A list of the best World of Warcraft addons based on hundreds of hours of gameplay and testing!
Choosing the right mix of addons in World of Warcraft can be difficult. There are hundreds to choose from, and some no longer work in 2024. In this article, I want to share my list of the best WoW addons from hundreds of hours of personal testing and gameplay.
I put this list together with the game’s retail version (The War Within) in mind. For a Classic version, check out my Best Addons for Classic article.
We’ll take a closer look at each addon in a moment, but here is the full list of the best WoW addons for now:
- Dominos
- Shadowed Unit Frames
- Bagnon
- Threat Plates
- Opie
- HandyNotes
- TomTom
- Deadly Boss Mods (DBM)
- WeakAuras
- Details! Damage Meter
- World Quest Tracker
- BtWQuests
- OmniCC
- Auctionator
- HidingBar
Hang tight until the end of the article because I’ve included several honorable mention addons that narrowly missed the list. Before diving into each addon’s details, I want to explain why these were chosen as the best ones.
Why are these the best WoW addons?
Everyone and their dog has an opinion on what WoW addons you should be using. So, why should you trust my list compared to anyone else?
In short, I have played World of Warcraft for over 15 years now and have tested dozens, if not more than a hundred addons along the way. I know which addons I can’t live without and those which seem to cause more problems than they are worth.
On top of that, I have done several in-depth comparisons of addons like the ones I did to find the best action bar and the best nameplate addon. I love keeping my user interface lightweight, minimal, and informative, and my recommendations below reflect that.
How to install addons
If this is your first time using addons, you will need to learn how to install them. Luckily, the process is easy if you use an addon manager like Curseforge.
All you need to do is download the addon manager from the link above and install it. From there, simply click on “Get Addons” at the top and then click to install the ones you want.
If you need a more detailed guide, you can check out my guide to installing addons which is updated for 2024.
Best World of Warcraft (WoW) Addons in 2024
Without further ado, let’s jump into the best WoW addons in 2024. Let’s start with the best action bar addon… Dominos!
Dominos
If you are looking for a solid action bar addon addon, I would definitely recommend Dominos. Action bar addons allow you to edit the look and feel of your spells at the bottom of your screen, and no one does it better than Dominos.
Dominos is the best because it is not only packed with features but also super easy to set up and very lightweight. I ran some tests and compared Dominos to ElvUI and Bartender4 (two other popular action bar addons). In my tests, I found that Dominos used 100 times fewer CPU resources than ElvUI (5.54 ms/s vs. 0.05 ms/s) and far less than Bartender4 (2.71 ms/s vs. 0.05 ms/s)!
Check out my YouTube video above or link to the full written guide below to get started with Dominos.
Alternatives: Bartender 4, ElvUI
Full Guide: How to use the Dominos addon
Shadowed Unit Frames
Another major component of your World of Warcraft UI is your unit frames. The frames appear in the top left by default and give you very little ability to customize them.
With an addon like shadowed unit frames, you can change everything from the height of the bars to the font used. You can even adjust how names and health percentages show up, improving your awareness in combat.
To get started with shadowed unit frames, you’ll want to install it and then type /suf in chat. Once the settings open, you can click on the “General” option in the left menu and then uncheck the “lock frames” option to begin moving things around. It does take a little bit of time to get everything setup, but it is great once you do!
Alternatives: Z-Perl, ElvUI
Bagnon
Now that we have your action bars, minimap, and unit frames looking good, it’s time to polish up your bags. The best and most popular bag addon is called Bagnon, and it is great.
With Bagnon, you can adjust the number of rows and columns in your bag, customize the colors, and choose when you want your bags to show automatically. You can click on the cogwheel next to the red X in the top right to change those settings.
Alternatives: ElvUI, AdiBags, ArkInventory
Full Guide: How to use Bagnon
Threat Plates
The default nameplates lack a lot of important information that is needed to make split-second decisions in World of Warcraft. With an addon like Threat Plates, you gain a lot of additional information and the ability to make valuable customizations to your plates.
Threat Plates is the best nameplate addon because it allows for customization and is easy to set up. Plater, a nameplate addon alternative to Threat Plates, is also a good choice, but it takes more work to set up. For that reason, I recommend you try out Threat Plates if you are just getting started and looking for something powerful.
I have a complete guide to Threat Plates in the YouTube video above (and a link to a written guide below) to help you get started.
