Today we are going to take a look at the best WordPress caching plugins in 2022.

According to most developers, WordPress caching is a complex process that can sometimes get boring too. Some even call it “the evil of the site”. But why? If we try to go into detail about why caching is so difficult, it could take up a whole book, so we should simplify it a bit.

What does caching do while the site is loading?

In short, whenever you visit a web page, you are actually sending a request to the server . Your request is processed there and then the result will be displayed to you from the server. The result is your website with all its components, files and elements. Since the server needs to download all the data stored on your website, it naturally takes some time for it to display the result to you. Thus, the larger your site, the longer it takes to load.

But don’t worry! Caching plugins are the tools that will help you make this process easier. Using a WordPress plugin to speed up your website solution; a solution that not only saves time, but is also simple and user-friendly.

What is a WordPress caching plugin?

What caching plugins do is tell the server to store some of your website’s files on your disk or RAM. The difference depends on your caching configuration.

Chances are your site is viewed many times a month. So, don’t you think it would be better if the server could remember some of your files before each download? This is what caching plugins do.

This way, whenever your website loads, some files need to be read from your disk or RAM, which helps your website load faster as it is read from your cache.

When to Use a WordPress Caching Plugin?

Everyone wants their site to load as quickly as possible. Thus, the use of a caching plugin should be mandatory.

It should be noted that sometimes it is also possible that you can do without a caching plugin. Sometimes this is done at the server level using your WordPress Host . So contact your wordpress developer manchester.

However, you will always need some form of caching, even if this is done through server-level caching. So let’s look at some of the benefits of using a caching plugin:

• Satisfied Users : Most importantly, as mentioned earlier, users like websites that load quickly.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) : This point is again related to your site speed , but in addition, it also tells Googled and other search engines that your site is worth indexing, which gives you a higher ranking compared to your competitors.
• Savings in Resource Usage : This is also related to the speed of your website as when your server needs less resources it means it will load your website faster.
•  Improving Your User Experience : Nobody waits 10 or 15 seconds for your site to load. So increasing your site speed means lower bounce rate.

List of the best WordPress caching plugins

After testing many WordPress caching plugins, we have narrowed down our list to the top 6. We believe that these six caching plugins are among the best for increasing the speed of your WordPress site.

First, let’s go through the table to see a complete quick overview of all these caching plugins in one place.

plugin	Page caching	Browser caching	Database optimization	Prices
WP Rocket	Yes	Yes	Yes	From $49 / year
WP SuperCache	Yes	Yes	Not	It’s free
Hummingbird	Yes	Yes	Not	From $5 / year
Cache Enabler	Yes	Not	Not	It’s free
wp fast cache	Yes	Yes	Not	From $49.99 / year
W3 Total Cache	Yes	Not	Not	$99 / year

WP Rocket

Has established itself as the most reliable premium caching plugin for WordPress. WP Rocket is feature rich and one of the best caching plugins for both beginners and professional users.

It has a very easy-to-configure configuration, making it the most beginner-friendly caching plugin on the market.

If you don’t even know much about caching but have heard that it is essential for your site, WP Rocket will be your choice because once you install and activate it on your site, it will do everything for you.

WP Rocket is a premium WordPress caching plugin with three pricing plans on offer. Technically, you only have to pay for a one-time fee, but support and updates are included if you keep paying every year.

That being said, caching for one website is $39, support for three websites is $99, and unlimited websites is $199. While you can find other free plugins, these are quality indicators for one of the most feature rich caching plugins on the market. There is no free trial or free version of the plugin, but the developers offer a 14-day money-back guarantee.

WP Rocket Pricing 

WP Rocket is a premium plugin with three pricing plans:

• $49 for 1 site.
• $99 for 3 sites.
• $249 for unlimited sites

All of these plans include product updates and support.

The most feature-rich, easy-to-use, and best caching plugin available on the market is WP Rocket, as long as you pay instead of buying the free one. But it’s definitely worth the price!

WP SuperCache

WP Super Cache is a free and open source caching plugin with over 2 million installs. It was developed by Automattic, the same company that developed WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Gravatar.

