Best WP Rocket Alternatives to Switch To in 2025
WP Rocket has been my go-to WordPress cache and performance plugin for years. However, over time, I’ve observed a decline in its effectiveness and overall value. Innovation has stagnated, customer-needs seem to be an afterthought, and most critically, it often fails to deliver on its primary promise: improving performance. Setting up WP Rocket has always been a challenging process, and just when you get everything configured and running smoothly, an update comes along and disrupts your setup.
Needless to say, this has been frustrating and one of the key reasons why, despite all my attempts, my sites were not clearing Core Web Vitals assessments.
What has been even more troubling is the frequent price increases. Over the years, WP Rocket’s pricing has doubled. While enhanced features can sometimes justify price hikes, the value proposition here feels lacking.
On a personal note, these price increments hit hardest in third-world countries where currency exchange rates amplify the cost.
For instance, when I first renewed WP Rocket for a single website at $24.50, the exchange rate was around 60 INR (Indian Rupees) per USD.
Now, with 1 USD at 86 INR, the effective price increase of 200% becomes an actual 286% hike for me—nearly triple. What costs $59 for most users ends up costing $88 per year in India.
Heads up to regular readers: I am working on an article on how plugin prices are not fair to third-world countries and why everyone should switch to a purchasing power parity (PPP) based pricing model like WordPress.com.
It would have been considerate to offer long-term customers grandfathered pricing or additional discounts.
However, as WP Rocket was acquired by a more commercial enterprise called group.ONE, such customer-friendly gestures seem unlikely.
In October 2024, I made the switch to FlyingPress after conducting thorough research on WP Rocket alternatives. If you’re considering making the same move, I’ve compiled this list of alternatives to help you. That said, if you’re looking for the best WordPress cache and performance plugin, FlyingPress is the clear winner in my book. Its single-site pricing is slightly lower than WP Rocket’s ($49 vs. $59), and it offers an unlimited site license for $249—a fantastic deal for agencies. FlyingPress also integrates seamlessly with FlyingCDN, which offers Cloudflare Enterprise features for just $5 a month.
For those on a tight budget (like literally ZERO dollars) and using a LiteSpeed server instead of Apache or Nginx, the LiteSpeed Cache plugin is an excellent free alternative. (FlyingPress, by the way, performs well across all server types.)
Best WP Rocket Alternatives
When it comes to enhancing your website’s speed and performance, there are plenty of great alternatives to WP Rocket like FlyingPress & LiteSpeed Cache. Whether you’re looking for budget-friendly options or high-end solutions, these plugins offer impressive features to optimize your WordPress site.
Here’s the list that I recommend, in that order:
Best WP Rocket Alternatives
FlyingPress
Free version: Not Available / Pricing starts at $49 per year.
FlyingPress stands out as one of the best alternatives to WP Rocket. Its single-site pricing is slightly lower at $49, and it offers an unlimited site license for $249, making it ideal for agencies. The plugin seamlessly integrates with FlyingCDN, providing Cloudflare Enterprise benefits for just $5 a month. FlyingPress delivers exceptional performance on all server types and is a reliable choice for users seeking both value and effectiveness.
FlyingPress vs WP Rocket
WP Rocket Features that FlyingPress has:
- Page caching to reduce server load.
- Lazy loading for images and videos.
- Minification and compression of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
WP Rocket Features that are better with FlyingPress:
- Better CDN integration for faster static file delivery. FlyingCDN supported ($5 Cloudflare Enterprise wonder!)
- The removed unused CSS feature is implemented better. The used-CSS is not inlined but is rather placed in .css files. This improves cachability and performance for real users.
- Lazy rendering is better and non-intrusive with FlyingPress.
Unique Features of FlyingPress:
- Cache progress tells how many pages has been cached.
- Advanced image optimization with FlyingCDN.
- Edge caching via FlyingCDN leveraging Cloudflare Enterprise.
- Lazy rendering of specific HTML elements for better performance.
- Self-hosting of Google Fonts for reduced external requests.
The Recent Updates in FlyingPress have brought about many customer-related changes. They made a quick plugin update to fix an issue I was having with cached Admin Bars that showed to logged-out users when on Cloudflare. In addition to this, efficient cache purging, improved perfmatters compatibility and native lazy load improvements have arrived lately to make the experience better.
