Best WordPress Caching Plugins
Are you looking for the best WordPress caching plugin that you can install and use on your WordPress website or blog to boost the site’s loading time? Well, then, you have come to the right place.
I know how important it is to have a fast and responsive website, and that’s why I have searched high and low for the best WordPress caching plugins.
But before that, let’s see what Caching is and why do you need such a plugin. If you already know you way around, use this table of contents to skip to relevant sections.
Table of Contents
What is Caching?
Caching 1 1. See: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Caching × helps not only in speeding up your website but also helps you rank better in search engine results.
Why is Caching Needed in WordPress?
As you know, WordPress is written in PHP and MySQL databases are used to query posts and other data to show on the frontend. When a page is shown to you or to your reader, it is rendered in HTML. In this process, PHP and MySQL are used on each page load. This whole process requires RAM and CPU for each rendering on each page load.
When many readers visit your site, your WordPress installation uses a lot of RAM and processing power. This way, your server’s resources are divided, and the rendering gets slower for subsequent visitors.
Why Use WordPress Caching Plugins?
Using a WordPress Cache Plugin, you can enable WordPress to skip the whole process of rendering on each page load. Cache plugins create a cache system inside your WordPress installation and generate static HTML files for various pages. These HTML files are saved and served to the readers once they visit a specific URL. In this process, only a few queries are made to the MySQL database. Caching reduces server load, reduces loading time and improves your site’s SEO.
Why is Caching Important for Your WordPress Website?
As I just wrote, caching reduces server load, reduces loading time and improves your site’s SEO. I have already talked about how loading time can impact your website.
Suppose you have an ecommerce business running on your WordPress website. Every extra second that it takes to load will make your customer anxious, disturbed, and even frustrated. He or she may even skip buying your product and may never visit your site again.
Here’s what a slow website can cost you:
- Low sales
- Low conversion rate
- Lower organic traffic
- Poor search engine rankings
Well, these are like losing everything you wanted. This is why you’d need a WordPress caching plugin.
Which is the Best WordPress Caching Plugin?
Now, to increase your site’s search engine rankings, get more organic traffic, increase conversion and thus boost sales, you will need the best WordPress caching plugin that there is.
So, which one should you pick?
Well, there are free, paid and freemium — all types of WordPress caching plugins available. There are several lists online that name 5-10 or even 20 plugins in a list, including free plugins.
Free plugins are good to start with, but as per my experience, you should only opt for a premium caching plugin as they offer a complete experience and help you pass the core web vitals.
The biggest reason, however, is the freedom to use the plugin. All free plugins, except WP Super Cache, have some premium features locked. These premium features are actually the ones that can give you a real edge over others.
Besides Hummingbird — I can’t find any other free plugin that is even satisfactory in features. But again, Hummingbird is a freemium plugin, which means you have to upgrade to benefit from its best features.
This is why going for a premium plugin is the best. No matter how much you are making from your website, if you are serious about your site, buy a premium caching plugin.
Which one, you may ask?
I recommend WP Rocket. The most complete WordPress cache and performance plugin out there. I have been using it since 2014 and there’s been no regrets whatsoever.
WP Rocket
WP Rocket is a popular WordPress caching plugin that helps to increase performance. This plugin has a user-friendly interface that makes it easier to use than other cache plugins. When compared to other cache plugins, WP-rocket offers some of the best features, the first being the option to remove unused CSS completely.
Here’s a list of features that WP Rocket offers:
- Page Caching: Automatically caches WordPress site for fast loading.
- Cache Preloading: Preloads cache for immediate speed improvement.
- Critical CSS: If you are not using Unused CSS feature, you can also use critical CSS to optimize above-the-fold 2 2. Above-the-fold rendering refers to the process of prioritizing the display and loading of content that appears on a web page when it is first opened, without scrolling. This area is immediately visible to users when the web page loads. Optimizing above-the-fold content is crucial for improving user experience, as it ensures that this visible portion loads quickly, providing an immediate view of essential content and improving perceived website performance. This can be particularly important for engaging users and reducing bounce rates, as visitors often decide whether to stay on a page based on this initial content. × rendering of your webpages.
- Browser Caching: Stores frequently accessed site resources in local memory.
- GZIP Compression: Compresses web pages for faster delivery.
- eCommerce Optimization: Ensures smooth running of eCommerce sites without cache interference.
- Compatibility: Works well with popular themes, plugins, and managed WordPress hostings.
