Max or Ideal amount of Extensions

neon_eddie

I have been looking throughout this forum for an indication of what is an acceptable amount of extensions a typical install of Flarum might expect.

I know this may be subjective based on traffic, server size, etc. but I am trying to understand if the amount that I currently have is typical or enormous. I currently have 59 extensions, and as I keep tweaking, I will probably end up with more.

BTW...website still appears to be fairly speedy, so no issues there.

watchmedash

I am ussing 81 extensions hahaha I have reserve 50 more disabled I am still waiting to understand them or a purpose for them.

luceos

There isn’t really a “hard limit” on how many extensions you can safely run — it’s more about the balance between features and risks. Having 59 or 81 extensions can be fine if your site feels responsive, but here are the main considerations:

Upgrade uncertainty: Extensions may not always be updated to support new major versions of Flarum. If a maintainer abandons their work, you could be stuck or forced to replace functionality later.
Security gaps: Not all extensions are actively maintained. Some may never receive security patches, which can expose your forum.
Performance impact: Each extension adds a little overhead. Some can noticeably affect load times, especially the time to first byte (TTFB).
Conflicts: Extensions can conflict with each other now, or in the future as they evolve.
Maintenance overhead: The more extensions you use, the more testing you’ll need to do after every Flarum or PHP update. More moving parts means more chances of something breaking.
User experience clutter: Adding too many features can make the interface inconsistent or overwhelming for your community.
Bug diagnosis: When problems occur, having dozens of extensions makes it harder to pinpoint which one is causing the issue.

In short: lots of extensions can work, but the more you add, the more you need to be prepared for the extra maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting that comes with them.

Hope this helps.