Are you looking for the best WordPress caching plugins?
Caching helps you speed up your WordPress site and boost performance.
In this guide, we will share the best WordPress caching plugins for your site.
What Is a Cache?
A cache is a collection of temporarily stored data for quick access upon request. In computers, information is usually stored on a hard disk. When it is requested, a computer needs to run several processes before the information can be presented.
Caching solves this issue by processing the frequently requested information and then storing it in temporary storage or memory. This allows computers to access the file quickly.
The same caching concept can also be used by WordPress websites to improve performance and make your website load faster.
You see, WordPress is a dynamic content management system. This means that each time a user visits your website, WordPress fetches information from the database and then runs several other steps before the web page is sent to the user’s browser. For details, see our article on how WordPress actually works.
This makes your website load slower when a lot of users are visiting it at the same time.
Caching allows your WordPress site to skip a lot of steps. Instead of going through the whole page generation process every time, your caching plugin makes a copy of the page after the first load and then serves that cached version to every subsequent user.
Why Is Caching Important?
Caching is important because it reduces the load on your WordPress hosting servers and makes your website run faster. You need a proper caching setup to improve your WordPress speed and performance.
A faster website improves user experience and encourages users to visit more pages. This also helps you boost engagement and the time users spend on your website.
A faster website helps you drive even more traffic to your website from organic search. Google gives a significant SEO advantage to faster websites which helps you rank higher in search results.
That being said, let’s take a look at the best WordPress caching plugins that you can use to boost your website speed.
1. WP Rocket
WP Rocket is the best WordPress caching plugin in the market. It is the easiest and most beginner-friendly caching plugin, which is a big help if you don’t know the technical terms used for different caching options.
It allows users to instantly cache their website with one click. Its crawler automatically fetches your WordPress pages to build up the cache.
The plugin then automatically turns on the recommended WordPress caching settings like gzip compression, page cache, and cache pre-loading.
WP Rocket also includes optional features that you can turn on to further improve performance. This includes lazy loading images, CDN support, DNS pre-fetching, minification, and more.
This is why we use WP Rocket on WPBeginner to speed up our site.
2. WP Super Cache
WP Super Cache is another popular WordPress caching plugin. It is free and comes highly recommended by many of the top WordPress hosting companies.
WP Super Cache plugin includes all recommended caching features that you will need to speed up your website. This includes gzip compression, page cache, cache pre-loading, CDN support, and advanced cache preload.
It includes a comprehensive settings section with a separate tab for easy setup. For detailed instructions, see our article on how to install and set up the WP Super Cache plugin.
3. W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache is one of the most popular WordPress caching plugins. It is a comprehensive WordPress caching plugin with a ton of options which may make it appear a bit intimidating for beginners.
It includes all the features you will need to properly set up a WordPress cache. This includes page cache, object cache, gzip compression, limited minification support, and CDN support.
Beginners may find W3 Total Cache a bit difficult to use. For detailed setup instructions, see our article on how to install and set up the W3 Total Cache plugin.
4. Sucuri Firewall
Sucuri is the best WordPress firewall and security plugin. As a website firewall, Sucuri comes with a built-in option to cache your website content and enable gzip compression with a click of a button.
It is the best option for any website because Sucuri is a DNS-level firewall. This means that they can serve cached content to your users even before their request reaches your website. This gives your website an incredible performance boost.
5. Built-in Cache Plugins from Hosting
Caching helps significantly reduce the load on hosting servers allowing them to perform optimally. This is why many managed WordPress hosting companies now offer their own built-in caching solutions.
If your website is hosted with one of the following hosting companies, then you can use their built-in caching plugins for your websites.
SG SuperCacher
SiteGround offers a built-in caching solution with all their hosting plans. It can be enabled from your hosting account’s dashboard.
Once enabled, their dynamic WordPress caching will improve your website speed anywhere from 50-500%. They have also added an option for site owners to enable Memcache.
SiteGround has also added Brotli compression which can also help you unlock 15-20% speed improvements.
Overall SiteGround’s caching has improved a ton. If you’re on their platform, you really wouldn’t need any caching plugins like WP Rocket or others.
WP Engine Caching
WP Engine is one of the best managed WordPress hosting companies. Their hosting plans come with built-in caching and performance optimization.
You can manage settings and clear the cache from your WordPress admin dashboard. Simply click on the WP Engine menu and under the General settings tab you can manage WP Engine cache settings.
Bluehost Caching
Bluehost is one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider. Their hosting plans include built-in caching that you can enable from your hosting dashboard.
