7 Best Cache Plugins For WordPress Free & Paid (2024)

Before writing this article, I tried all the cache plugins I could find and tested them with multiple settings and web servers for ideal results. You’ll get various results depending on the web server and how your website is built.

Plugins, themes, external resources, hosting, and CDN can affect your website’s performance, and multiple other things can also affect it. You can combine a cache plugin with an asset optimization plugin like Perfmatters or Asset CleanUp. However, you should be careful when combining multiple cache plugins because it can cause a website to crash and duplicate features.

Nowadays, many hosting providers offer server-side caching functionality. But depending on your setup, you may need a separate cache plugin.

This is because cache plugins can provide more site-wide improvements than server-side optimization. And many plugins have extra features you can use.

I use LiteSpeed Cache and FlyingPress in my setup. LSC is free and has tons of features, and FlyingPress is paid, but it is a clean and user-friendly plugin that gives you exactly what you need (users can also use other caching plugins).

LiteSpeed Cache, FlyingPress, and WP Rocket are the best cache plugins currently available -here is a brief comparison of their differences.

Feature	FlyingPress	LiteSpeed Cache	WP-Rocket
Prices	$60/Y	Free	$58/Y
Server Cache	×	✓	×
Object Cache	×	✓	×
Official CDN	FlyingCDN	QUIC.cloud	RocketCDN
Regenerates cache	✓	×	×
Preloading critical Pics	✓	×	×
iFrame Optimization	✓	×	×
Regular updates	✓	✓	×
Cache control	×	Extensive	×
Debloating	✓	×	×
Element lazy render	✓	×	×
Resource localization	✓	✓	×
Varnish Add-on	×	✓	✓

7 Best WordPress Cache Plugins For 2024

1. LiteSpeed Cache

My #1 pick is LiteSpeed Cache because it’s free, #2: It’s a good solution, and #3: It has more features than any other cache plugin.

In addition, the LiteSpeed server provides DDOS and brute-force protection. LiteSpeed Cache can help you optimize certain sections of a large site. However, this cache plugin can be complicated for new users.

Currently, LiteSpeed uses many hosting companies, but you should use a good LiteSpeed hosting service to get better results with LSC. I’ve noticed that LSC updates frequently and fixes bugs and problems immediately.

Reasons to Use LiteSpeed Cache:

• Server-side Cache: Almost all caching plugins work at the PHP level. However, LSC is a server-side cache plugin that is not always helpful because it doesn’t have cache preloading.
• Cache Control Options: Has lots of cache controls like commenters, REST APIs, PHP resources, private cached URIs, and tons more.
• Object Cache: supports Redis and Memcached and extra settings like persistent connection, cache web admin, etc.
• Localization: It supports some external resources for localization, like Gravatar, analytics scripts, and user picks.
• Media Optimization: The LSC plugin effectively uses image and media optimization features such as featured image preload, WebP, quality control, placeholders, lazy load, and more.
• Advanced Optimizations: Unlike other caching plugins, LSC has tons of asset optimization features, you’ll have to be careful with these, though, because most of them can mess up your site.

QUIC.cloud is a CDN for LiteSpeed users. It’s the first CDN service that caches HTML at the CDN level. However, I don’t think QuiC.cloud is ideal, and I prefer Cloudflare’s APO over QUIC.cloud.

Other Considerations

LSC requires the LiteSpeed or OpenLiteSpeed server to use its caching and many other features. It works with QUIC.cloud, but not so well.

The advanced UI is LiteSpeed Cache’s biggest downside – because the LSC has many features, keeping track of everything takes time and effort.

It’s like W3TC because it has complicated settings that make it easy for users to break their sites without understanding what they’re doing. Another downside is that it doesn’t have a cache-rebuilding feature, which is not a big deal for big sites, but you experience difficulties if your site is low-traffic or changes often.

Perhaps LiteSpeed Cache is WordPress’s most popular cache plugin because it already has over 5 million users. It has pros and cons and alternatives—only compatible with LITESPEED or QUIC.CLOUD. Still, LiteSpeed Cache is a superb plugin for dynamic and traffic-heavy sites and optimizes core web vitals.

2. FlyingPress

A top-notch cache plugin from Gijo Varghese – FlyingPress is the most reliable cache plugin I’ve found, with advanced features without being complicated.

This plugin does more than solve issues related to Core Web Vital—provides blazing speed for real users (read my FlyingPress review for more). Easy to use is a notable edge of FP, and you can use it even if you’re new to WordPress.

No matter what server environment you choose, whether Nginx, Apache, or LiteSpeed, FlyingPress works seamlessly on any server that supports it. Works with hosts like Kinsta, WPEngine, Rocket.net, Vultr, Flywheel, etc.

