[Top 25] WoW Shadowlands Best Addons Every Player Should Use

Updated:

23 Jun 2022

What are Add Ons and Why do you Need them?

Have you ever wondered why WoW players always seem to have differing interfaces? Well, those nifty people at Blizzard were smart enough to allow coders to work their magic on their own game, and voila! Addons are the end result.

Addons, in their most basic sense, are a set of codes that change how the game plays and feels like. There are a variety of different addons that can provide you with all sorts of quality-of-life improvements, as well as vital information to improve your gameplay experience. If you’re not much of a PC person do not fret, addons can be installed very simply. You either download them from a website like www.curseforge.com/wow/addons and manually extract them to your Addon folder in WoW (bear in mind this folder needs to be created if it doesn’t already exist,) or you may install them automatically through the Overwolf/CurseForge app.

No matter the method of installation, we highly recommend you to install some addons in order to smoothen out and improve your overall WoW experience. If you have no clue where or how to start, we have got you covered. Here is our list of the 25 most useful addons in WoWShadowlands.

25. PvPSounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zQHRcI6cuU

Addon intro:

Perhaps a more miscellaneous addon, PvPsounds is certainly one of our favorites! The addon triggers a Dota-esque sound effect anytime you find yourself delivering a killing blow in a PvP situation. Sounds rack up the higher your kill chain, with favorites like Godlike and Massacre!, also making an appearance.

Why you need PvPSounds:

Nice way to alert killing blows
Entertainment value

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/pvpsound

24. Rare Scanner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SykGmHOI1bI

Addon Intro:

Ever since Mists of Pandaria, Blizzard has introduced a lot of treasures and rare mobs that drop somewhat useful items. If you’re someone that likes to farm mounts, this addon is crucial for you. It shows you what movement patterns rares like Time Lost Proto-Drake take, while also revealing where all those juicy treasures and chests are located. You can get quite a lot of gold in Shadowlands just by using this addon.

Why you need Rare Scanner:

Very useful in locating rare mobs or treasures
Patterns can be shared with other addon users

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/rarescanner

23. Quartz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWTMwL3wfeU

Addon intro:

Quartz allows players to replace the grim casting bar in WoW with much cooler ones. It is a highly customizable addon, allowing you to show global cooldowns, range, swings, and latency of your attacks. You can also decide how your casting bar animation looks like (considering factors like length, width, color, and font)

Why you need Quartz:

Much smoother casting bar animations
Shows important statistics during spell casting

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/quartz

22. TomTom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-d6-Gjcf8

Addon intro:

TomTom is a very simple addon that acts as navigational support for certain waypoints or quest objectives. Although there are many addons similar to it, TomTom is unique in the sense that it places a floating arrow at the top of your screen guiding, you all the way to your final point of destination, ensuring that you never get lost in those random dead-spots that are especially common in Shadowlands. On top of that, TomTom also gives you precise coordinates for basically every zone/area in WoW.

Why you need TomTom:

Acts as navigational support for quests and personal waypoints
Shows coordinates for every zone/area in the game

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/tomtom

21. Scrap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoPrflquK6o

Addon intro:

Scrap is a miniscule addon that solves a big problem. You know how all WoW players are used to just CTRL+SHIFT-ing their way through dead mobs as a way to speed up the looting process? And you know how most of the time you will get some stupid commons that you just wish you could sell right away? Well, Scrap is the perfect solution.

This addon literally has only one function. It sells all your junk items with the click of a button, rather than making you browse through your inventory to find those individual pieces. This addon is very intuitive and easy to use, making it a must have for all WoW players.

Why you need Scrap:

Sells all junk items in your inventory with one click

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/scrap

20. Covenant Mission Helper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmoVB75Owg

Addon intro:

The Covenant system has been introduced in Shadowlands, and quite frankly, it is either hated or liked. It basically follows the Class Halls and followers systems from expansions like Legion and Battle for Azeroth. You have certain companions which can be sent to complete missions and earn rewards for your character.

ou Covenant Mission helper is a great way to maximize your chances of successfully completing missions by optimizing your troops in order to increase their overall damage and minimize their HP loss. The addon also shows you your estimated success rate, which can be a nice way to avoid your companions' certain death.

