9 Best WordPress Cache Plugins in 2023 (For Site Speed)

A user expects a certain level of performance when visiting your website. That is to say, if your website is lagging and slow, it dramatically increases the odds that a user will take their online business elsewhere. A WordPress cache plugin is a great way to increase your website’s speed. In this article, we’ll briefly introduce caching and take you through the best WordPress caching plugins.

Let’s get into it!

Intro to WordPress Cache Plugins

Each time a user accesses a webpage on your site, a request is made to the server, which then processes it and sends the finished product to your user’s web browser. It takes some time for the user to receive the entire webpage because the server must process all the requests for images, blogs, menus, etc., especially for larger websites.

Caching is a process that helps your website increase its performance by temporarily storing frequently requested data from your website’s files. This allows these data files to be more easily accessible and, therefore, will load faster for your users. A cache is a group of data temporarily stored for speedy access when needed.

A WordPress Cache Plugin is a simple way to implement caching on your WordPress website without manually doing it. These plugins will generally be able to deploy site-wide caching in a few clicks. Overall, a good cache plugin can reduce the load on your hosting server and boost your site speed, which is excellent for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

WordPress Cache Plugins Can Boost Performance and SEO

Performance and Speed optimization are always crucial for the success of your site. WordPress has object caching built-in for this reason. It does make your pages load faster.

Plus, page speed affects SEO considerably, even if you have high-quality SEO content (in some cases). When a search engine sends a bot to crawl the web, faster websites will have reduced bounce rates and higher conversions and will thus be ranked higher on google. More so, higher speed will increase a user experience, and they’ll be much more likely to return to your website with faster load times.

The Best WordPress Cache Plugins

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Now that you understand the importance and benefits of caching, here are some of the best WordPress Cache plugins and solutions to get your site loading faster than ever.

1. WP Rocket

WP Rocket is highly regarded as the best caching plugin available, and with cause (read our full WP Rocket review). Its user-friendly interface allows any user to control caching functionality regardless of technical proficiency.

This is where WP Rocket has the advantage over the free plugins. WP Rocket will improve your website’s loading speed as soon as it’s activated.

Key Features of WP Rocket:

• Optimization of CSS and JavaScript
• Cache preloading
• LazyLoad for images, iframes, and videos
• Database optimization
• Content Delivery Network (CDN) compatibility

The ease of use makes this plugin a top choice if you are willing to spend the money, plus it has advanced features such as CDN integration and lazyloads if you want to take a more complex route.

WP Rocket is for you if…

• You want the most robust caching plugin available but are willing to spend the money,
• You want access to high-quality support and an extensive user base.
• You have a more extensive website and want a simple solution to speed it up.

Price:  Premium licenses start at $59 per year.

Get WP Rocket

2. WP-Optimize

WP-Optimize is an all-in-one tool that enables you to cache web pages, minify CSS and Javascript files,  compress photos, and clean up databases. It’s got 5/5 stars in the WordPress directory with over a million active users. This plugin separates itself from the pack by caching your website and cleaning your database. It’s a caching plugin and database optimization plugin combo!

WP-Optimizer also has a premium version that allows you to use it on multiple websites, implement lazy loading techniques, and other premium features.

Key Features of WP-Optimize:

• Minify CSS and Javascript
• Database cleaning
• Multisite support
• WebP support
• Image compression
• GZIP compression

This plugin allows you to easily enable page caching with just a click of a button; you can also generate separate files for mobile devices by clicking a box in the dashboard.

WP-Optimize is for you if…

• You’re looking for a free solution.
• You want to clean your database.
• You want an all-in-one web optimization solution.

Price: Free | Premium version starting at $49 per year.

Get WP-Optimize

3. W3 Total Cache

Over one million WordPress sites use W3 Total Cache, and with good reason. It has a ton of features, which can be overwhelming for beginners. It might be a bit complicated to configure, but it’s free, open-source, and mobile-friendly and will undoubtedly meet your caching needs if you’re willing to do a bit of legwork.

They even go o far as to guarantee a ten times improvement in overall site performance  (You can use Google Page Speed to test the hypothesis.)

Key Features of W3 Total Cache:

• Caching of pages and posts
• Caching of CSS and JavaScript in memory
• Minification of CSS and JavaScript
• WebP image conversion
• CDN compatibility

While this is an excellent solution if you are familiar with the concepts behind caching, you may find all the options overwhelming if you’re new to the subject. However, it’s worth exploring as a free solution.

W3 Total Cache is for you if…

• You are familiar with caching.
• You are looking for a free option.
• You are using SSL certificates.

Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $99 per year.