FlyingPress Features:

• iFrame Settings: It comes with custom iFrames settings, including lazy loading and replacing YouTube videos with thumb images.
• Image Optimization: IO isn’t built into most cache plugins; you have to use separate plugins or CDNs. But FlyingPress has useful image features, like excluding above-fold images, preloading critical images, responsive images with FlyingCDN, Auto width and height, etc.
• Optimize fonts: Every site needs fonts, but most people don’t optimize them. However, FP has combined and self-hosted Google fonts and displays fallback fonts. Self-hosted users can preload them.
• Delay JavaScript: JS slows down sites, especially third-party ones like ad networks. FP optimizes JS by executing after user interaction.
• Remove Unused CSS: I’ve used several WP cache plugins, and most aren’t good at removing unused CSS. However, FlyingPress lets you pick how to load unused CSS after generating critical CSS.
• FlyingCDN: Powered by Cloudflare enterprises, you can get rapid CDN speed with security features and under 100 ms global TTFB.
• Lazy render elements: This is a cool feature I don’t see in others. Skip rendering elements until they’re needed.

Any Cons?

It’s hard to find cons for FlyingPress, but it may be good if it adds add-ons like object cache (Redis, Memcached) and Varnish. It would be good to have advanced bloat removal features, like filtering.

Database optimization could be improved, but most features are good enough. FlyingPress makes it easy for anyone to optimize their WP sites.

I don’t think you need speed optimization services on most points. Yes, it can’t optimize everything, but it’s usually very effective. The simple user interface is user-friendly; tick things, and it will do the rest automatically.

3. WP Rocket

Over the years, WP Rocket has been one of WordPress’s most popular premium WordPress cache plugins. I have used Rocket for a long time, but LiteSpeed Cache and FlyingPress have fixed my performance problems faster than WP Rocket. Still, it includes enough features, works well, and offers good support.

But there are more cons than pros with WP Rocket.

My biggest complaint about this plugin is that it’s outdated and hasn’t changed in a while; as per their CHANGELOG, they only fix bugs.

Compared to FP, LSC, or even PerfMatters, WP Rocket does not offer good performance concerning “unused CSS.”. It can seriously damage your site.

Rocket doesn’t support local fonts, so it’s not good at optimizing fonts. I don’t recommend WP Rocket for iFrames and third-party resource optimization.

I prefer WP Rocket’s add-ons, especially VARNISH and Cloudflare. Also, Rocket CDN settings let you use any WordPress CDN service you want.

Although WP Rocket is still an ideal caching plugin, and the tutorial is helpful, it’s no longer the number one choice for caching plugins.

I think it’s an abandoned plugin, and those who love WP Rocket should look at FlyingPress instead. Also, they increased the price for all packages.

4. Powered Cache

Powered Cache is an impressive cache plugin with many features available in free and premium versions. Although the free version has enough features to optimize a static site, it has some restrictions.

Powered Cache isn’t as famous as others, but I think it’s worth mentioning. Besides, it has a few flaws; I’m not impressed with the cache features, but others work flawlessly. I’ve tested the premium version and recommend it.

Some of the features this cache plugin has are:

• Basic Options: This section offers page cache, gzip compression, cache timeout, and mobile cache.
• Advanced Options: In this section, you can set custom cookies, cache or ignore query strings, and ignore pages for caching.
• File-Media Optimization: Even the free version has some handy features, such as optimizing HTML via DOM parser, combining Google/bunny fonts, delaying/deferring JavaScript, etc. Lazy load, WordPress embeds, lazy load for widgets, and remove emoji scripts.
• Preload: Most cache plugins require the Pro version for preload. But Preload is free with Powered Cache and includes extra features like DNS prefetching and pre-connecting external sites.
• Cloudflare: It’s fantastic that the extension lets you purge the Cloudflare cache from the WordPress dashboard.
• Object Cache: Powered Cache supports both Redis and Memcached. You don’t have to install an additional plugin for Object Cache.

With Premium, you get features like image optimization, critical CSS, unused CSS, varnish addon, Google-Facebook tracking, etc. Yes, there are more I didn’t mention, but it is better than other popular WordPress cache plugins.

This isn’t just useful; it’s packed with features. Some features are unnecessary because they feel overkill (e.g., the UI needs to be more organized).

Try the free version first, and if it works, try the pro version too. Despite this, I use LiteSpeed Cache or FlyingPress when optimizing WordPress sites.

5. Cloudflare APO

This Cloudflare plugin isn’t a conventional cache plugin. You can still use it to connect to Cloudflare – Automatic Platform Optimization.

It’s not practical without APO; you still need a cache plugin with this plugin. However, it enables Cloudflare to serve your whole WordPress site from its edge locations. Why should you consider Cloudflare APO?

