The best cache plugins to speed up your WordPress sites and where I would use them!
The plugins are listed in order of what I recommend most people to try from first to last. In my own personal use case, I love LiteSpeed Cache the most for my high traffic sites (best performance, features, reliability) and then use Swift Performance Lite or WP Performance for smaller sites. FlyingPress, Swift PRO and WP Rocket are nice for clients (and bigger sites) who can pay and need something better than a free plugin.
1. WP Performance (FREE)
- If you don’t know what you’re doing, start here.
- Very easy to use.
- Safe to play with caching and won’t break your site. Please don’t try to enable every feature.
- I absolutely LOVE the CSS/JS combine UI. So easy to choose what is combined or not. And I’m shocked other cache plugins don’t copy it. Really, the founder should get a freaken award for coming up with this.
- Works well for all types of sites.
- Yes, people…I recommend this even if it hasn’t been updated in a while. It works fine and I like it! (now stop asking me this question over and over)
- WP Performance – cache plugin review
- Recommended settings (coming soon when I’m not lazy)
2. Swift Performance (FREE & PAID)
- Tons of caching features and low cost!
- Swift FREE is the most full-featured free cache plugin out there (along with LiteSpeed Cache).
- Tons of features, a bit complicated for newbies and risky since they enable stuff that break or slow down their site. I feel Swift has somewhat become 2022’s W3TC (of course, not literally). Their UI could use another overhaul to make it appear simpler. But nonetheless, still one of my favorites.
- PAID version has even more incredible features. (Many that nobody else even thought of.) Works great.
- Only thing about the mass features IMO is that many of them are for bloat mitigation…which my sites don’t have and therefore, don’t have to worry about. If you have a super bloated site and need help optimizing every nuance, Swift PRO has more features than anybody else…however, the advanced optimizations also require much more skill and knowledge (which I’m sorry, 98% of users don’t have).
- I recommend Swift free for sites below 400 pages and/or fewer than 10k hits/month. Above that, you should use the pro version.
- Swift Pro is especially great for sites with many pages but little traffic (thanks to its aggressive preload function).
- Swift Performance vs WP Rocket – WordPress Cache Plugin Comparison
- Recommended settings
3. FlyingPress (PAID)
- Best PAID cache plugin with advanced features yet simple UI.
- Quality cache plugin built by a respected speed specialist (Gijo Varghese).
- Very simple and easy to use yet has advanced/unique functions not found in other cache plugins.
- Plugin has matured beautifully since its launch over a year ago. And now I really REALLY like it. If you want the power of a paid cache plugin but don’t like Swift PRO’s complexity, go with FP!
- If Swift (FREE) and WP Performance don’t work for you and you’re not on LiteSpeed servers, FlyingPress is a solid choice.
- I definitely recommend FlyingPress over WP Rocket in every way! (They are both similar category…of being pro plugins with clean simple UI. But FlyingPress has even simpler design yet more advanced features.)
- Totally biased review of FlyingPress cache plugin
- Recommended settings
4. LiteSpeed Cache (FREE, but…)
- My favorite cache plugin out there…tons of features, enterprise-grade performance & reliability…but requires LiteSpeed server (or QUIC.cloud).
- You need to be on LiteSpeed or OpenLiteSpeed server to use its caching features. Or have a QUIC.cloud account (they have free plans).
- Best for sites with many pages and high traffic. I don’t recommend for sites with little traffic (below 10K hits/month). Small sites are better with WPP or Swift since they can pre-cache.
- The one and only thing LiteSpeed Cache lacks is a cache-preload feature…which it makes it suitable only for sites which have more traffic (at least 1k visits/month). If you have low traffic and still want to use LSC, you need to use their server cache-crawler (only available with OLS, or LS-ent if the webhost enables you) or QUIC.cloud service (which is also awesome).
- Many advanced features but can feel too complex for the average WP user.
- Why LiteSpeed Cache version 3.0 is the #1 cache plugin for me
- Recommended settings
5. WP Rocket (PAID)
- Simple to use and great documentation. Still enough useful features, and reliable.