This fact convinced many users in favor of WP Super Cache. Another reason for its popularity is that when looking for the best caching plugins for WordPress, you will definitely see WP Super Cache in the top 5 of all lists.

The really enticing thing about WP Super Cache is that it’s completely free, which means you don’t need to update anything after installation. With WP Super Cache you will have three caching modes.

The first one is called Simple Mode, which is preferred by most WordPress users because it is less risky and easier to set up. Another mode is called Expert Mode. In this mode, you will be able to make some changes to your .htaccess files. This mode is for professional developers who want to take control of their caching process.

Cost of WP Super Cache 

Money is not needed! Just to install, activate it and you’re done! There is no paid add-on or anything like that.

Just be aware that when you use this free plugin, you will face some issues with support and other issues.

WP Super Cache is an amazing all-in-one caching plugin compatible with almost all WordPress website configurations.

Hummingbird

It’s not too long ago that Hummingbird went into battle with other WordPress caching plugins. But its new look doesn’t mean it lacks functionality.

Hummingbird is really feature rich and definitely worth to be included in our list.

In terms of download count, Hummingbird can’t compete with other caching plugins that have over a million active downloads, but its great features make it one of the best on the market.

Hummingbird prices

Hummingbird comes in both free and premium versions. The free version is available on WordPress.org.

If you want to upgrade to a premium plan, you will have 4 options :

• Basic (1 site license): $7.50 per month.
• Standard (3 site license): $12.50 per month.
• Freelancer (10 site license): $32.50 per month.
• Agency (Unlimited Site License): $82.50 per month.

Hummingbird is a newcomer, but has already become one of the best in this field. Either you choose the free version or the premium version, you won’t regret your decision, rest assured.

Cache Enabler

Developed by the KeyCDN team, Cache Enabler  is a free and open source caching plugin that can be a good alternative to WP Rocket if you’re on a budget.

If you are looking for a top-notch free caching plugin, Cache Enabler should be your choice.

Naturally, you can’t expect all the premium features that premium caching plugins provide, but this one will certainly do.

Prices for the cache activator

Cache Enabler is only available in a free version on wordpress.org and does not have a paid version at all.

If browser caching isn’t important to you, Cache Enabler is a great caching plugin that’s definitely worth a try.

wp fast cache

WP Fast Cache is one of those fast free caching plugins that also has a premium version.

We suggest you start with the free version. Keep in mind that if you need to get the premium version, you must do so through the WP Fastest Cache settings module.

For the premium version of the plugin, you only need to pay once. You will also get a lot of options and features that are not available in the free version.

This time this plugin has browser caching in its free version. In addition, this plugin has some of the best settings among its competitors, as it is very easy to work with. You just need to check the boxes and stuff.

Fastest WP Cache Pricing

This plugin has both a free and a paid version. The free one is available from WordPress.org and the premium version can be obtained from the WP Fastest Cache website.

Premium licenses look like this:

• $49.99 for 1 site.
• $125 for 3 sites
• $175 for 5 sites
• $300 for 10 sites

Please note that this premium plugin is a one-time payment. Pay once and use forever!

This is a great plugin that will install everything you need.

W3 Total Cache

W3 Total Cache is one of the most famous caching plugins for WordPress with over a million active downloads. This plugin with its powerful features will greatly improve the SEO of your site.

The peculiarity of W3 Total Cache is that it is a little more difficult to work with, so if you are a beginner, we recommend that you check out the other options provided in this list. If you’re a bit more confident than a beginner, you’ll find a whole list of settings you can work with to speed up your site.

W3 cache total cost

The premium version of W3 Total Cache is available for $99/year for single site licenses only. The purchase of the premium version is possible only in the administrative interface of the plugin.

W3 Total Cache is a multifunctional plugin, especially in the premium version. You can totally rely on it to boost your website speed.

Summarizing

We hope this list has been helpful to you in choosing the best caching plugin for WordPress in 2022.

If you have a favorite caching plugin for WordPress or have any questions about the topic, we would be more than happy to leave a comment for us in the comment section below.

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