WordPress Event Ticketing

WordPress caching plugins are an important aspect of most WordPress based websites. While managed hosting companies such as Kinsta and WPEngine offer server side caching which negates the need for caching plugin, anyone without a specialist managed host should seriously consider installing and configuring a caching plugin to speed up their site.

Caching plugins come in a few forms: free, premium and freemium. Freemium is where you can download a free version of a plugin with a limited feature set and upgrade to the premium or pro version as it's often referred to for a set price, typically bringing more advanced functionality.

Before we get started on looking at different caching plugins, it's important to note that you should always read the instructions and if you aren't sure open a ticket before configuring a caching plugin.

You don't want to cache everything though. For example, the WooCommerce account page.

By caching WooCommerce account page you could end up with one customer seeing another customer's detail and this is something you certainly want to avoid. Furthermore, many caching plugins offer database caching options in addition to the standard caching options. However, if your database isn't set up for caching (and FYI, out the box, it won't be), enabling database memcache or similar will only cause issues including the possibility of transients breaking and more, which may cause a huge problem for your site and fair headache to you.

Now you know of the pitfalls of incorrectly configuring a WordPress caching plugin, let's explore some of the ones currently available. In no particular order.

1: WP Rocket  - Price $39 (1 site)

WP Rocket is, without a doubt, my favorite caching plugin for WordPress. Not just for the awesome support from a dedicated team that knows the plugin inside and out, also as it just works. You know when everyone says they like Apple products as they "just work." That's exactly how I feel about WP Rocket. Upload the plugin, activate, enable caching... and it simply works! Out the box, it automatically excludes various pages and scripts from being cached for some of the most popular plugins like WooCommerce. Those are just the tips of the icebergs with regards to its fantastic feature set, though.

Tips on how to speed up your #wordpress website https://t.co/wCxXT3pRPn

— WP Rocket ™ (@wp_rocket) March 8, 2017

It also offers complete cache pre-loading which is pretty nifty. Most cache plugins work in a way where, when your visitors land on a page, the plugin caches that page as it is and stores it for the next visitors until you clear the cache. But with WP Rocket you can pre-load the cache, meaning your site can be ready to go fully cached without needing anyone even to visit it. Allowing your site to be fast as lightning straight from the off.

I could go on and on about the great feature set of WPRocket, but why not take a look a here and see for yourself.

2: W3 Total Cache - Price $free (premium upgrade available)

W3 Total Cache is one of the most popular caching plugins for WordPress with a million+ active installs; an impressive number for any plugin.

While the plugin has a solid free offering, many of it's best features are locked to a premium upgrade, and it has a patchy development history.

The most recent entry of its patchy development history was just a few months ago when the developer went dark and stopped responding to all messages and was extremely hard to get a hold off. Leaving premium users high and dry and the plugin with vital security flaws that were causing thousands of sites to be hacked.

It seems that the plugin is back on stable ground now, with updates being pushed out to address the issues and a million plus people still like the plugin enough to keep it installed. Still, I'd highly recommend installing and using with caution.

3: WP Super Cache - Price $free

WP Super Cache is my personal favorite for a free caching solution. Simple and does what it needs to without trying to be too fancy or cram upgrades down your throat you don't want.

Developed by Automattic themselves you can be sure it's got a solid code base and team of developers behind it. The plugin is regularly updated and maintained.

The biggest negative factor of WP Super Cache though, would have to be nearly non existent support.

While you can't expect support for a free plugin and it's never a given, most of the WP Super Cache threads go unanswered unless another member of the community steps in to help, it's rare to see the plugin developers reply. Just 7 of the 133 support threads in the last two months have been resolved.

Because of the support issues above, unless you're confident you know what you're doing and can figure things out yourself, I'd recommend going with WP Rocket or a premium solution. If, however, you want the best free caching solution available and are prepared to take the risk that comes with no support, you can't go far wrong with WP Super Cache.

4: Hummingbird by WPMU DEV  - Price ($49/month for all plugins and themes, unlimited sites)

Hummingbird like WP Rocket is a premium caching solution, coming in at $49/month for unlimited sites. WPMU DEV is unique though in the way that you get to access all their plugins and themes for that one monthly membership fee all for unlimited sites making it a compelling proposition to the freelancer or agency. Most WPMU DEV plugins continue working even after your membership expires, and all are GPL.

When you first take a look at Hummingbird you'll be awed by its achingly beautiful user interface. Instantly, you can tell some serious thought has gone into making this. And not only it looks good, but also makes sense. Common flaws of caching plugins are their increasingly complex user interfaces. With Hummingbird, there's nothing of the sort.

Is Hummingbird all beauty and no brains, though? Absolutely not!

Offering a robust feature set and an interesting addition of hosted minified files, CloudFlare integration and a first for caching plugins, compatibility with other caching plugins! Meaning you can use the excellent feature set of Hummingbird while still using another plugin such as WP Super Cache.

And just like WP Rocket, all WPMU DEV plugins are backed up by a dedicated support team that know the products inside and out.

5: WP Fastest Cache - Price $free (premium upgrade available)

Just like W3 Total Cache, WP Fastest Cache is a free plugin that offers a premium upgrade. However, unlike W3 Total Cache, WP Fastest Cache doesn't lock all it's best features to the premium version.

WP Fastest Cache is as the name says, fast!

Out the box with a simple configuration and no major tweaks, WP Fastest Cache loaded my test site with 20 posts created using FakerPress on Twenty Seventeen on a shared SiteGround host a full second quicker than WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache which, in terms of website loading, is significant improvement.

Why then do I prefer WP Super Cache? WP Fastest Cache has by far one of the most complex user interfaces with a myriad of options, configurations, modal windows and everything else. Fine for me, but not always simple for clients or the less technically inclined.

Verdict

If you're a developer or are confident you can figure it out, go for WP Fastest Cache. If you want something free and want something that bit simpler go for WP Super Cache. If, however, you want to be sure of the setup and get dedicated support, you can't go wrong with either WP Rocket or Hummingbird by WPMU DEV.