What are the best cache plugins for WordPress?
It doesn’t matter how fast your server is, a cache mechanism is always a good addition. It reduces server load and significantly increases the loading speed.
Check out the top 3 WordPress cache plugins for professional bloggers and small business websites.
WP Rocket
WP Rocket is the best cache plugin for most WordPress websites. It requires zero setups and works out of the box. Install the plugin, activate it, and the best speed optimization configuration is automatically applied. You literally see an immediate increase in page loading speed.
The best part is WP Rocket isn’t just a cache plugin. It’s a speed optimization plugin. You get a whole bunch of features to further decrease the load time and improve your website’s performance.
Key Features of WP Rocket:
- Preloading hover links and also via the sitemap.
- GZIP compression
- CSS/HTML and Javascript minification
- Browser caching
- Rocket CDN (paid subscription)
- Automatic Varnish cache
- Database optimization
- Lazy load for images, videos, and iFrames
- Cloudflare integration
If you are a beginner, WP Rocket is probably the best cache plugin for you. Even if you don’t turn on any settings or optimization features, it will make your websites at least 40% faster than before.
Moreover, their support is the best among all the other cache plugins in the market right now. Support is something you only understand the importance of is when you need it.
W3Total Cache
W3 Total Cache (W3TC) is another top-rated WordPress plugins.
It is the most advanced cache plugin. W3TC comes with tons of custom speed optimization options to allow advanced WordPress users to get the best loading speed possible.
W3TC’s level of customization can be a little overwhelming for beginners. But there’s a solution for that as well.
When you install and active W3TC, it automatically configures its optimal basic settings for you. It identifies the theme and plugins you’re using and activates/deactivates certain modules.
I use Genesis Theme on my blog, and activating W3TC also notifies me to enable Genesis Theme extension.
It comes with a Setup Guide which is a walkthrough module. This walkthrough model helps beginners to turn on the ideal settings as recommended by the plugin itself.
I recommend not skipping this setup guide. Even if you are familiar with WordPress caching and speed optimization, the guide still makes the initial setup smooth and easy.
Key Features of W3 Total Cache:
- Tons of speed optimization settings
- Easy setup
- Browser cache and Database cache customization
- Lazy load
- CDN integration (Recommended StackPath)
- Minify HTML/CSS
- Further, enhance the optimization using extensions.
- Statistics section to record and analyze cache performance
W3 Total Cache has a free plugin as well as a premium option. For most users, the free version is enough. Especially if you are using a managed WordPress hosting, the free version does the job perfectly well.
If you are on cloud hosting, VPS, or shared hosting, the premium version combined with CDN Integration will definitely perform better.
WP Super Cache
If you’re looking for the easiest cache plugin that works without any additional configuration, WP Super Cache might be the best choice.
WP Super Cache is a lightweight cache plugin. Much like WP Rocket, it works pretty much without additional setup.
You have to install it, activate it, finish the install setup, and be done. You’ll notice the immediate increase in the speed at which your WordPress website is loading.
There are three levels of cache supported by WP Super Cache. Simple, Expert, and WO-Cache caching. We will not discuss how cache works because it would take so much more information to explain in detail.
For beginners, the best cache level is simple. It applies all the basic optimization and cache configuration.
Key features of WP Super Cache:
- CDN support
- Browser cache configuration
- Cache rebuild
- Apache mod_rewrite to bypass PHP for a further speed boost
- Custom caching using hooks
WP Super Cache is a completely free plugin developed by Automattic, the parent company behind WordPress.
It is also the easiest to use and the perfect option for new bloggers.
Remember, a Cache plugin is needed on all shared hosting servers. Without a cache plugin, the only way your website will load faster is by adding a CDN. Not to mention CDNs will use their own cache mechanism.
You can test the speed of your website/blog with free tools like Pingdom and Gtmetrix.
What is the speed of your blog or website? Which cache plugin do you use?
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