Best (Free and Paid) Cache Plugin for WordPress

Are you looking for the best cache plugin for WordPress? The list below will help you find the best as well as a cost-effective plugin you can start using.

When we have free and paid options available, it becomes tough to select one. The way I want to decide as the best is the one that leads to speed up my site the most with least we need to be doing as configuration. The plugin should do all the heavy lifting, so we, as a blogger, can focus on writing great content. The setup must be uncomplicated, well-documented, and above all, the plugin must perform excellently.

Cache Plugins in a SnapShot

Click on the plugin name to read a brief overview of the plugin.

Let us now review each caching plugin available for WordPress.

1. WP Rocket

WP Rocket is a caching and performance optimization plugin that improves the WordPress loading speed for readers. The best part is you don’t need a high-end expert-level knowledge to start using it. One can install and configure WP Rocket in a matter of minutes.

The user-friendly interface of WP Rocket allows 1 Click configuration. When you install and activate the plugin, caching is automatically enabled. Moreover, it offers built-in WooCommerce compatibility.

Besides, WP Rocket offers out of box support for WooCommerce. You won’t need any type of additional configuration for the same. Above all, WP Rocket provides built-in lazy loading. Instead of loading all images on each page request, it only loads images as needed.

WP Rocket intelligently uses server-side as well as browser caching to speed up the page loading time. It is the best caching plugin for WordPress. I use it on all my blogs, including BizTips, and highly recommend it to all my blog readers as well as my clients. You can read a detail review and configuration of WP Rocket here.

2. WP Super Cache

WP Super Cache is the most popular cache plugin after WP Rocket with 2M+ active installations. The best part about this plugin is it is maintained and developed by Automattic. With this said, your site is undoubtedly in safe hands.

The plugin offers everything that you need for a site in terms of security and speed. The only drawback is the configuration interface. For some configurations, there is a lot one may need to be doing. The plugin description itself says:

If you’re not comfortable with editing PHP files then use simple mode. It’s easy to set up and very fast.

However, I still recommend it but only after WP Rocket because it is by the Automattic, the company behind WordPress.

The excellent news is WP Super Cache is free. Install and activate the plugin and start using it on unlimited projects. It means you have site speed at zero cost.

3. W3 Total Cache

W3 Total Cache is a very popular caching plugin for WordPress. It has over a million active installations today. However, there were some backdrops where the plugin didn’t update for months, and the support system was sinking gradually. Since BoldGrid acquired it, things have improved a lot.

However, it is mainly for developers and is not very easy to configure. Here is what one of the FAQ about minifying JavaScript and CSS has a reply for the plugin by the team who has developed it.

W3 Total Cache uses several open-source tools to attempt to combine and optimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, etc. Unfortunately, some trial and error is required on the part of developers is required to make sure that their code can be successfully minified with the various libraries W3 Total Cache supports

Configuring the plugin with so many trials and errors can be tough for many. Undoubtedly, W3 Total Cache offers a wide variety of features, but it is a little bit overwhelming as well. Each such caching setting has too many options to choose from. Page cache, object cache, gzip compression, limited minification support, CDN support are a few to name.

4. WP Fastest Cache

WP Fastest Cache is a well-known WordPress cache plugin. It’s free and straightforward to use. WP Fastest Cache is pretty straightforward. It offers features and functions that are much needed to speed up your site. Further, it does cache incredibly well and works well with minimal hassle. Your caching experience with WP Fastest cache won’t be intuitive as it could be with WP Rocket.

The interface isn’t user-friendly. Along with the free version, the plugin offers a paid subscription too. The premium licensing is as follows:

• $49.99 for one site.
• $125 for three websites.
• $175 for five websites.

The good side of using WP Fastest Cache is a one-time payment method. Yes, pay only once and continue using it for a lifetime.

5. Hyper Cache

Hyper Cache is perhaps a less popular WordPress caching plugins. Along with an abundance of features user gets easy to use interface. The setup process is a pure breeze for non-developers. Hyper Cache being bbPress compatible, it automatically clears the cache when new topics and replies are posted.

Besides, the plugin offers usual features like other cache plugins.

Apart from useful features, there come specific backdrops. For example, there’s no option to minify or combine your files. Moreover, there’s no premium support because the plugin is free. Hyper Cache being free is an advantage for many users eying for free WordPress caching plugins.

6. LiteSpeed Cache

LiteSpeed Cache plugin is free, just like Hyper Cache, in this list. Yet the reputation is “not so beginner-friendly”. The plugin is a little different from the rest of the others mentioned here. Like it works well across different web hosts. Additionally, it also offers intuitive functions to super speed up your site.

It’s important to understand that LiteSpeed is a server-side technology. Hence, using it won’t be easy if you aren’t a tech geek. So, what makes LiteSpeed unique? A wide array of features and direct Cloudflare integration makes this plugin more usable.

7. Comet Cache

Comet Cache is available in both free and paid subscriptions. The plugin comes with a one-click setup process and a wide range of advanced functionalities. If you subscribe to the paid version, you get even more advanced features.

For example, the cache rebuild automatically builds and fetches the cache every 15 minutes—this way, the plugin makes sure that the content stays relevant.

The plugin is very powerful, particularly for membership sites. A step further, Comet Cache plugin auto clears the cache once the content is published. The makers have built this plugin with a clear intention of keeping it user oriented and nothing else. Visible with text-heavy explanations everywhere across the plugin.

Comet Cache pricing is:

• $39 for a single site.
• $99 for three sites.
• $139 for unlimited sites.

8. SiteGround SuperCacher

SiteGround offers a built-in cache solution within a hosting plan. Visit your cPanel dashboard to enable it. For SuperCacher to work, you need to install and activate the SG Optimizer plugin. This plugin helps the user to manage SuperCacher settings directly from the WordPress admin area.

The SuperCacher is developed by SiteGround exclusively for its customers. It increases the number of hits a site can handle and boosts the website loading speed. Moreover, it includes three different caching options for maximum optimization of your websites.

Hence, if you have SiteGround hosting, your cache problem is resolved without spending a dime.