Want to find the best WordPress Caching Plugins?
By caching, you can make WordPress run faster and improve your page speed score.
It’s important to have a website that runs very quickly in 2024, when the web is getting faster and more competitive. You’ve come to the right place if you want to know how to do this with your new WordPress blog.
I’ll tell you about the best WordPress caching apps for your site in this guide. This is a simple and almost quick way to speed up your site, even if you are new to WordPress.
Let’s start right away!
What is a cache? How does caching work?
Caching is like a quick way to get to your website. Think of the hard drive on your computer as a library full of books. Each time you need to find a book, you have to go through a set of steps.
By putting books you use often on a special shelf next to your desk, caching is the magic trick that saves you time.
Let’s use this idea of caching on your WordPress site now:
WordPress is a content management system that changes over time. Every time someone sees your site, it does some work in the background. Before showing the web page to the user, it gets information from a database and does other things. This process can slow down your website, especially if a lot of people are using it at the same time.
But this is where caching comes in handy:
A WordPress caching tool gets things done faster by taking on the role of your librarian. When someone first sees your site, the caching plugin saves a copy of the page so it’s always ready. The plugin shows the quick, cached form of the page to the next person when they come in. This makes the service faster and better for everyone.
Why is it important for WordPress to cache?
Websites that take a long time to load can make visitors angry, which can cause high bounce rates and fewer sales. On the other hand, websites that load quickly keep people interested and happy.
By cutting down on the time it takes to get data from the computer, caching makes your website much faster. This makes the server that hosts your WordPress site less busy, which speeds up your site generally.
Here are some specific ways that caching can help your WordPress site:
Better page load times:
When you cache your WordPress site, the web server stores copies of your pages that don’t change. This means that when someone goes to a page, the computer doesn’t have to make it all over again. This makes your pages run much faster, which makes the experience better for users and lowers the number of people who leave without buying anything. Having said that, caching tools are a big part of making WordPress run faster.
SEO got better:
Websites that load quickly are better for Google and other search engines. Making your site run faster through caching can help its SEO. This could lead to a better position in search results. Because of this, saving your WordPress site will help you get more traffic from search engines.
Less computer load and bandwidth use:
If you don’t cache your WordPress site, the computer has to make each page from scratch every time someone requests it. This can make the computer work hard, especially if a lot of people visit the site. Caching can cut the load on the server by as much as 80%, which can keep your website from crashing.
Better user participation:
By making your website easier to use, caching can help you get people to stay on it longer. People are more likely to stay on your site and look around if the pages load quickly. This could lead to more sales and conversions.
Better security for WordPress:
Another way to make a WordPress site safer is to use caching. By keeping copies of the site’s pages that don’t change on the server, caching can make it harder for hackers to add harmful code to the site.
In general, caching is a useful tool for anyone who owns a WordPress site. It can make WordPress run faster, help with SEO, make your site safer, and make the user experience better.
I strongly advise that you start using caching on your WordPress site right away if you are not already.
There are different kinds of caching in WordPress Plugins.
There are different kinds of caching for WordPress. Let’s talk about them before we look at the best WordPress caching apps.
To speed up a WordPress site, there are two major types of caching: page caching and object caching.
Page caching
With page caching, the server saves copies of your pages that don’t change. The server does not have to make a page from scratch every time a guest asks for one. It can just give up the cached copy of the page instead. This can make a big difference in how fast your page loads.
The pages on your website are like the food in a restaurant. If you turn on page caching, it’s like telling the chef to make extra of each meal and put them in a special container.
If someone asks for a page again, the cook won’t have to go through the whole process of making the dish (generating the page). It just gets the already-made dish (the cached page) and serves it to the customer. This helps your website open much faster and saves a lot of time and work.
Object caching
Object caching keeps separate objects, like database searches and WordPress objects, in the server’s memory. A WordPress plugin or theme doesn’t have to get an object from the database every time it needs to use it; it can do it from memory instead. This can also make it take less time for pages to load.
When object caching is turned on, the server first checks the Object Caching layer to see if it has any results for a certain query. It runs the query in the database if it doesn’t find anything. Because of this, the server stays healthy since it doesn’t have to look for the same thing over and over again.