Alternatives: ElvUI, Plater, KuiNameplates, TidyPlates, NeatPlates
Full Guide: How to use Threat Plates
Opie
No matter how well you set up your action bars, it seems like there are always more spells and toys than you have space for.
This is where Opie comes in.
Instead of placing every toy and important item in your action bar, you can create an Opie ring. This allows you to hold down a keybind of your choosing (like Alt + G) to show a slew of items or spells. From there, simply move your mouse in the appropriate direction and then let go of the keybind.
The ways you can set up rings are virtually endless. If you want to get really fancy, you can even nest rings inside other rings.
HandyNotes
HandyNotes is another addon that I can’t live without. With all the treasure chests and rare creatures spread throughout the World of Warcraft, I often need help to find them. Also, I don’t want to break the flow of gaming by Googling item locations while playing.
HandyNotes makes it easy to see the location of special mobs or items in the world by adding icons to your map. You will also want to download the HandyNotes: The War Within (and Handynotes: The War Within Treasures and Rares) addon to get the most out of it.
Hovering over the icons will show additional information about finding the mob or treasure, which has saved me hundreds of times. If you use a coordinate addon like TomTom, you can also click on the icons to set waypoints, making finding that special item easier.
Speaking of TomTom…
TomTom
TomTom is another must-have addon for open-world exploration and navigation. Like the old GPS by the same name, TomTom is an addon that provides directions to make your life easier. You can set destinations, or waypoints, by clicking on the map or with commands entered into chat (like /tway Nagrand 45 50).
Once you set a waypoint, an arrow will appear and show you how many yards you have until your destination and an estimated travel time.
Setting waypoints is extremely easy when paired with an addon like HandyNotes. However, in some cases, you’ll want to set waypoints for destinations that aren’t shown in HandyNotes. In that case, you can set it on the map, or you can copy TomTom commands straight from sites like WowHead!
Alternatives: MapCoords
Full Guide: How to use TomTom coordinates
Deadly Boss Mods (DBM)
If you plan on doing mythic+ or raiding, you will absolutely want a boss mod. These addons are excellent tools for PvE content because they provide you with warnings and timers for dangerous abilities.
There are two major boss mod addons, Deadly Boss Mods (or DBM for short) and Bigwigs. I have used both and personally prefer DBM, but Bigwigs is also great.
The major difference between the two is their approach to warnings. DBM is a little more in your face with its use of sounds that tell you what to do (run away, hide, etc…). Bigwigs is much more subtle, so it depends on what you are looking for.
I personally use DBM, but BigWigs can be a good choice as well!
Alternatives: BigWigs Bossmods/Littlewigs
Full Guide: How to use Deadly Boss Mods (DBM)
WeakAuras
While we are talking about absolutely must-have addons, I can’t forget to mention WeakAuras. This bad boy is an amazingly powerful addon that you will want no matter what content you are into.
WeakAuras is powerful because it allows you to take information from the game and display it with custom graphics. You can use it to remind you of important cooldowns or nag you when you are missing a food buff. The sky is the limit.
If creating WeakAuras sounds intimidating, luckily, you can find a collection of auras shared by community members on wago.io. You can search by category or through the search bar at the top of the page.
Once you find the one you want, you just need to copy the import string and import it through the WeakAuras options menu (type /wa then click import at the top of the window).
Alternatives: TellMeWhen, Raven
Details! Damage Meter
Another heavyweight in the addon corner is Details! Damage Meter. As the name implies, Details is a combat meter addon that lets you see how much damage or healing you and your group are doling out.
You can also use it to track dozens of other things like deaths, interrupts, and really any combat-related information. There are other similar addons out there, but I personally like Details!
Alternatives: Recount, Skada
World Quest Tracker
The default map UI for world quests is terrible. If you want to know what rewards are available, you have to hover over the bubble for each world quest. This can waste a lot of time, especially if you are only looking to earn one type of reward (gold, rep, etc…).
Luckily, you can install World Quest Tracker to add visuals that show what rewards you can earn. No more hovering to see quest rewards! Instead of circles with exclamation points, you’ll see an icon for the reward you will earn for completing the quest.
Alternatives: World Quests List, Angrier World Quests
BtWQuests
While we’re looking at quest addons, let’s talk about BtWQuests.
BtWQuests is a dungeon-journal-style addon that shows every major quest chain in the game. After installing it, you will see a blue book icon near your minimap. When you open it, you will see a grid with a block for each questline.