Most CDNs, including Cloudflare, don’t cache HTML on their CDN network. IMO, that is one of the biggest reasons why the website’s Time to First Byte takes longer, even using a CDN. APO, however, lets Cloudflare serve your entire site instead of just static pages. This approach is also known as full-page caching.

TTFB significantly impacts Core Web Vital and other page speed measurement scores. Due to the long TTFB, the user usually has to wait until the server responds. This plugin can reduce your website’s time to the first byte.

TTFB means how long users get their first byte of data from the server after a request. If a website is fast, then it has the promptest TTFB.

You should optimize your site’s Time to First Byte before using other optimization tactics.

See this screenshot, showing TTFB with and without Cloudflare APO. TTFB test on Speedvitals.com (you can also use the KeyCDN performance test).

APO is an easy way to speed up your site with Cloudflare.

In addition, it is a cheaper CDN option with decent performance at $5, along with other features (even compatible with WordPress docs plugins).

It is only compatible with WordPress and costs $5/M, even with the free Cloudflare. APO is free with PRO and other PAID plans.

However, you don’t need a CDN using FlyingCDN, Cloudways (CDN), or Rocket.net. They already use Enterprise services with full-page caching for WordPress sites.

6. Breeze

Breeze is a free cache plugin from Cloudways and works well with Cloudways and other NGINX and VARNISH settings. But the optimization features aren’t impressive, and I’d like to see better progress in Breeze. It does not have the same stability as other quality plugins like LSC, FlyingPress, etc.

I noticed some improvements with this cache plugin over the past few months, but it still lacks many features. It is a free plugin for WordPress, and its cache features are handy if you host your site on Cloudways with Varnish.

However, its file optimization isn’t ideal, especially with CSS, so you may end up with some troubles.

Some Breeze Plugin Features:

• Cache Engine: Combined with Varnish, it’s ideal for caching.
• Cross-Origin Safe Links: This isn’t an optimization feature, but it might be helpful to add a “noopener noreferrer” to outbound links to improve security for access to the website.
• Move the Javascript files to the footer: This isn’t useful and can crash your site. But if you have JS files in the header and body sections, you can add them to the footer. (Not recommended)
• Inline JS delay: You can reduce the slowdown of your website due to third-party scripts like ads, analytics, etc.
• DNS prefetch: I don’t think it’ll improve site performance. But it helps identify external domains and reduce the impact of external scripts.
• Varnish: Users can control the Varnish cache in Breeze; if you change the content, you can purge the Varnish cache.
• Heartbeat Control: I don’t think it’s a big deal for most websites, but it can help manage some server resources efficiently.

Use Breeze to cache your website, which has several other features. You’ll also need some knowledge of configuring the Breeze WordPress cache plugin.

It lacks many core features, like images, fonts, CSS optimization, etc., so you’ll need additional plugins to address them.

7. Cache Master

As another simple and free cache plugin, Cache Master doesn’t have a large user base or a paid version (it has some valuable features).

Users can choose a driver to cache their posts and pages, like Filebase, Memcached, Redis, etc. even set cached pages to show when logged in.

With the cache master plugin, you can display benchmark information, like cached size and load time, and can exclude pages from caching with URLs. 

However, this plugin is unsuitable for advanced users who need aggressive features such as instant preloads, scripts, image optimization, etc.

It’s enough for those who want a simple, free cache plugin for their WP static sites. Unfortunately, this plugin doesn’t seem to be getting updated, and there aren’t many users.

To Sum Up

I know there are tons of WordPress cache plugins, both free and paid. I’ll add them if I find anything relevant.

FlyingPress is my top paid cache plugin, and LiteSpeed Cache is my favorite free plugin. Also, I recommend Cloudflare APO because it caches full pages at the Cloudflare Edge Network.

Other WordPress cache plugins: Here is why I did not include them:

Plugin	Description
Swift Performance	It’s great for advanced users who know what they’re doing. It isn’t suitable for beginners or average users; it’ll be messy.
Cache Enabler	This is a simple cache plugin from KeyCDN. But I didn’t see anything unique. It’s basically just another WP Super Cache.
Hummingbird	A cache plugin from WPMU. It’s got an attractive UI, and the free version has some features. It feels bloated, and I don’t see the point in using the paid version.
SpeedyCache	I have radar for SpeedyCache, but I still don’t want to use it despite the decent free version.
SG Optimizer	Cache plugin for SiteGround hosting; there’s nothing impressive about SG Hosting or this one.
W3 Total	Definitely the most annoying cache plugin I’ve ever seen. There are many ways for average users to crash websites.
Fastest Cache	It is an old plugin, and there is no reason to use it in today’s world – Yes, it’s simple, but there are better ones.
Super Cache	This is just a cache plugin without any optimization. It’s from the WordPress core team, and it’s a waste of time.
10Web Booster	Similar to NitroPack – expensive, but you get Cloudflare Enterprise, and don’t even try the free version.

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