This layer is where the server saves a copy of the results of the query if it is sent to the database to be run. If you run the same query again, the computer won’t have to look for the same information in the database.
Now, let’s look at the best caching apps for WordPress that you can use right away to make your site load faster:
1. WP Rocket
WP Rocket is a great tool for caching that makes optimising your website easy. It has powerful features and an easy-to-use interface, so it’s good for both beginners and professionals.
Since 2016, I’ve used WordPress. WP Rocket is without a doubt the best WordPress caching tool in terms of how easy it is to use and how well it works.
To learn more, read my full review of WP Rocket. It includes a case study of how quickly my website loads with WP Rocket.
I had to become a fan right away, of course. To get great results right away, you don’t want to spend hours tweaking your WordPress caching app. WP Rocket is the right tool for you.
Check out my full guide on how to improve WordPress speed for the whole case study.
Pros:
- It’s easy to use and doesn’t need much setting.
- It’s possible to cache pages, make databases work better, and load pictures slowly.
- It works with the most common CDNs.
- Regular changes and great customer service.
Cons:
- There is no free version.
- The licence only covers a certain number of pages.
- For some advanced features, you may need to know a lot about computers.
Unique Feature: It’s quick and easy to set up, and it makes a big difference in speed with very little work.
Prices: Plans for WP Rocket start at $59 a year for a single website.
Download Link: WP Rocket
2. WP Fastest Cache
WP Fastest Cache is an effective caching tool that is easy for beginners to use. It is simple to set up and works reliably. What a great choice! WP Fastest Cache is a quick and easy way to make your website load faster.
Pros:
- Installation is easy, quick, and doesn’t need much setup.
- Includes browser and page caching to speed up load times.
- Image optimisation that you can choose to use to shrink files.
- Choice to not cache certain pages or user agents.
Cons:
- The paid version has more features than the free version.
- You have to pay more to get premium help and features.
- Not as flexible as some other caching tools when it comes to customisation.
Unique Feature: WP Fastest Cache is easy to use and fast, making it great for beginners and anyone else who wants a simple way to cache WordPress files.
Pricing: Free version available, with premium lifetime plans starting at $49 for a single website.
Download Link: WP Fastest Cache.
3. Autoptimize
Autoptimize is a powerful and easy-to-use WordPress optimisation tool that does more than just cache to make your website run faster. It makes it easy to optimise HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, which speeds up page loads almost right away after you install and enable the plugin.
Pros:
- Reduces the amount of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files so that pages load faster.
- Advanced optimisation settings are available for users with more knowledge.
- Compatible with different caching apps so that you can get the most out of them all.
- For free, with premium help available if you want it.
Cons:
- You need to know a bit about technology to get the most out of it.
- The free version doesn’t have some advanced tools.
- Sometimes there are problems with how well some WordPress themes and plugins work together.
- It might be necessary to carefully set up to avoid problems.
Unique Feature: It has a lot of optimisation choices built into a single plugin, which makes it a useful tool for improving the performance of your website.
Prices: It’s free to use, but you can upgrade to a paid plan starting at $79 a year.
Download Link: Autoptimize
4. WP Fast Cache
Creators of WordPress made WP Super Cache, a free tool that makes caching easier for you. Its main job is to make basic HTML files that make websites load faster.
Pros:
- Easy to set up and quick, good for newbies.
- Makes basic HTML files so that pages load faster.
- Lessens the load on the computer when traffic goes up.
- Effectively manages websites with a lot of visitors.
Cons:
- Plugins that cost money have more advanced abilities.
- Couldn’t fully optimise all of your site’s parts.
- Certain needs may require changes to the configuration settings.
- Free users don’t have many ways to get help.
Unique Feature: Developed by the creators of WordPress, ensuring optimal compatibility and reliability.
Pricing: Free.
Download Link: WP Super Cache
5. W3 Full Cache
W3 Full Cache
W3 Total Cache is a popular and free WordPress caching tool that is known for letting you change a lot of things. It’s good for people who want to have full power over how their website works. That being said, W3 Total Cache isn’t the simplest caching tool for newbies. I suggest that you use one of the above apps if you are new to WordPress.
