If you have a WordPress website then you will probably need to install a WordPress cache plugin to boost speed. WordPress is widely used Content Management System that provides a wide range of features and options for creating and updating a website that helps you meet your business needs.
It’s because of this ubiquity that WordPress has tended to increase the bloating of features which means that even a freshly installed WordPress website might need a WordPress cache plugin. These boost the speed of your website and how it responds to the user which helps the user experience and SEO.
What are caching plugins?
WordPress websites store the website content in databases that are retrieved and displayed on demand for the user. WordPress caching plugins work a bit like your web browser cache by saving a flat, ready-to-go copy of your page.
When installed, the caching plugin will store parts of your site (like static HTML files, CSS files, JavaScript files, and so on) on your server.
Every time someone visits your site, they are served the cached version of the site instead of having to wait for your server to load the web pages from the beginning.
This allows it to be delivered to visitors much more quickly.
Some are more technical than others, but the principal is that you do not need to be a developer to install and configure a WordPress caching plugin for better speed. Some give you the opportunity to delve a little deeper and configure more speed options but be careful as they can sometimes cause conflicts with other plugins and break your website.
Here are some of the best website caching plugins and why we think you should try them.
WP Rocket
This a premium plugin and prices start at $59 per year for a single site.
WordPress users can instantly cache their website with just one click. Once the plugin is activated, its crawler automatically fetches the WordPress pages to build up the cache.
The plugin then automatically turns on recommended settings like page caching, browser caching, and Gzip compression. It also includes features that you can easily enable, like lazy loading for images, CSS and JavaScript optimization, and more.
Get more details here: https://wp-rocket.me/
WP Super Cache
This is a free plugin by Automattic, the company that runs WordPress.com. It has 2 caching settings: Expert and Simple. The first one is a much faster option than the other because it doesn’t execute any PHP scripts, but it does require you to edit your .htaccess file.
The second is a happy medium between fast site loading speed and ease of use.
There are numerous additional features but these aren’t explained in details and could confuse a beginner. However as you would expect, WP Super Cache does a good basic job out of the box.
Get more details here: WP Super Cache
W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache offers various types of caching besides page caching and browser caching. It also has object caching and database caching, both of which can speed up the execution of dynamic parts of your site (the ones that change frequently), not just the static ones.
The free version of W3 Total Cache offers many caching options that you may not find in other plugins on the list, especially not in the free versions.
That said, the sheer range of features can feel overwhelming for beginners.
Get more details here: W3 Total Cache
Cache Enabler by KeyCDN
Cache Enabler is a free WordPress caching plugin by KeyCDN, one of the most popular WordPress CDN services. It’s Simple-to-use plugin page interface that’s easy to understand for beginners.
Supports serving pre-compressed Gzip and Brotli files, but your web server must first be configured to create those compressed files.
Get more details here: Cache Enabler
FlyingPress
FlyingCDN uses Cloudflare Enterprise which is arguably the most powerful WordPress CDN on the market. Especially if you have a dynamic (e.g. WooCommerce) site, you can greatly benefit from Enterprise features like Argo Smart Routing, Enterprise WAF, priority routing, and Mirage + Polish for image optimizations. You can expect a better TTFB, security, and reduced server load.
Get more details here: FlyingCDN
LiteSpeed Cache
This is powerful server-side caching and a reliable development team that frequently adds new features/updates, it has a lot going for it. QUIC.cloud (a CDN specifically designed to work with LiteSpeed) is also consistently a top performer on SpeedVitals CDN Performance Tracker.
It may be used by anyone with any web server however there are LiteSpeed exclusive features only available if you are using LiteSpeed hosting.
Get more details here: LiteSpeed Cache
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Best WordPress caching plugins
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