5 Best Free WordPress Sticky Header & Menu Plugins That Improve Website Navigation and User Experience

Having navigation or a menu that is always there for your visitors is a must. It plays a huge role and keeps the audience engaged while making it easier for them to navigate through it. Scrolling down a website and having some type of permanent navigation is always a plus. It follows you around like a shadow. You won’t even realize it’s there if you don’t look at it.

Some WordPress themes have that built-in them, but what happens if they don’t? The solution lies in sticky plugins that give you the option to make virtually anything sticky. From the menu navigation to widgets. In this article, we collected some of the best sticky plugins for your website. Some of them are free, others paid for, some vertical and others horizontal. We got you covered.
Buckle up.

1. Sticky Menu, Sticky Header (or anything!) on Scroll

The first spot on our lists goes to the well-deserving – Sticky Menu, Sticky Header (or anything!) on Scroll. It’s a true game-changer when it comes to this sticky business.  Just as any proper tool would have, this one has a free and a premium option. Let us start with what you get with the free option.  With this option, you can make any element stick to your site without any trouble. You don’t need to know how to code, not even a single line. Everything is easy breezy lemon squeezy.

Just put a name on your sticker, and choose something with the interactive dashboard, and that’s it.  Now, you always get much, much more with the paid version. The first thing that we need to mention is that you can have as many sticky elements as you want. Amazing, isn’t it?

WP Sticky (the PRO version)

There are 3 main categories you need to know about when trying to make any element sticky with WP Sticky. The first one is called Basics. In this section, you are choosing the name of the sticky element and the element itself. The second part is the Visual options. Here, you have a little bit more to choose from. From the sticker’s position, top or bottom, to devices you want the sticker to be shown on. You can select from Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. If you want your sticky menu to appear on mobiles, select small. You can select all the options so that your element is always visible on all devices.

There are also two effects available: the fade-in or the slide-down. You can choose both of them, one or neither. It’s your choice. Some other fun options in this section are the opacity, scroll range, background color, and Z index.

Now the last category is the Advanced settings. There are some handy features here.  It offers you the option not to stick an element when the screen is smaller than blank. You also have this option for larger than blank.  Another great option for sure is “Do not stick here.” With this feature, you can choose which parts of your site will exclude the sticky element.

The premium version offers a support option right from the dashboard. You can easily reach out to the ones who created the plugin and ask for help. There is no need to go through emails and waiting for days to get some feedback. Get the right help from the people that actually built the plugin.

The plugin offers 3 different pricing plans:

• Single ( license for a single site)
• Team (licenses for 3 sites)
• Agency (licenses for 100 sites, install on client’s sites)

All three of them have the following features in their packs:

• One Time Payment
• All Plugin Features
• Lifetime Updates & Support
• Visual Elements Picker
• Unlimited Sticky Elements

It’s safe to say that they have options for everyone. And on top of that, they have a 100% no-risk money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the plugin in the first 7 days, they will refund 100% of your money.

2. Float Menu

The second spot on our list goes to Float Menu. This is also a free sticky menu plugin for your website. With this little helper, you can choose two positions where you want your sticky menu to appear. You are also free to customize the menu buttons however you like and even change the background color. It is also possible to use this plugin for the main menu, site navigation, additional menu, contact block, and user profile navigation.

It comes with over 1400 fonts, 5 icons, an option to open the link in a new window. The pro version lets you stick more elements, switch to vertical menu alignment,  add a custom image, animation effects, etc. In short, you’ll be able to create a simple but effective menu that’ll always be there for your visitors.

3. WordPress Header Builder Plugin – Pearl

Next on our list is the simple WordPress Header Builder Plugin – Pearl.  This is a free plugin that will let you create a sticky header in no time. The great thing is that this tool comes with plenty of premade headers you can use if you’re not the most creative of types.

Still, if you do want some customization, you can modify them however you like with the drag & drop editor. It’s possible to change the text, animations, images, size, color, logo, and other header elements. The plugin also lets you chose where exactly you want to put your header, top, bottom, sidebar, etc. If you want it on a particular part of your page, you got it.

4. Side Menu Lite

On the fourth spot on our list is the Side Menu Lite plugin. We decided to include this plugin because it lets you add a side menu stuck onto your site. This may be very convenient for many as it can be very aesthetically pleasing.  Since this plugin offers a side menu, it’s your choice if you want it on the right or on the left.

You can link to any page with those buttons, and those links can be opened in a new window.  You can also modify the size of the menu and icons, fonts, and different icons. If you want that sleek sticky side menu, this tool is made for you. Plus, it’s free, so if it works for you, go right ahead. It may be simple, but it’ll get the job done.

5. Sticky Header Effects for Elementor

The last spot on our list goes to Sticky Header Effects for Elementor. Some people use the Elementor Pro Page builder, and this is a plugin only for them. It’s a free WordPress plugin that will let you have that sticky header feature you always wanted. You can change the background color, the height of the menu, and the header when your visitors are scrolling.

With this, you are improving user experience on your website. The menu has three effects, solid menu effect, semi-transparent, and transparent. It has many other great features, like, border customization, logo height adjustment, shrink effect, and a lot more. With these options, you can design the menu you always wanted in a matter of minutes.

Conclusion

At the end of this article, we can say that having a sticky header, menu, or navigation is really a lifesaver. It gives the visitors more control and makes navigation easier; hence it enhances the experience altogether. Our top pick goes to the game-changer called WP Sticky. It has a lot of great features and an easy-to-use dashboard. Navigating sticky elements is easier than ever with this tool in your hands.