Pros:
- There are many choices for caching, such as page, object, and database caching.
- Connecting to well-known Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
- CSS and JavaScript are “minified” to make pages run faster.
- For free, with premium help available if you want it.
Cons:
- Beginners will have a harder time learning.
- setup carefully to avoid clashes.
- There may not be as many advanced functions in the free version.
Unique Feature: Extensive customization options, making it a favorite among developers and advanced users.
Pricing: Free to use, with optional premium plans available from $99/year.
Download Link: W3 Total Cache
6. The LiteSpeed Cache
When you store your website on LiteSpeed servers, you can use the LiteSpeed Cache plugin to quickly save pages. It has a lot of tools that can help websites run faster.
Pros:
- Optimised for LiteSpeed server settings, which means it works very quickly.
- Support for Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), picture optimisation, and caching of pages.
- Images and other files can load slowly.
- Powerful tools for clearing files and fixing bugs.
Cons:
- Needs LiteSpeed hosting for best speed.
- For some advanced functions, you may need to know a lot about technology.
- Not as many third-party connections as some other plugins.
- The free version doesn’t have as many options as the paid version.
Unique Feature: Designed specifically for LiteSpeed server environments, ensuring top-tier performance.
Pricing: Free.
Download Link: LiteSpeed Cache
7. Built-in tools for caching on web hosts
Many web hosts come with their own built-in caching plugins for WordPress because caching makes hosting computers much less busy.
For instance, these well-known server companies come with built-in caching:
- Bluehost
- Hostinger
- Kinsta
- WP Engine
Bluehost is one of the biggest hosting companies in the world, and WordPress officially recommends them as a hosting service. Their cheap hosting plans come with built-in caching that you can turn on or off from your hosting panel.
To get to My Sites, log in to your Bluehost server account. Click on the Performance tab after choosing your page. You can turn the cache on and off here and change other complex caching settings:
Here are a few related posts you might want to read, too:
- Top 10 Contact Form Plugins for WordPress
- Top 10 WordPress Plugins of 2024 Revamp Your Website With this.
Why is one cache plugin better than another?
When picking a caching tool for WordPress, you should think about the things below:
What your website needs:
If a lot of people visit your website, you will need a tool like WP Rocket that can handle it. Not only that, but you should run your site with a fast web host like Kinsta or WP Engine. If not many people visit your site, you might be able to get by with a plugin that isn’t as strong.
Money plan:
Some apps for caching are free, while others cost money. Most of the time, paid plugins have more functions and better customer service than free plugins. Free apps can be very useful, but to get the best results, you usually need to know a bit about how computers work.
Your technical know-how:
If setting up plugins isn’t your thing, you might want to pick one that is simple to use. Like, WP Rocket and WP Super Cache work great right out of the box.
Some quick tips on how to use caching apps for WordPress
Okay, so you’re ready to make your WordPress site faster, right? Good job!
How should you start? How should I use a caching tool in WordPress?
You’ll need some time to get the best results from your study of caching. So, all you can do is try different things and change the settings of your plugins based on what page speed testing tools like PageSpeed Insights tell you.
Here are some tips on how to use caching tools for WordPress:
Start by using a safe storage method:
Take it easy at first and be careful when you change any settings. If you need to, you can always raise the amount of caching later.
Keep dynamic information out of cache:
The content of a shopping cart or a feedback form are examples of dynamic content. Most caching plugins will take care of this for you, but make sure you test changing content carefully after you turn on a caching plugin.
When you use a CDN with a caching tool,
Additionally, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can help spread your cached content across various servers, which can make page loads even faster. This will make your page load even faster. Choose a caching tool that works with a CDN, like WP Rocket.
Check your website often:
After you have changed any settings and allowed caching, make sure that your website is still working correctly. Check for screen sizes on both computers and phones.
Watch how well WordPress works and how fast your pages load:
The only job of WordPress cache plugins is to make your site load faster. Of course, you should keep an eye on the results of your caching settings to find the best tool for you. Check to see how fast your site loads with GTmetrix, Pingdom, or PageSpeed Insights.