- I don’t like it because this plugin is stale and hasn’t innovated anything lately (features are behind competitors). I personally feel it’s an abandoned plugin and the dev team is focusing on another product. Also doesn’t help that its founding company was sold off in MAY 2021 already. Ewww…
- UI is very nicely designed and also simple since it doesn’t have many features like the other plugins.
- Main reason why some people don’t like WP Rocket is cost or lack of granular features. Depending on the user, it’s ease-of-use can be a pro or a con.
- IMO if you really like WP Rocket, you should go with FlyingPress…it’s similar vibe (pro caching features but simple UI) and better in every way.
- No, I’m not being contradictory about criticizing WP Rocket when WPP hasn’t had updates. Bottom line is WPP is free and WPR is not. WPP also has the better UI and all the features I use. They’re not judged the same because they don’t cost the same!
- Recommended settings
Plugins not on this list (and why)
Of course I have to write this or else you guys keep asking me the same questions over and over:
- Autoptimize – not a caching plugin.
- Cache Enabler – a good simple cache plugin for sites on NGINX servers. It’s not special or outstanding enough to be on my list. Not everyone is on NGINX nowadays (at least not me) and it doesn’t have any special feature or UI to separate it from others. Maybe you’ll like that it’s simple…but that isn’t good enough for me.
- Comet Cache – not bad, just isn’t special and doesn’t stand out from the ones I mentioned.
- Hummingbird – made by WPMU DEV, who I hate. End of story.
- PerfMatters – not a caching plugin.
- PhastPress – not a caching plugin.
- W3TC – their outdated UI got even worse (lol)…endless scrolling and full-width text descriptions, new update now bombards you with a superstore of paid add-ons. Basic caching features are laid out in an overly technical way. Advanced caching features not understandable by even the average developer. I do appreciate that its text labels, and descriptions staying true to server-admin language and terminology…but that’s also part of why I don’t recommend it to others. Because 99% of people cannot understand what things do.
- WP Fastest Cache (WPFC) – outdated UI but very space efficient…all main settings on one page and doesn’t waste vertical space (which I really like), but doesn’t have any unique features setting it apart from the ones listed here. I personally feel WPP is a better and more modern replacement for WPFC.
Before bringing up other cache plugins to me…please ask yourself if you’ve tried ALL the ones on my list? Because if not, then do it so you understand why I’m recommending these first.
Thanks for this, quite useful as reminder.
I completely forgot about WP Performance and re-visited it today. I agree with you and I really like the UI. Just wonder why so low active installs and why not updating. Recommended settings would really be welcome – despite the fact that *most* of them are really very clear.
But this is really not the case with Swift Performance; their UI is terrible and not really inviting to test further. Not convinced about the second rank here.
What do you mean by that: “I feel Swift has somewhat become 2022’s WPFC”
I’m still using WPFC on several sites and really happy with the results and their settings interface. What’s wrong for you there and why not in this list?
OH SHIT! I meant to say 2022’s W3TC! I imagine WPP has low installs because the developer isn’t wasting his time to do version updates, also doesn’t try to market his plugin, and it’s also not gimmicky.
But had to correct my post. I do like WPFC efficient design but WPP is similar and better design and features layout IMO.
Ah OK, good to know. But I never used W3TC and I really don’t know what you refer to.
Anyhow, yes, the way it looks like it could be a serious contender for WPFC but, nevertheless, there is not even a single support reply from the author since at least 1 year and active installs seem to stagnate around 600 and this is really not very motivating. In other words, I think there is a big difference between “not wasting your time” about something and “not giving a shit” anymore.
Use what you like. This list only reflects what I use. Choice is always yours.
For me…asking support for WPP is like asking support for how to put on your socks. It don’t know how to do that, I don’t get how WPFC would be any easier for you.
For sites without comments, dynamic content, etc – I really like Cloudflare’s “cache everything” instead of a plugin or server-level caching.
WP Performance hasn’t been updated for over a year though?
Right, “This plugin hasn’t been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress”… it should not be #1 recommended plugin.