Get FlyingPressLiteSpeed Cache
Free version: 100% Free / CDN Pricing pay-as-you-go.
LiteSpeed Cache (LSCache) is a powerful and free alternative to WP Rocket, especially if your website is hosted on a LiteSpeed server. As it’s deeply integrated with the LiteSpeed server architecture, LSCache can deliver unparalleled performance through server-level caching, which outpaces traditional plugin-based caching.
What makes LSCache even more compelling is its seamless integration with QUIC.cloud CDN. This combination allows for optimized delivery of static and dynamic content while leveraging advanced features like image optimization, critical CSS generation, and DNS prefetching. QUIC.cloud further enhances performance by providing a robust content delivery network tailored specifically for LiteSpeed environments.
For websites running on LiteSpeed servers, LSCache offers unparalleled speed and efficiency, making it a top choice for users seeking high performance without additional costs.
LiteSpeed Cache vs WP Rocket
WP Rocket Features that LiteSpeed Cache has:
- Page caching to reduce server load.
- Lazy loading for images and videos.
- Minification and compression of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
- CDN integration to improve static file delivery.
WP Rocket Features that are better with LiteSpeed Cache:
- Server-level caching: Unlike WP Rocket’s plugin-based caching, LiteSpeed Cache is deeply integrated with LiteSpeed servers, providing faster and more efficient performance.
- QUIC.cloud CDN integration: LiteSpeed Cache seamlessly connects with QUIC.cloud, offering advanced optimization features like image optimization, critical CSS generation, and DNS prefetching. WP Rocket relies on third-party CDNs for similar features.
- Built-in image optimization: LiteSpeed Cache includes robust image compression and WebP conversion without the need for additional plugins.
Unique Features of LiteSpeed Cache:
- Completely Free: Need I say more? This is the best free WordPress caching plugin right now.
- Server-level Optimization: As a native LiteSpeed server tool, LSCache leverages server-side capabilities for unparalleled speed and efficiency.
- Edge Caching: With QUIC.cloud CDN, it provides edge caching to reduce latency for global visitors.
- Dynamic Content Caching: Advanced caching options ensure dynamic pages are optimized without losing functionality.
- Used CSS Generation: Automatically generates and implements critical and used CSS to improve page rendering speed. And what’s better, unlike WP Rocket, it can print the used CSS in a .css file.
- Advanced Configuration Options: Offers granular control over caching rules, image optimization, and more.
Recent updates have enhanced QUIC.cloud integration, including real-time updates for cache statuses and faster critical CSS generation. Improvements in database optimization and compatibility with popular WordPress plugins ensure LiteSpeed Cache remains a reliable and cutting-edge choice for performance optimization.
LiteSpeed Cache’s ability to integrate at the server level, coupled with advanced CDN features, makes it a formidable alternative to WP Rocket, especially for LiteSpeed server users seeking high performance and Core Web Vitals improvements.
Get LiteSpeed CachePerfmatters
Free version: Not Available / Pricing starts at $29 per year.
Perfmatters is not a WordPress cache plugin but rather a lightweight WordPress optimization plugin designed to complement your caching solution. I recommend it running alongside FlyingPress to get the maximum performance and reduce bloat from WordPress.
Comparing with WP Rocket, which focuses heavily on caching, Perfmatters emphasizes reducing unnecessary HTTP requests and disabling unneeded WordPress features. This approach significantly enhances Core Web Vitals.
With Perfmatters, you can manage script loading, remove unused CSS, minify CSS/JS, defer & delay JS, lazy load media & iframe, utilize database optimization tools and more to keep your site lean and fast.
Get PerfmattersHummingbird
Free version: Available / Pricing starts at $60 per year, includes free CDN quota.
Hummingbird is a feature-rich performance optimization plugin by WPMU DEV. It offers caching, file compression, and lazy loading capabilities comparable to WP Rocket. However, Hummingbird stands out with its performance testing tools, which provide actionable recommendations to improve page speed and Core Web Vitals.
Hummingbird also includes asset optimization features, such as deferring unused JavaScript and CSS, along with GZIP compression for faster file delivery. These tools make it an excellent alternative for users who want both caching and detailed optimization insights.
