Do you really need WordPress Cache Plugins?
One of the most well-known factors that the PageRank algorithm uses is loading speed.
You may have the best content in the world, but if you fail to meet the performance standards of the expected top link then that means the chances of you grabbing that number one spot goes down drastically.
How do you solve this problem then? Simple – with outstanding WordPress cache plugins!
But what is caching?
Caching is somewhat akin to automated behavior – when you drive from your house to the supermarket or your office, you may find sometimes that you don’t remember in detail how you got there! Yet, you have reached your destination in a safe & reliable manner. Caching performs this “automated behavior” for your website, by saving website pages & content and serving that to customers so that they experience faster load times.
So, next time you see a website load within a second – thank the developers behind the caching services! In fact, today we’ll talk about using the expertise of these developers to optimize the performance of your WordPress website.
1.WP Rocket – WordPress Cache Plugin
WP Rocket is one of the most well known caching plugins, because of great features like page caching, cache preloading, sitemap preloading, and database optimization. Also, with lazy load – images being downloaded only when visitors scroll down – everyone ends up saving bandwidth. They even handle browser level caching by optimizing performance through GZIP compression, Google Fonts optimization, and minification (smaller files equal faster loading time!).
With more than 142,000 customers (which includes the famous SEO plugin YoastSEO), WP Rocket certainly knows a thing or two about caching!
Pricing: Starts from $49 USD
Its pricing model is divided into three tiers: Single, Plus, and Infinite which are priced at a one-time fee of $49, $99, and $249 respectively. The difference lies in the number of websites supported by each plan: 1, 3, and unlimited respectively. However, if you want updates and support each year – you’ll have to comply with the aforementioned pricing structure. With WP Rocket, you can launch your website to the top of search results!
2.Cache Enabler
Cache Enabler is a distinguished option in the cache plugin marketplace.
Why? Well, for starters – it’s completely open-source. It also boasts an efficient & fast disk cache engine, minification of HTML and inline Javascript, multisite support, custom post type support, and WP CLI cache clearing.
Plus, it allows you to manually clear the cache of specific pages(or automate it if you wish), supports expiry directives, and webP support. In fact, it’s one of the first plugins to serve webP images (which are 26% smaller than PNG).
Also, the developers of this plugin are the folks from KeyCDN which is one of the leaders in the high-performance content delivery network (CDN) space!
3.W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache is a solid option for those looking to improve their page load times. In fact, they boast about a 10x improvement in full site performance when fully configured! They even support Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), SSL, and minification of HTML and JS. But that’s not all they offer – you can store database objects in cache (for faster retrieval), directly use the WP CLI for purging old cached versions and get statistics about the enabled features so you can see what works for you!
With reverse proxy integration via Nginx or Varnish, you can boost your performance in an instant and leave your competition in the dust. Need to integrate with CDNs?
You got it. Wish this was open-source?
Well, your wish is granted! This WordPress Cache plugin is completely open-source so that developers can tune the plethora of settings on the back-end to their heart’s content and beginners can get started by using the powerful default options!
4.WP Super Cache
If you’re looking for a cache Plugins for WordPress built by the same company that runs WordPress, then WP Super Cache fulfills that requirement! And of course, it’s open-source as well! It generates static files that can be served to your visitors in an instant.
There are three modes that can be used to do that: simple, WP-Cache caching, and Expert. Needless to say, most users will be utilizing the simple mode but if ever need to tweak some things under the hood then Expert mode offers you full control.
What is one of the coolest features of WP Super Cache is ‘Garbage Collection’. You’ll inevitably re-edit your content sometimes and expect that new content to be cached instead of the old one – and Garbage Collection allows you to essentially scrap out the old version and cache the new one instead.
If you find yourself in need of support, their Developer documentation is a great resource to answer any queries you may have. Oh, and CDN integration is just as easy as eating a slice of pie albeit without the great taste!
5.WP Fastest Cache
WP Fastest Cache boasts 1 million-plus download, and after hearing its features you’ll understand why. It allows the minification of HTML, CSS, and JS, GZIP compression, browser caching, image optimization, and the ability to convert webP. It also enables you to view cache statistics, delete old cache logs, cleanups databases, and provides lazyload capabilities!
With 20 diverse geographic locations Wp Fastest Cache Plugin allowing you to optimize your images across 4 different continents. They do support a free version but its limited features don’t let you take full advantage of the performance it can offer.