It works great and works with recent versions of WP. Doesn’t need to be updated if it still works. Just like how a 3-year old car can still work fine. But guys…you’re welcome to use whatever you wish. And also if you read the guide…it clearly says the order is not best to worst but what I recommend people to try first. Please read the guide before commenting.
To be fair, it does come across a bit disingenuous or at least contradictory to claim on one hand that WPP “doesn’t need to be updated if it still works” knowing it hasn’t been updated in over a year all the while calling WP Rocket an “abandoned plugin” and “stale” despite it receiving very regular updates and new features (like the Remove Unused CSS feature they introduced not too long ago).
There’s another reply already where I explained why…
WPP is free…as in $0…free like the air in the sky. Costs nothing and yet IMO has a better UI. WP Rocket costs money and doesn’t have any outstanding feature I’d actually use. And if you’re actually following the entire premium cache plugin market as a whole…you’d know darn well WP Rocket has fallen behind its competitors like 3 years ago.
These plugins are judged on a different scale because of what they cost. Believe me…I’d be talking differently if WPP cost money and WPR was free.
Why don’t you mention Cache Enabler at all even in the “plugins not in this list” section. I find it easier, simpler, and more effective when combined with nginx (tested it vs LSCache + OLS and vs Nginx fcgi cache).
I’ve already tried that one. Have you tried the ones on my list?
Tried LSCache + OLS (on a vps) also LSCache + LS entr (on a shared host). WP Rocket (tried) also performs great combined with Nginx but it’s a paid one. Still prefer Cache Enabler for its simplicity. As of preload option, we can do a simple wget command via cron to do basically the same thing.
Anyway, nice list, you tell readers all great caching options and the reasons why to go with them. Really appreciate it.
I’ll definitely try the others on your list.
Thanks
Hi Johnny, just to ask if you are aware of these two (relatively unknown) plugins:
Cache master (https://wordpress.org/plugins/cache-master) for page caching and Docket cache (https://wordpress.org/plugins/docket-cache) for interesting way of doing object caching.
Thanks for sharing! Cache Master looks kinda weird, supporting old school APC/APCu. Docket Cache looks very interesting as an alternative way of doing object caching without memcache/redis services. Really interesting find!
Yes. Cache master is a weird stuff as it supports many drivers for storing cache. I’m testing it with Redis unix socket. It has some kind of expert mode (needs editing wp-config) which load everything early.
Funny. As Docket cache store objects as php files on disk using these two one could be ended storing full page cache on Redis and object cache on disk. 😁
Hi Johnny always interesting to see other folk’s perspectives around WordPress caching plugins. I usually evaluate these also on the ability to integrate and configure them with my automated WordPress installer via SSH command line for my end users.
From that perspective, if you had to choose WordPress cache installers that can be installed via WP-CLI and also configured via SSH command line without even logging into the WordPress admin control panel, I’m curious how your recommendations would change?
Such criteria usually also prohibit many paid plugins which can’t be fully installed and configured solely from the command line for me as that would involve some form of end user intervention/task ^_^
That’s absolutely true. Ability to auto-script mass deployments is key for sys-admins. This is why I have LiteSpeed Cache as my favorite, but recommend different things for different people. Maybe you should have a PRO version of LiteSpeed Cache. Basically, it’s the same plugin but will work on a non-LS server if you pay. 🙂
WP Performance Last updated: 2 years ago. But i will try after read your review. I don’t know it before
WP Performance breaks the site just by enabling the cache if you’re running on Litespeed server.
That don’t make sense. Probably some other feature did that.
Yes, I also really like(d) WP Performance a lot. Unfortunately I started experiencing compatibility issues with PHP 8 being a Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError.
I contacted the author the other day about his plans for this plugin.
This was his reply:
“Unfortunately, I don’t have plans to upgrade the plugin in the near future simply because I don’t have the time nor will to do it. Hope you understand.”
It would be awesome if someone capable would pick it up and move it forward like IntelligenceWP did with GADWP turning it into GAinWP.
Hi Johnny
thanks for your review! Did you do the recommended settings for WP Perfomance yet? Would be highly appreciated.