Get W3 Total Cache

4. LiteSpeed Cache

LiteSpeed Cache has many optimization features and offers a top-performing caching system deserving of the three million+ users and 5-star reviews it has received. Touted as an all-in-one optimization platform, LiteSpeed Cache takes a lot of premium features and gives them out for free. This includes server-level caching, the most optimized method because it requires the least amount of processing power.

Some other cool features to note are image optimization, lazy loading, and the ability to localize Javascript files. This is one of the best options available and works seamlessly with other commonly used plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast SEO.

Key Features of LiteSpeed Cache:

• Accurate caching
• CSS/JavaScript/HTML Minification
• Lazy Load Images
• Browser Cache Support
• Database Optimization
• Content Delivery Network Support

It’s straightforward to toggle options for cache settings via the dashboard with LiteSpeed Cache. This might be your best bet if you’re looking for a free solution.

LiteSpeed Cache is for you if…

• You’re looking for a free solution with a lot of features.
• You want server-side caching capabilities.
• You want to support a plugin that prides itself on being free and accessible.

Price: Free | Premium version starting at $10 per month.

Get LiteSpeed Cache

5. WP Super Cache

WP Super Cache is another example of a free, highly touted cache plugin. Sporting over 2 million active users, it’s the most used cache plugin available and has a 4.5/5 rating, so you can trust its reliability. In place of the cumbersome WordPress PHP code, it effectively operates by producing static HTML files and providing those files for faster load times.

Key Features of WP Super Cache:

• Generates static HTML files from your dynamic WordPress blog
• Simple mode if you’re not comfortable editing PHP
• Preloading
• Garbage collection
• CDN Support

The simplicity of WP Super Cache is a significant advantage compared to other solutions. You can enable the caching functionality and let the plugin do the rest, or you can utilize more advanced features.

WP Super Cache is for you if…

• You want access to three caching methods depending on skill level.
• You want a free solution that’s also open source.
• You want a product from Automattic (Extremely trusted)

Price: Free

Get WP Super Cache

6. WP Fastest Cache

WP Fastest Cache is another example of a free plugin with many features that can be enabled simply via the dashboard. It also has over a million active users and has an unwavering 5/5 stars, so you can trust its reliability.

Site administrators can schedule the deletion of all cached files and minified CSS and JS files with this plugin. By clicking a box on the settings page, they can enable or disable the caching option for logged-in users and mobile devices, enable GZIP tools, and utilize modification.

Key Features of WP Fastest Cache:

• GZIP tools.
• Minification.
• Preload caching.
• Cloudflare, SSL, and CDN support.
• Image optimization.
• Free.

The incredibly simple settings page is available through your WordPress dashboard; you can check the setting you are interested in to enable them; however, it’s best to understand what the settings mean before toggling them.

WP Fastest Cache is for you if…

• You want a free solution that’s easy to manage.
• You want a settings page that’s understandable even for beginners.
• You want to toggle your functions with a simple check box.

Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $49 (one-time fee).

Get WP Fastest Cache

7. Hummingbird

Hummingbird is another all-in-one optimization platform that will speed up your site quickly. It has a free and pro version and a coveted 5-star review on WordPress.org. And it integrates with Divi for significant drops in page load times.

The UI makes using this plugin super simple and comes with in-app tips to help you acclimate to the cache system. The framework will instantly help speed up your site and give you control over features like file compression, modification of CSS and JS, lazy loading, and caching.

Key Features of Hummingbird:

• Lazy loading of offscreen images
• Efficient caching
• GZIP compression
• Minification
• Asset optimization

Hummingbird can be set up in just a few clicks and is super simple to navigate. You can scan your site, and the app will make recommendations for optimization based on the scan results, which you can then implement in a matter of seconds.

Hummingbird is for you if…

• You are interested in in-plugin tips to help navigate
• You want to speed up your site in just one-click
• You want a performance scan to know exactly how to speed up your website
• You are looking for a free solution to optimize Divi

Price: Free, with the pro version starting at $7.50 per month.

Get Hummingbird

8. Comet Cache

Comet Cache is a freemium plugin that’s not as well-known as others on the list but is still a great solution. It has a welcoming UI and description that clearly explains what settings do what, so you can always be sure you know what you’re doing.

The dashboard is easy to maneuver and simple to control, plus it has many advanced features like cache directories, automatic cache clearing, and cache expiration time. You must purchase the pro version for more advanced features like HTML compression.

Key Features of Comet Cache:

• Automatic cache clearing
• Simple UI.
• Cache directory
• User-Agent exclusions
• 404 requests

The user-friendly interface and menu system allow you to quickly navigate Comet Cache’s features. Plus, the fast installation and setup combined with advanced features let you go as far into the weeds as you want with this plugin.