GTmetrix Grade: How well WordPress works with a caching tool
Whenever you test your caching tool, things could go wrong and your website might not work again. Because of this, be careful the first time you use one.
As soon as you turn on a WordPress caching tool, you should test your website carefully. If you see something odd, use the plugin’s instructions to figure out what’s wrong.
Also, go through the settings one by one when making more changes to the setup. So, if your website breaks after making the most recent change, you can easily fix it and go back to the way things were before.
What Are WordPress Caching Plugins?
What is a caching tool for WordPress, and why do I need one?
A caching app for WordPress is a tool that makes your site load faster. It makes static copies of your online pages and stores them. People who visit your site will see the cached (saved) pages right away, which speeds up the loading process. Caching plugins are very important because websites that load faster make users happy, do better in search engines, and run faster.
How do caching tools make my WordPress site load faster?
Plugins that cache your web pages store copies of them. Your website will send a static, cached copy of your page to visitors faster instead of having to load dozens or hundreds of separate files for each one. This means that every time someone sees your site, you won’t have to make each page from scratch. Having a ready-made burger instead of making one from scratch every time you’re hungry is like that. As a result? People who visit your site will have a better time because it loads faster.
Is there a caching app that works just as well for free as paid ones?
You can get free caching tools like WP Fastest Cache and WP Super Cache that work well. These plugins can make your page load much faster. Premium plugins, on the other hand, like WP Rocket, have more features and better customer service, and they generally work better than free ones. Therefore, a free plugin will work well, but a paid plugin will make things run even better. To put it simply, you get what you pay for.
What should I think about when picking the best app for my website’s caching?
When picking a caching plugin, you should think about how easy it is to use, what features it has, whether it works with your hosting, and how good the help is. Think about how tech-savvy you are and whether you need an easy or complex solution. This guide will help you pick the app that will work best for your website.
Are there any caching apps that are made just for e-commerce sites?
Some caching tools, like WP Rocket, do work well with e-commerce sites. They have features that make online stores run better by making sure that product pages and checkouts load fast. This can help your customers have a better time shopping.
Can I use caching tools with any WordPress theme or page builder?
You can use most caching apps with a lot of different WordPress themes and page builders, such as Elementor. You should make sure, though, that the caching tool you pick works with both your theme and any page builders you use. Before installing with the companies, you should always make sure it works with them.
Can I have more than one caching tool on my WordPress site?
Usually, I wouldn’t suggest using more than one caching tool at the same time. They often don’t work well together, which leads to mistakes on websites. Choose one caching programme that works for you. Make sure to turn off and remove the old plugin before loading the new one if you want to switch them.
What’s the difference between caching pages and caching browsers?
There are different reasons for browser caching and page caching. Page caching saves copies of whole pages that don’t change so that they load faster for first-time users. On the other hand, browser caching saves copies of things like pictures and scripts from your website on the visitor’s device. This makes future visits faster. Putting them together can make a page much faster.
When I use a caching tool, how often should I clear the cache?
Every time you make big changes to your website, like adding new content, plugins, or a different style, you should clear the cache. Some caching plugins can clear the cache automatically, but users will see the most recent changes if you do it yourself.
Should I be aware of any possible problems or conflicts that might happen when I use caching tools with WordPress?
Yes, conflicts can happen, especially if your website has other optimisation tools or if there are problems with your web host. If you’re having trouble, make sure that your hosting service or other plugins are not conflicting with the caching plugin. A little tinkering can fix most problems.
Final thoughts: Finding the best WordPress caching plugin
This guide should have helped you find the WordPress app that will make your site load faster.
My guide will help you choose one of the best WordPress caching apps, which will speed up your site and bring in more visitors, subscribers, and sales. There is a caching tool out there for everyone, no matter how experienced they are with WordPress.
Use WP Rocket if you want the best ending. Use WP Fastest Cache if you’re on a tight budget and just need a quick boost. Use W3 Total Cache if you know a lot about computers and want to make small changes to how well something works.
To get more people to your website, you might also want to look at my guide on how to choose the best WordPress web host, my list of the best WordPress apps, and my full SEO guide.
P.S. If you thought this post was helpful, please tell other people about it! Thanks for your help!
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