After logging into your hosting account, select your site from ‘My Sites’ page and then click on the performance tab. From here you can turn the cache on / off and change other advanced caching settings.
We hope this article helped you find the WordPress caching plugin to speed up your website. You may also want to see our list of best WordPress plugins for business websites, and our comprehensive WordPress SEO tutorial to help you boost your rankings.
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Craig Thill says
So are you saying if I use WP Engine that I don’t need a cache plugin?
Shamir says
Do these plugins also help to optimize the loading speed of the website?
WPBeginner Support says
The plugins do assist with your site’s loading speed.
Admin
Sero says
It looks like WP Rocket is no longer a free plugin. It is no longer listed in the plugin library. Or I just can’t find it.
WPBeginner Support says
WP Rocket is a paid plugin that is not on the WordPress.org repository at the moment.
Admin
Mike says
Thank you for this post. It will help a lot with our current site.
WPBeginner Support says
Glad our guide could be helpful
Admin
Robert says
If I’m with Blue Host and use their caching option is it worth adding WP-Rocket or Hummingbird?
WPBeginner Support says
We would only recommend using one caching plugin at a time but if it is from your hosting’s end and not a plugin then you may want to try adding a caching plugin.
Admin
mike adkins says
Hi – Thank you for the information.
I read somewhere that some cache plug ins don’t work with certain themes, is there anyway of checking if WP rocket will be ok with my theme or am I worrying over nothing?
Mike
WPBeginner Support says
Normally that shouldn’t be an issue but if you reach out to your theme’s support they should be able to let you know of any conflicts.
Admin
Pushpendra Jaat says
I will use w3 total cache plugin on my website thanks for the good review.
WPBeginner Support says
Glad you found our recommendation helpful
Admin
Noah says
Are cache plugins different from code and image optimizing plugins.
WPBeginner Support says
Yes they are different, depending on the plugins you use they also can work with each other.
Admin
Nancy says
The BlueHost Portal is different now. I selected Asset & Web Pages option, as that was what was recommended. It gives me the option at the bottom to clear my cache (everything or just specific URLs). Should I do this? Little worried, since it can’t be undone! I use SMUSH plugin to compress my photos. My site seems to load quickly. What are links I can test the speed or is that on my dashboard? Newbie learning new things every day.
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you for letting us know about the update. You would clear your cache should your site have trouble displaying content but it should not break anything even if you clear the cache. For more about your site’s speed, you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-performance-speed/
Admin
Heidi says
I am with Bluehost so guess I could use their caching but there is another plugin that sounds worthwhile called WP Optimize, which is supposed to be great for caching but also compresses images and optimises your database. But I’m wondering if this (or any other cache plugin) would conflict with the caching functionality in Bluehost? (Although there is an article on Bluehost’s website that recommends using WP Super Cache, which suggests it wouldn’t conflict, but this also makes me wonder if they don’t think their own caching is sufficient?).
WPBeginner Support says
You would want to check with BlueHost for the specifics in case that is an old article but normally you should only have one caching plugin active at a time
Admin
Heidi says
Thanks, yeh I remember reading that somewhere. So does Bluehost’s caching ability count as a plugin? i.e. if I turn on caching in Bluehost does that mean I shouldn’t install a separate caching plugin?
WPBeginner Support says
If you find a plugin from BlueHost on your site then it’s a WordPress plugin, otherwise, it would be a second level of caching
Ayush Singh says
Is there any problem if i use all of this. Should i use all or only one
WPBeginner Support says
You should only use one caching plugin to prevent conflicts
Admin
Ajay says
Keep up the great work! I am using wp rocket on my site and it help me a lot. Thanks for the efforts you put it in this article.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome, glad our articles are helpful
Admin
Ali says
where is WP Fastest Cache?!
Alex Morabin says
I am using wp super cache and it seems to be a wonderful plugin for me to speed up my site.
Sorin says
WP Rocket user for a couple of years now and going strong. Be it a WordPress + WooCommerce or just a WordPress site, it’s going great and strong.
Plus they update it often, and fix any problems sometimes before i encounter them :-))
On a side note, WP Engine cache is pretty neat too
Ray says
If you using some managed host like WP Engine so do not install the cache plugins it will conflict. Do not use like Super Cache or WP Rocket.
You can disable some junks stuff use Speed Demon plugin and only using the cache from their hosting servers (Nginx FastCGI)
parveen chetiwal says
thank you so much for the article you really inspire us