Selecting one will open up a tree view that walks through every quest required to complete the chain. Hovering over a quest will tell you the prerequisites for getting started, and you can click on it to create a TomTom waypoint!
If you are a completionist, loremaster, or looking to unlock allied races, you will definitely want to try out BtWQuests! As an important note, make sure you also download the BtwQuests sub-addon for the expansion you are playing (like BtwQuests: The War Within).
Full guide: BtwQuests Addon Guide
OmniCC
If you are looking for another simple addon that makes a massive difference in how the game feels, look no further than OmniCC. More than any other addon, this is one that I notice when it is missing from my UI.
OmniCC adds text to your abilities so you know how long they have left to cool down. Before I started using OmniCC, I would slam an ability, thinking it was ready, just to get the dreaded “That ability is not ready yet” warning. The default UI that shows the slightly shaded area left for the cooldown just isn’t enough visual cue for me.
There is no setup required for OmniCC, just install it and stop wasting your time hitting abilities that are on cooldown.
Auctionator
You may have noticed a trend to this point in the list. Many default World of Warcraft UI elements lack important information and functionality that make the game feel better to play.
One of the most glaring shortcomings of the default UI is the auction house. Posting and shopping for items is a pain and feels very clunky. That is why I recommend getting an auction house addon like Auctionator.
Auctionator takes the default UI and adds additional tabs to make buying, selling, canceling, and every auction house function easier. It is also straightforward to install and start using.
If you are looking for an even more robust auction house addon, you could also check out TradeSkillMaster (TSM). While TSM is probably the best auction house addon, it also has an incredibly steep learning curve and many tools that are overkill for the average player.
Alternatives: TradeSkillMaster
HidingBar
Now that you’ve downloaded a handful of new addons, it’s time to make sure those minimap icons stay nice and organized. To do this, you just need to download HidingBar.
HidingBar replaces the cluttered ring of icons with a single number below your calendar that can be expanded on click. I love this addon and am so grateful that I don’t have to slide icons around anymore to find my calendar or group finder shortcut!
Honorable Mentions
In addition to the best addons I listed above, I have a few other favorites that narrowly missed the list. Some of these addons are a bit niche. They are focused on a specific type of gameplay, so I figured they belonged in honorable mentions.
- ALL THE THINGS — Awesome addon for completionists. It shows every collectible & questline in the game, but it is too heavy for me to use all the time.
- Azeroth Pilot Reloaded — A great addon that guides you through the questing process to level new characters fast.
- Addon Usage — I use this all the time to measure the impact of addons on my FPS. Addons that use more CPU cause you to drop frames and lag.
- Angry Keystones — Great quality of life addon for players who do a lot of mythic+.
- ElvUI — Popular full UI replacement. Good addon, but too heavy for my tastes.
- GroupfinderFlags — Tells you what country players are from in the group finder, reducing the chance of latency and disconnecting mythic+ runs.
- Hekili — Rotation helper that recommends what spells to cast. Helpful for newer players or classes you don’t play often.
- Kaliel’s Tracker — Replacement for the default quest log on the side of the screen. Gives more customization options and filters.
- Mythic Dungeon Tools — Maps and routes for mythic+ dungeons.
- OmniCD — Tracks party member cooldowns and is really helpful for healing in mythic plus or raid leading.
- Premade Groups Filter — This allows you to filter the group finder to groups that meet specific criteria.
- Rarity — Great addon for collectors who want to track attempts at rare mount drops.
- SexyMap — It makes your minimap look much nicer!
I’ve been playing for 15+ years as well and can confirm this list. Only ones I’d add are BugSack and while leveling alts I’ve come to love an addon called Reckless Abandon, absolutely a staple for me now
Great resources, thank you. However, I’ve found one mistake. While in the first comparison paragraph, you compare ElvUiwith Dominos Bartender4. The final sentence compares Dominos to Dominos CPU usage.
………..”I found that Dominos used 100 times fewer CPU resources than Dominos (5.54 ms/s vs. 0.05 ms/s)!”
This would have been the deciding factor. Can you please clarify?
Thank you
Oh wow, thanks for catching that! I’ll get that fixed.
That should read: ”I found that Dominos used 100 times fewer CPU resources than ElvUI (5.54 ms/s vs. 0.05 ms/s)!”
I did compare ElvUI (just the action bar piece), Dominos, and Bartender in this article if you want to see the full analysis: https://arcaneintellect.com/best-action-bar-addon-in-world-of-warcraft-wow/
Thanks again,
Andoris