Why you need Covenant Mission Helper:

Configures your companion order so as to maximize damage and decrease health lost
Shows estimated success rate of your missions

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/covenantmissionhelper

19. GatherMate2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTsfPtjWCh4

Addon intro:

If you’re a Herbalist and Miner like me, Gathermate is a very useful addon that speeds up your gathering time by showing you past spawn points of those delicious resources. The addon also has a pre-built data module in case you would like to see where most unique ores, like Elethium Ore, are located in. Whichever system you prefer, Gathermate also remembers these locations on the World Map, making it very easy for you to create and navigate specific route patterns.

Why you need GatherMate2:

Highly efficient in locating specific resources in the world
Reduces gathering time by remembering routes and resource spawn points

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/gathermate2

18. GTFO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdn1UB9NqQ

Addon intro:

You know how some people are just obliviously blind to standing in fires or puddles of blood when they shouldn’t be? GTFO assists players by warning them whenever such situations arise . The addon has various levels of alerts (depending on what your character is standing in), and is well tuned for both PvP and PvE.

Why you need GTFO:

Sound warnings to help position yourself during encounters
Different levels of alerts dependent upon damage taken

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/gtfo

17. Mapster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQEFJrYtxoQ

Addon intro:

Mapster is another simple but very useful addon, which modifies the world map so that it appears without necessarily being in its full scale. Since you no longer have to be in full-screen mode when opening your world map.This can be especially effective when farming for world resources like mining nodes, herbs, or skinning material Perhaps the best feature of Mapster is its ability to remove the fog of war status from different zones. You will know exactly where to go and what terrain surrounds these areas if you are unable to fly, essentially allowing you to bypass certain dead-zones which you do not want to run into. Just remember to turn this addon off when farming the Explorer achievement, since you won't know which zone/area may or may not be discovered.

Why you need mapster:

Enables full world map view without being in full-screen
Allows you to move your character whilst simultaneously looking at the world map
Disables Fog of War on your map

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/mapster

16. Raider.IO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRJDVW5Bwrg

Addon intro:

While Raider.IO may not be used as much during 9.1 (given the Mythic+ rating introduced by Blizzard themselves,) it is still highly useful for raids. The addon shows you a tooltip with specific details of every player’s Mythic+ runs, as well as their raid encounter progress. Use this addon if you would like to avoid potential newbies from destroying your group dynamic.

Why you need Raider.IO

Shows detailed Mythic+ statistics
Shows detailed Raid statistics

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/raiderio

15. Handynotes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0bNx7ts3Vo

Addon intro:

Handynotes is a quality-of-life improving addon which reveals the locations of rare mobs, treasures, pet battles, as well as world quests on your map. You can edit each point of interest with personalized notes, making it very easy for you to navigate and keep track of what you need to know. This is very useful in cases where certain treasures may be tricky to find, or in scenarios where you need to memorize certain sequences of events in order to successfully complete a world quest.

Why you need Handynotes:

Reveals locations of points of interest (including rare mobs, treasures, pet battles, world quests, and more)
Allows you to add personalized notes to points of interest

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/handynotes-shadowlands

14. Auctionator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9zFbLEvdMM

Addon intro:

Although the auction house system in WoW has been improved in recent expansion, it can be quite tedious to use for casual or newcoming players. Auctionator is essentially an overhaul of the vanilla auction house that makes listing, finding, and buying items much easier. The addon includes a ‘Shopping’ tab, allowing you to search and purchase multiple items simultaneously. I really love this addon because it can help you decide what items are worth your bag space by essentially showing you the auction value of everything you pick up.

Why you need Auctionator:

Simplified Auction system
Show you auction value of items you pick up in the world
More options to do things simultaneously

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/auctionator

13. Pawn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSiEbVV8Q90

Addon intro:

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you can’t decide which of those two Chest pieces is better for your performance? Pawn has got you covered. This addon compares various items in the game in order to show you which of them is the best, based on your class and spec.

Why you need Pawn:

Great way to show you which item is currently BiS for you
Provides in-depth stat comparisons
Very easy to navigate

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/pawn

12. Bartender

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e46ZvZ6lrys

Addon intro:

I use Bartender hand-in-hand with Lui, as a way to fully replace the standard Blizzard interface. Bartender essentially replaces the lackluster action bar system with a fully customizable mod, players a lot of freedom in setting up their personal interfaces. For example, I put all my spells into three distinct bars which I then clustered and placed together in the lower-center of my screen. This makes it much easier for me to see what abilities are on cooldown, so that I can adjust my rotation accordingly, rather than having to look at separate parts of the screen when using the traditional Blizzard UI.