Pricing: Starts from $49.99 USD
Upgrade to the premium version for a one-time fee of $49.99 for one site, $125.00 for 3 sites, or $175.00 for 5 sites – and receive lifetime updates for free. Plus, they have a blog where you can learn about the latest tips and tricks to further optimize your performance!
6.Hyper Cache
Hyper Cache is a cache plugin for WordPress that runs on PHP alone – so it works across all websites. It’s also “aware” in the sense that it can distinguish between mobile and desktop devices and then serve pages accordingly. In addition to that, it manages compression on the fly for non-cached pages as well! With the ease in installation and configuration, even complete beginners will find that Hyper Cache is a solid option.
It also allows you to configure which pages the plugin should not be cached based on-page address, user agent, cookies, and feeds! Furthermore, it is completely open-source – so you can tune your performance to a remarkable extent. Onward to internet hyperspeed with this plugin!
7.WP Optimize
WP-Optimize is actually more than just a WordPress caching plugin – it is an all-round solution to meet your optimization needs. With the ability to clean databases, compress images, and cache your pages, you can boost the performance of your website in no time! It’s database clean up features include the ability to retain data for a fixed period of time, set notifications, and view statistics. The best part is that this is enabled only for the admin account so that your website is always secure.
It’s image compression features include EXIF data-keeping, bulk compression, and lossless compression options – so that you benefit to the full extent. Last, but not least, its caching capabilities allow you to enable cache preloading, device-specific caching, and browser cache services. As you can see, it packs a serious punch when compared to others on the list!
Pricing: Starts at $39 USD
It’s pricing model is divided into Starter, Business, and Unlimited which are priced at $39, $59, and $149/year. They include multi-site capabilities, priority support, and free updates for a year! Time to optimize your site to the fullest!
8.SG Optimizer
If you’re looking for Cache plugins for WordPress with a great technology stack then this has got to be it. SG Optimizer runs on an in-house implementation of Linux Containers with Apache as a web server and Nginx as a reverse proxy.
They also provide custom PHP handling setup further optimized with OPCache extension! In addition to a great stack, they are quick to integrate the latest technology for their customers – like HTTP/2, TLS 1.3, OCSP Stapling, and QUIC.
Their core caching solution is built on Nginx reverse proxy and Memcached. Did we mention that free Cloudflare CDN with Railgun is included in all plans? That means that you can get the best of caching and security! Fly, fly higher you beautiful websites!
9.Hummingbird – WordPress Cache Plugin
Hummingbird is actually part of the WPMU DEV package, so that means it’s a relatively new contender. But when you take a look at its features you’ll realize that it leaves some older plugins in the dust.
With automated and white-label performance reports, a complete cache suite to dramatically speed up load times, GZIP compressions, 45 point CDN across diverse geographic locations, and advanced asset optimization you are bound to increase that website performance!
Here’s some data as well: It handles 1.8 billion CDN requests per month, 19 TB of CDN bandwidth per month, and compresses 2 million files per day! Wow – that shows just how much it’s 1M+ customers use it and trust it!
Pricing: Starts from $49 USD
It’s priced at $49/month for caching, database and asset optimization needs only. It also has a performance package priced at $79/year where you gain access to their monitoring service, Smush Pro (their award-winning image optimizer plugin), and premium 24×7 live chat support! This is certainly a great option for beginners and professionals alike!
10.Breeze cache Plugin
Breeze is a WordPress Cache plugin that focuses on three areas: performance, convenience, and simplicity. This means that it can handle file level caching, database cleanup, minification, support for Varnish cache, and CDN integration. It also enables you to install and configure directly from WordPress.
It’s built by the team at Cloudways Hosting, a cloud hosting company, and is completely open-source. You can also get support from their forums if needed. Breeze can help you make your visitors’ experience a breeze – so if you’re looking for a caching plugin that does the only job but does it really then this is the one!
Wrapping Up,
In conclusion, We would like to mention that don’t get confused between Free and Paid Cache Plugins for WordPress. Both will work fine when it comes to optimizing your website for a faster loading speed.
If you are a newbie go for any of the Free WordPress Cache Plugins or if you’re a Pro then Premium Plugins are the best option for you.
Also, Don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter to get more exclusive resources.