Comet Cache is for you if…

• You’re looking for a free solution.
• You want settings that are clearly explained.
• You want to support a less-known cache plugin.

Price: Free, with the premium version starting at $39 (one-time fee).

Get Comet Cache

9. Autoptimize

Autoptimize simplifies the process of caching javascript and CSS on your WordPress website by automatically grouping, reducing, and merging scripts and styles into the head of your site. Additionally, it can relocate and delay scripts to the bottom of the page to improve the loading speed.

Moreover, Autoptimize offers various features to enhance the loading speed of your website further. It can lazily load images, support WebP and AVIF image formats, optimize Google Fonts, remove WordPress core emojis, and more. All of these capabilities contribute to faster page loading times on your website.

Key Features of Autoptimize:

• Aggregating, minimizing, and combining javascript, HTML, and CSS
• Lazy loading images
• Optimizing Google fonts
• WebP image format support
• Control the order of scripts
• Critical CSS optimization

Autoptimize allows you to manage the order in which scripts load on your website. This optimization technique helps save time and improve website performance. You can prioritize loading the most important content by specifying which scripts load first. In addition, Autoptimize can optimize critical CSS by identifying the necessary CSS rules for the visible portion of the page and inlining them into the HTML. This allows the browser to quickly apply the essential styles to the visible content, resulting in faster page rendering.

Autoptimize is for you if…

• You need improved page speed.
• You want better search engine rankings.
• An easy-to-use plugin is a must.

The best feature of Autoptimize is that it’s easy to configure. You install the plugin and let it do all the dirty work for you.

Price: Free, with the premium version starting at $7.50 per month.

Get Autoptimize

Built-in Caching From WordPress Optimized Hosting

In case you didn’t know, some WordPress hosting services are optimized to reduce their servers’ workload by offering caching options. So if you host a website with the following organizations, you’re in luck; you may not need an additional WordPress Cache Plugin.

Cloudways Built-in Cache Plugins

If you’re hosting with Cloudways, they have built-in caching plugins (Breeze and Object Cache Pro) that are integrated out of the box. This provides layers of caching for all your website site files and database for a massive boost in performance.

For more, check out our Cloudways Review.

Flywheel Built-in FlyCache

Flywheel provides an excellent hosting service for WordPress users and constantly strives to provide the highest performance quality for your website. Their custom caching technology, “FlyCache,” ensures your site is continually optimized for speed and performance.

For more, check out our Flywheel Managed Hosting Review.

SiteGround Built-in SuperCacher

SiteGround is another fantastic hosting service that puts website performance at its forefront. Their SuperCacher provides a great caching solution that accelerates website performance multiple times over.

It’s available to all their clients and gives you three different caching options.

For more, check out our SiteGround WordPress Hosting Review.

Pressable Built-in Caching

Pressable wants your WordPress website to perform as fast and best as possible. As such, all pressable hosted websites have several layers of caching capabilities. These include object caching, page caching, and CDN caching.

All caching options can be accessed from the WordPress dashboard in your Pressable CM section.

For more, check out our Pressable Managed WordPress Hosting Review.

Comparing The Best WordPress Cache Plugins

Speeding up and improving the performance of your website is paramount for optimizing user experience. Caching is an excellent and easy way to do that; however, selecting the right plugin can be difficult. Fortunately, you now have a wide range of possibilities. And if you are using a WordPress-managed hosting provider, chances are you will have some robust built-in caching solutions already optimized for your site for better performance. If not, any of the cache plugins on our list will suit you well.

Cache Plugin Price Comparison

Here’s a recap of our picks for the best cache plugins for WordPress. Whether you’re looking for a good free option or a premium solution, our list has something for everyone. Take a look at the pricing for each listed below:

Cache Plugin Feature Comparison

When comparing the top three best WordPress cache plugins, first decide if you prefer a free or paid option. Next, consider the features. WP Rocket is the most feature-rich plugin on our list. However, if you would like to try a free option before committing to a paid solution, give WP Optimize a try. You’ll have access to everything WP Rocket provides, with the exception of CDN integration and multisite support. Alternatively, W3 Total Cache is another excellent free plugin to test, thanks to CSS and JS minification, WebP image conversions, and GZIP compression. However, there is no cache preloading, so keep that in mind.

What is the Best WordPress Cache Plugin?

For our pick of the best WordPress cache plugin, we suggest WP Rocket. Overall, it is the most comprehensive solution with many features to improve your site’s performance. With caching, minification features, and CDN integration, it is a valuable tool for enhancing website speed and user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Before we wrap up, let’s answer a few of the most common questions about cache plugins. If you have further questions, leave a comment and let us know!

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