The addon also lets you keybind your spells by simply hovering over them, making it really easy to switch between buttons should the need arise. Its flexibility is key, and that is why Bartender fits so perfectly well with interface changing addons like LUI or ELVui. You can also choose to show specific button elements like Macrotexts or hotkeys.

Why you need Bartender:

Highly customizable ActionBar system
Works very well with other UI/Interface addons
Facilitates keybinding progress

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/bartender4

11. LUi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seOSBMGlmqA

Addon intro:

LUI is hands down my favorite addon in WoW. It is designed to be a ‘next-generation’ user interface that replaces the standard Blizzard UI with a very sleek design that is both easy to install and customize. Lui basically changes the whole UI including elements like party frames, raid frames, player and target frames, so it can be a hit or miss for certain players.

Personally speaking, I customized LUi so I have everything as centered as possible, and of course, who isn’t a fan of those cool colors and glossy designs. If you are worried that LUi seems too overwhelming, fear not! Once you enable the addon and log in, you will be shown an Install button which basically programs the whole addon for you. Because the addon is so customizable, you can always fiddle and change settings around to make yourself the perfect interface.

Why you need Lui:

Highly customizable UI interface
Sleek design
Shows cross-character information like overall gold

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/lui

10. Leatrix Plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyp6deLBtaM

Addon intro:

Leatrix Plus provides seemingly infinite quality-of-life improvements to the game. You may decide to augment your minimap, automate certain actions such as accepting every summon or releasing your spirit each time you die in PvP, reframe your chat box size, or even increase your max camera zoom. These are just some of the countless features of Leatrix Plux; it truly is an amazing addon that can benefit all types of WoW players.

Why you need Leatrix Plus:

Provides a variety of quality-of-life improvements to the game
Allows you to fully modify your interface

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/leatrix-plus-bcc

9. OmniBar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtl54oKqcsM

Addon intro:

OmniBar is a PvP addon that essentially keeps track of enemy cooldowns. It is highly adjustable, giving you the freedom to choose whatever spells you want to keep an eye on.

Most typically, OmniBar is used to track important cooldowns, defensives, as well as interrupts. Another cool aspect of the addon is its digital cooldown count feature, making it easy for you to see and thereby time your burst or defensive spells accordingly.

Why you need OmniBar:

Keeps track of enemy cooldowns
Digital cooldown count feature

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/omnibar

8. Capping Battleground Timers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkkNEWPB49A

Addon intro:

If you’re someone that enjoys PvP-ing, you will probably have heard of Capping Battleground Timers. This addon does exactly what it sounds like; it shows you specific timers for every BG. For example, In CTF maps the addon will let you know when flags are about to respawn while showing estimated node timers and final score estimations for maps like Arathi Basin or Eye of the Storm. This addon is absolutely essential in RBGs, providing your team with accurate information that can be used to plan your next moves.

Why you need Capping Battleground Timers:

Shows node capping/final score estimations
Shows Shadow Sight timers in Arenas
Shows flag respawn timers

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/capping-bg-timers

7. Battleground Enemies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q79Yz4bS1KI

Addon intro:

Just like Capping Batleground Timers, Battleground enemies is an integral addon for any PvPer. It shows you ally and enemy information during a BG, including their health, spec, and other miscellaneous things like who is currently carrying the flag.

By having such details prior to the start of an RBG, your team can prioritize specific targets who may not have as much gear. This also makes it very easy for people to switch between targets during big team fights.

Why you need Batttleground Enemies:

Excellent way for your team to focus on targets
Shows enemy/ally information prior to the start of a RBG/BG

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/battlegroundenemies

6. Mythic Dungeon Tools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXdgonTTaQo

Addon intro:

The Mythic Dungeon tools addon is absolutely essential if you plan on being a hardcore Mythic+ player. It allows you to devise strategies and pull patterns so as to maximize time and efficiency when running high end keys. The addon also shows you every mob in Shadowlands dungeons, making it relatively easy for people to create different routes and skip sequences that can be shared with other users of the addon.