- Customization Options: Includes cache, file optimization, minification, media, preloading, database, CDN, and add-ons settings. These can be set sitewide and be customized post/page-wise.
- LazyLoad for Media: Defers loading of images/iframes for better performance.
- Database Optimization: Offers database cleanup and optimization tools.
- CDN Integration: Supports CDN usage for reduced latency and improved availability.
It is just $59 per year for a site and renewals can be as cheap as $29.50 per year if you are loyal. As I said earlier, I have been using WP Rocket since 2014 (here is my review of WP Rocket) and it has been one of the key instruments in growing my blog online.
WP Rocket comes with a 14-days refund guarantee. Try it, set it up using this guide and if you are still not satisfied, ask for a refund.
In addition to WP Rocket, I also use perfmatters.
Perfmatters
Perfmatters is a terrific plugin that helps to reduce the number of server requests on most pages by up to 50% or more. This plugin was built with simplicity in mind. Perfmatters helps your site speed up by disabling scripts that aren’t being used. Emojis, for example, are loaded by default on every page of your website. And If you don’t use them, you’re just slowing your site down.
Perfmatters can be used with WP Rocket as both complement each other in functionalities.
With Perfmatters, the performance optimizations shouldn’t be complicated, and everything should be easy to be enabled/disabled with a single click. In addition, it costs just $24.95 for a single-site license offering many great features to speed up your site quickly.
Use coupon-code GAURAVTIWARI for even more discount.
Flying Pages by WP Speed Matters is another tool that you can try if you are not buying perfmatters. But this one’s premium version is a bit costlier.
After WP Rocket and Perfmatters combo, other top WordPress caching plugins that I recommend include the following.
Hummingbird
Hummingbird is a versatile cache plugin that scans your website and gives you a performance report with actionable recommendations. It optimizes your site with features like GZIP compression, caching, and minification to help you achieve a perfect score on Google PageSpeed Insights.
W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache is another top-tier plugin that promises to improve your site’s performance by up to 10x. With features like Minify, CDN integration, and browser caching, it’s an excellent choice for optimizing their site without breaking the bank.
LiteSpeed Cache
LiteSpeed Cache is a powerful cache plugin developed by LiteSpeed Technologies. It comes with an array of optimization features such as HTTP/2 and QUIC support, Image Optimization, and CSS/JS minification. The best part? It’s entirely free!
WP Super Cache
WP Super Cache is a popular choice for many WordPress users due to its simplicity and effectiveness. It generates static HTML files from your dynamic WordPress site, reducing the load on your server and increasing your website’s speed.
WP Fastest Cache
WP Fastest Cache is another easy-to-use cache plugin that delivers outstanding results. It offers features like GZIP compression, browser caching, and minification, ensuring your website loads as quickly as possible for your users.
Cache Enabler
Cache Enabler is a lightweight cache plugin developed by KeyCDN. It’s perfect for those who want a simple, no-frills solution to improve their site’s speed. It creates static HTML files, supports WebP images, and works seamlessly with Autoptimize for script minification.
Comet Cache
Comet Cache is a user-friendly cache plugin that comes with an intuitive interface and powerful features. With options like browser caching, GZIP compression, and automatic cache clearing, Comet Cache ensures your website stays fast and up-to-date.
Swift Performance
From the makers of my favorite EWWW Image Optimizer plugin, Swift Performance is an all-in-one cache and performance plugin that focuses on niche website optimization. It provides features like database optimization, image optimization, CSS/JS minification, and caching. With a user-friendly interface, it’s suitable for both beginners and experts.
Breeze
Breeze is a lightweight and straightforward cache plugin developed by Cloudways. It offers essential caching features like minification, GZIP compression, browser caching, and compatibility with Varnish and CloudwaysCDN for added performance improvements.
Which WordPress Cache Plugin should I choose?
Here is the comparison table of all the cache plugins for WordPress that I recommend:
| Name | Paid / Free / Freemium | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| WP Rocket | Paid | Download |
| Perfmatters | Paid | Download |
| Hummingbird | Freemium | Download |
| W3 Total Cache | Freemium | Download |
| LiteSpeed Cache | Free | Download |
| WP Super Cache | Free | Download |
| WP Fastest Cache | Freemium | Download |
| Cache Enabler | Free | Download |
| Comet Cache | Freemium | Download |
| Swift Performance | Freemium | Download |
| Breeze | Free | Download |
In my opinion, you should go with the WP Rocket and Perfmatters combination like me.
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