Get HummingBirdWP Super Cache
Free version: 100% Free
WP Super Cache is a free and widely used caching plugin developed by Automattic. While it lacks some of WP Rocket’s advanced features, it’s highly reliable for generating static HTML files to reduce server load. Its simple interface makes it a solid choice for beginners or websites with moderate traffic.
Although WP Super Cache doesn’t directly enhance Core Web Vitals as much as other plugins, it pairs well with additional optimization tools like Perfmatters for better overall performance.
Get WP Super CacheW3 Total Cache
Free version: Available / Pricing starts at $99 per year.
W3 Total Cache by BoldGrid is a robust caching plugin that offers extensive customization options. It supports various caching methods, including page, object, and database caching, making it a strong competitor to WP Rocket. Its integration with CDNs is comprehensive, and it provides advanced features like fragment caching for dynamic content.
W3 Total Cache’s granular control over caching and minification settings makes it ideal for advanced users who want maximum control over their site’s optimization. The problem with the plugin is its stagnant development.
Get W3 Total CacheJetpack Boost
Free version: Available / Paid features available under Jetpack all-in-one subscription.
Jetpack Boost brings performance optimization tools to the Jetpack ecosystem. It focuses on improving Core Web Vitals by enabling deferred JavaScript loading, generating critical CSS, and lazy loading images. While it’s not as feature-rich as WP Rocket, its integration with other Jetpack tools makes it a convenient choice for existing Jetpack users.
Get Jetpack BoostSwift Performance AI
Free version: Available / Pricing starts at $49 per year.
Swift Performance is a comprehensive optimization plugin that rivals WP Rocket in both features and pricing. It includes advanced caching, image optimization, and asset management tools designed to boost page speed and Core Web Vitals.
One of its standout features is its “plugin organizer,” which allows you to control which plugins load on specific pages, reducing unnecessary overhead. Swift Performance also offers a robust database optimization feature to keep your site running smoothly.
Get Swift Performance AICache Enabler
Free version: 100% Free. Not a complete performance solution.
Cache Enabler is a lightweight caching plugin from KeyCDN that focuses on simplicity and performance. It generates static HTML files and supports WebP image delivery out of the box, which is a significant advantage for improving Core Web Vitals.
Although it doesn’t have as many features as WP Rocket, Cache Enabler’s straightforward setup and efficient performance make it a great option for users who want a minimalist caching solution. It can be used with Perfmatters to get an ideal WordPress caching and performance experience.
Get Cache Enabler
Comparison of WP Rocket Alternatives
| Feature | WP Rocket | FlyingPress | Perfmatters | Hummingbird | WP Super Cache | W3 Total Cache | Jetpack Boost | Swift Performance | Cache Enabler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caching | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lazy Loading | Yes, complete | Yes, complete | Yes, complete | Yes, complete | No | No | Yes, complete | Yes, complete | No |
| Minification | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Script Management | Basic | Basic | Advanced | Basic | No | Advanced | No | Advanced | No |
| Database Optimization | Basic | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| CDN Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| CDN | RocketCDN powered by Bunny.net (only for assets) | FlyingCDN powered by Cloudflare Enterprise (page, HTML & assets) | NA | WPMU CDN | NA | NA | Photon | NA | NA |
| Remove Unused CSS | Yes, inline | Yes, file based | Yes, inline and file based both | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| WebP Support | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Critical CSS Generation | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unique Features | Easy setup, all-in-one optimization | Easy setup, all-in-one optimization, advanced preloading | Disable unused WP features, advanced preloading | GZIP compression, Smush integration, performance testing | Simple modes for setup, compatibility with object caching | Granular control, fragment caching, database support | Generates critical CSS, defers non-essential JavaScript | Plugin organizer, advanced caching, WebP optimization | Lightweight design, automatic WebP delivery |
| Pricing | $59/year | $49/year | $29/year | $60/year | Free | Free | Free | $49/year | Free |
Disclaimer: My content is reader-supported, meaning that if you click on some of the links in my posts and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links help me keep the content on gauravtiwari.org free and full of valuable insights. I only recommend products and services that I trust and believe will genuinely benefit you. Your support through these links is greatly appreciated—it helps me continue to create helpful content and resources for you. Thank you! ~ Gaurav Tiwari