are meant to help and increase our life-quality or even gameplay. They work in many different ways depending on your gaming needs. If you love to play the market and you constantly use the Auction House, an add-on that specifically works on that would be great for you.
How to Install
Remember, I said they are simple to install? Just follow these easy steps:
- Download the add-on.
- Extract or copy the folder or files inside the compressed file.
- Paste those files in the following WoW game folder:
- World of Warcraft > Interface > AddOns.
- Log into your game and enjoy!
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
As add-ons may seem flawless and great, there are some ups and downs in the use of these codecrafts.
- The Good: they allow you to customize your game. This means you can change the interface, optimize your spells and gameplay and aid you in numerous ways.
- The Bad: sometimes add-ons come with glitches and they may interfere with the original UI of the game, which could lead to bugs and having to reload several times. Also, if you’re playing on a low-end pc, these can consume a bit (or lots) of RAM, therefore, decreasing your FPS.
- The Ugly: getting addicted to add-ons is undesirable. Let’s suppose the add-on gets old and the developer never updates it again. You could become a child suffering from the lack of sugar, a huge withdrawal. However, in this case, it will be WORSE because you’re never going to feel that tidy, smooth interface configured by you.
Add-ons should be used wisely and understanding that they’re just that: add-ons, they don’t make the game.
My Top 10 Pick
I made a list of my favorite add-ons. I use or have used most of them. I classified them so that you can have an idea of its usefulness and whether it’s right for you or not.
- Quality score:
- Customization level: low
- Difficulty of use: minor
DBM is probably one of the most useful add-ons in the world. It saves you from being a noob in raids and dungeons and works great in battlegrounds. In fact, it tells you everything you need to know, if you’re standing on AOE, you need to run, get away from people, EVERYTHING. Guilds and raiding groups require you to have this one installed.
- Quality score:
- Customization level: medium
- Difficulty of use: hard
Trade Skill Master (TSM0 is one of the most complex add-ons that I have ever used. It’s extremely useful to manage professions, sell stuff and it even alerts you of great deals in the Auction House. It’s a somewhat difficult to get used to it and learn everything, but if you read the instructions and guides, then you’ll be fine. All for the WoW gold. It has to be updated often and requires you to install a little app.
3. VuhDo
- Quality score:
- Customization level: high
- Difficulty of use: medium to high
The difficulty in this one depends on how much you want to use. You can read guides and stuff like that to see how you can get the most out of it. Vuhdo is great! If you’re a healer this will surely come in handy. It lets you settle your spells in ways easier to control. You won’t have to keep all those heals between numbers 1-4, you can start using just LMB or RMB, the possibilities are great! Comb alt + click, ctrl + click et voilà, now you can beat enemies while you spam renew.
You can even configure the add-on to tell you which players have this or that buff, so that you know EVERYTHING that happens under your healing command! Don’t let anyone in your party die again with Vuhdo.
4. Auctioneer
- Quality score:
- Customization level: medium
- Difficulty of use: medium to high
Auctioneer is a great tool if you sell your stuff in the Auction House. This one tells you everything you need to know. You just need to customize it and make sure that you understand every piece. Read guides and test it for yourself. If Auctioneer is too difficult to handle or you just want a simpler add-on, there is “Auctionator.”
5. Recount vs. Skada vs. Details
- Quality score:
- Customization level: medium
- Difficulty of use: minor
They are all damage meters, this means they tell you how much damage your character is doing. The cool thing is that they all say in which fight you did said damage, how much damage you did overall, your healing, interrupts, damage taken, among other things.
These three different meters are used basically for the same purpose so it’s up to you to take the decision to use one or another. Test them all and see how they work for you.
6. Tidy Plates
- Quality score:
- Customization level: low
- Difficulty of use: minor
Tidy Plates is great, it’s one of these things you don’t want to play without (yes, I’m diving into the Ugly). This addition changes your enemies’ frames, giving you a more detailed view of the mob’s stats. It shows you a casting bar (it tells you if it’s interruptible) and a threat meter (it goes red when you’re attracting much attention and green when everything’s okay).
- Quality score:
- Customization level: low
- Difficulty of use: minor
If you like PvP as I do and you want to kill them all with a strike to the head, carry your teammates, steal kills and get all the HK, then this is the add-on for you. I know, I know I exaggerated a bit, however, HHTD paired with DBM is going to make battlegrounds matches easier for you. It shows you where are the healers, pointing them out with a giant cross over their nameplates.
8. GTFO
- Quality score:
- Customization level: low
- Difficulty of use: minor
Get the Freak (no, it’s not freak) Out it’s great if you’re a little bit absent-minded like me. I sometimes stand on poop, most of the time it’s because my graphics are too low and I don’t see them, so this is very useful to me. It screams when I’m standing on AoEs and I get the freak out of it.
- Quality score:
- Customization level: medium
- Difficulty of use: minor
This one is going to be a bliss if you send your followers on missions. It protects you from thinking! Well, at least it saves you time, whispering in your ear which combination of followers is the best to get the biggest success percentage on a mission. The commander lets you choose from a variety of options that make its decisions more comfortable for you. If you think the interface it’s too troublesome and you prefer something simpler, then you can try the Garrison Mission Manager.
- Quality score:
- Customization level: low
- Difficulty of use: medium
If you know this name you surely will appreciate having this add-on. It tells you a bit about the last prices in your realm and the world. It’s very useful because you will have an idea of how much money you’re going to get for every WoW items that can be sold. To maximize results, frequent visits to the website are required and it has to be updated every Tuesday and Saturday.
Honorable Mentions
I’m not a fan of these two add-ons but I’m going to mention them anyway since many people like them. These are Weak Auras 2 and ElvUI. The reason why I don’t like them it’s because they change the game a lot, maybe too much for me. I may be a purist by saying this but it is like that. Sometimes when the game gets “that easy” is not that fun to me.
- ElvUI: it’s a complete add-on with so many customization options you’re going to need guides and help to set everything up, but don’t worry, it’s not so hard.
- Weak Auras 2: tells you anything you need to know. It’s like that guardian angel whispering in your ear what’s going to happen and what to do. It basically works with your needs: do you always forget to cast your most important buff? Weak Auras 2 “yells” with a visual aid like a friendly reminder.
Where to Get Them?
There are many sites where you can download add-ons but these below are the most recognized, especially Curse.
- Curse: is a great site that features add-ons for many games, WoW of course, Elder Scrolls Online, Minecraft, Wildstar, and World of Tanks among others.
- Firehawk: an app that downloads and updates your add-ons, this way you’ll have an organized interface with everything that you need to know, including patch notes.
- WoW Interface: a very friendly interface and many categories that help you find the best add-on.
Also, if you have problems with bugs, the support of the developers is amazing and they pay attention to every comment. CurseForge is a great tool for this because it functions as a forum where you can stay updated.
Be careful with them, though!
If you have a low-end PC, think of your RAM and how add-ons affect it. In fact, they can mess with the fluidity of your game and turn it a little bit laggy. If you experience that, hover over the “?” icon between the shop button and your bags. In the picture, you’ll see how much memory every add-on consumes.
Wrapping Things Up
Keep in mind that some add-ons require a “base” add-on or they won’t work and they also need to be updated, even more when WoW releases a patch. There are many more in the add-on’s market. Countless developers are continuously creating and updating these wonderful pieces of aid! Use them carefully and remember that you CAN live without add-ons, they’re like makeup: you can look great with or without it!
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
More