Why you need Mythic Dungeon tools:

Maximize time and efficiency in Mythic+
Know what groups to skip
Extremely interactive and customizable

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/mythic-dungeon-tools

5. Bagnon

Addon intro:

Bagnon is a highly useful addon that replaces the traditional bag interface of the game. It is designed to organize all your bags into one, making it much easier and faster for you to find specific items that may occasionally get lost when using the traditional Blizzard interface. Bagnon also allows you to reorganize your bags according to item quality with just one click of a button.

Why you need Bagnon?

Easy way to sort and organize your bags
One-in-all bag format
Highly customizable
Shows your shared gold across characters

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/bagnon

4. Details! Damage Meter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja00T5A7Jbo

Addon intro:

Details is a very customizable addon which shows you reliable damage/healing statistics during fights. You may adjust it so that you can see damage/healing done in certain segments or collectively, ultimately breaking down every sequence of events and allowing you to see just how effective each of your spells are. You can also see other player statistics by simply hovering your mouse over their name tab.

Raid leaders will find this addon especially useful in cases where there is insufficient damage or healing, allowing them to kick certain players who may be underperforming.

Why you need Details! Damage Meter:

Shows you detailed damage/healing statistics during instance and world fights
Breaks down your sequence of events
Allows players to see who is underperforming/overperforming in fights

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/details

3. GladiusEx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCVigTtC1_k

Addon intro:

GladiusEx is an essential PvP addon which shows you ally and enemy unit frames in arenas for easier targeting and focusing. You can customize the addon to show you a plethora of information like tracking diminishing returns, skill histories, cooldown trackers, interrupts, trinket usages, as well as event alerts which pop-up during specific arena segments. Similar to DBM, GladiusEx can radically increase your performance output, given your ability to meticulously calculate burst times and/or defensive abilities. Keep in mind, no PvP-er is complete without GladiusEx.

Why you need GladiusEx:

Facilitates targeting and focusing through enemy/ally unit frames
Tracks important information including DR, CDs, trinket usages, and interrupts
Allows you to plan ahead when using burst rotations and/or defensives

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/gladiusex

2. DBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tEWFetrGvA

Addon intro:

If you play WoW, you are definitely somewhat familiar with DBM. This ground breaking addon consists of individual raid/dungeon modules which trigger during instance fights through various popup texts and sound effects. It is currently the most downloaded addon in WoW’s history, hovering at around 353.6 million users as compared to second placed (Weakauras) at 111.6 million.

DBM will let you know when a boss is about to cast a major spell, giving you enough time to sort yourself accordingly or to move to a certain location so as to avoid being obliterated. In so doing, you will be much more prepared as you can plan ahead by saving cooldowns during vulnerable stages of boss fights, or even saving your interrupt for certain mobs like Blighted Sludge-Spewer in Theatre of Pain. All in all, DBM is an essential addon that will prepare you for any PvE scenario.

Why you need DBM:

Shows raid warnings for specific boss fights
Vital for increasing your PvE awareness
Can increase your overall DPS/HPS by letting you calculate your rotation ahead of time

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/deadly-boss-mods

1. Simulation Craft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w42jHOXDDio

Addon intro:

Simulation Craft is without a doubt our #1 must have addon in WoW. It shows you in-depth information about almost everything related to your character performance. You add a code to the Simulate window and voila, your character stats pop up and you can run a quick simulation to show you your expected DPS and detailed stats based on your gear.

The addon also shows you the BiS (Best in Slot) combination from various types of gear found in your inventory. Just when you thought that was enough, Simulation Craft surprises once more with its ability to show expected DPS based on a variety of different talent and rotation builds. If you’re gonna play Shadowlands, you’re definitely going to want to have this addon installed.

Why you need Simulation Craft:

Quickly simulates your expected DPS and other detailed stats based on your gear
Shows you your BiS gear combination from items in your inventory
Compares different talent builds and rotations to generate expected DPS
Allows you to compare DPS with top players to check for rotation improvements

Get addon here:

https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/simulationcraft

And there you have it folks! We hope that this list will guide your conquest of both Azeroth and the Shadowlands. Remember, addons are extremely variable and should therefore be installed at your own accord. Just because one addon has been downloaded thousand times over another one, does not make the latter useless!