3 May 2024
If you are looking for the best WP Rocket alternatives, then you come to the right place.
WP Rocket is undoubtedly a perfect caching plugin for any website with bad SEO and performance. It offers excellent features that can efficiently boost any website’s speed.
However, that does not mean it’s perfect for everyone.
If you are looking for a free cache plugin to speed up your site, WP Rocket’s $59 price tag will turn you away.
Again, there are better alternatives to WP Rocket if you want to spend as little time as possible optimizing your WordPress website.
So, to help you narrow down your options, we’ll share what we think are the top WP Rocket alternatives in this post.
We will review each plugin in detail, including all of its essential features, pricing, and more.
Let’s dive in!
NitroPack is our top recommended WP Rocket alternative because it’s easy to use and greatly improves website load time.
However, its plans are more expensive than WP Rocket’s, but we feel it is well worth the money given the features available.
It’s essentially a ‘click and forget’ solution for website performance. This means you get a speedy website without getting bogged down in technical jargon.
WP Rocket is a caching and speed optimization plugin for WordPress websites. When activated, it automatically enables 80% of web performance best practices like page caching and minifying CSS and JS files. It also offers some other features, including:
All of these things help your WordPress site load faster and provide a better user experience. Additionally, they are very helpful for SEO.
However, WP Rocket is more expensive than its competitors. If you want to use the caching plugin, it can cost up to $59 per year. The majority of the competition for WP Rocket is either entirely free or has a free version.
Furthermore, WP Rocket lacks several of the features you would expect from a plugin in this pricing category.
More precisely, it lacks image compression and adaptive resizing options, as well as an asset management system. Read more in our complete WP Rocket review.
So, whether you’re looking for a cheaper or more complete solution, we’ll list them all below.
Let’s look at the best cache plugin alternative to WP Rocket.
Nitropack is not an affordable option. It’s undoubtedly one of the most expensive WordPress page optimization solutions.
However, it’s one of the best alternatives to WP Rocket and worth the money you’ll pay for it.
It includes all of the features you’d expect from a premium WordPress caching plugin.
NitroPack, for example, offers a complete image optimization stack. It can handle lossy and lossless image compression automatically, as well as preemptive and adaptive image scaling, WebP conversion, and so on.
It also offers an advanced Lazy Loading feature that works with all website images, including background images provided in CSS.
Additionally, NitroPack includes a built-in global CDN. To use a CDN with WP Rocket, you’d need to buy RocketCDN separately.
Another feature that sets NitroPack apart from WP Rocket is that it is not limited to WordPress. It can also be used with other CMS platforms like Magento and OpenCart via connector plugins.
Despite all of this, Nitropack is not the best WordPress Rocket alternative for everyone. It costs much more than WP Rocket. Here’s its price plan to get an idea of how much Nitropack can cost you:
So, this is only a decent option if you can afford it. If you want to learn more, check out our Nitropack vs WP Rocket comparison.
NitroPack gives you a limited free plan that allows you to use up to 5,000 page views or 1GB of CDN bandwidth per month.
Paid plans start at $17.50/mo (billed annually) and come with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
WP-Optimize is a WordPress optimization and a free alternative to WordPress Rocket. It does most of what WP Rocket does, as well as a little extra.
WP-Optimize started as a basic cache plugin, but it has grown a long way since then.
It offers most of WP Rocket’s advanced file-optimizing tools. Post-preloading, inline and merge JavaScript and CSS files, Google font optimization, and so on.
Not to mention, it’s an excellent WP Rocket competitor if you need image compression.
WP-Optimize is a solid image optimization plugin that can compress your media library in bulk.
It also automatically compresses new images as they are uploaded:
Furthermore, it is well-known for its database-cleaning abilities. It offers the most options for cleaning up your WordPress database.
If you’re looking for a WP Rocket replacement that can help with your images and posts, WP-Optimize is the best option.
Learn more in our WP-Optimize vs WP Rocket Comparison.
You can download the free version from WordPress.org. The premium plan starts at $49/year for two site licenses.
FlyingPress is a lightweight and user-friendly WordPress performance plugin. It offers everything you’ll need to pass the Core Web Vitals metrics.
All you have to do is install and activate it on WP, then follow the step-by-step user interface to set up a few initial settings, and you’re up and running.
FlyingPess will then automatically apply a number of website performance enhancements for you.
It will automatically build static HTML pages, minify your code, eliminate unused CSS, optimize Google Fonts, and so on.
In addition, when combined with the FlyingCDN service, it provides real-time image optimization via its global network of 70+ PoPs.
Overall, FlyingPress is an excellent choice if you want a robust suite with every performance optimization tool you could possibly need.
However, it is a bit more expensive than WP Rocket upfront:
FlyingPress plans start from $60/year ($42 on renewal) for a single site. You can purchase the FlyingCDN add-on separately for $5 per 100 GB/site/month.
W3 Total Cache promises to improve overall site speed tenfold, reduce page load times, and save up to 80% on bandwidth use.
It does this by implementing a number of best practices on your WordPress site, such as caching, minification, CDN integration, and so on.
What sets it apart from other plugins is its developer-friendliness. It provides great control and flexibility when it comes to setup. However, it is less user-friendly.
It takes longer to set up, and you must know what you’re doing to set it up correctly. Otherwise, your site may be broken. It is also very difficult to uninstall.
This is why we only suggest it for advanced users.
A free version of W3 Total Cache is available on WordPress.org. The Pro license starts at $99/year for a single site license.
Unlike WP Rocket, WP Fastest Cache offers both a free and paid version.
It offers features similar to WP Rocket, such as caching, HTML minify, and combining JS files to reduce HTTPS requests, browser caching, etc.
For beginners, configuring the WP Fastest cache is straightforward. Most of the options need a checkbox tick, and you’re done.
Here’s the WP Fastest cache setting page:
Furthermore, it also works with major CDN service providers, including Cloudflare.
But of course, there are some downsides as well.
To use features like optimized images, Google font optimization, inline and minify of resources, etc, you need a premium version of WP Fastest Cache. However, these premium features are available for free in many caching plugins.
As a result, WP Fastest Cache is a good option, but if you want more features in a free option, there are better alternatives to WP Rocket.
A free version of WP Fastest Cache is available on WordPress.org. The Pro version starts at $49/lifetime for a single site license.
LiteSpeed Cache has much lighter features than the other alternatives on this list.
However, you get a lot of advanced options for caching.
You can even enable different types of caching individually. For example, here are the settings for object caching:
Aside from caching, LiteSpeed Cache’s functionality is unremarkable.
That is until you activate QUIC.cloud.
It is not easy or fast for the average user.
However, with QUIC.cloud activated, you can access one of the most extensive web performance toolkits available. It offers file and image optimization, a CDN, database cleaning, and much more.
It also offers a free version!
So, if you’re ready to spend the time setting things up, LiteSpeed Cache might be a good alternative to WP Rocket.
But it’s not for everyone.
LiteSpeed Cache is free to use. However, you need a LiteSpeed server to unlock cache features.
Cache Enabler is a simple yet powerful free WordPress caching plugin.
It does what it says: It enables caching on your website, allowing returning users to view it more quickly.
What makes it so good is that you don’t have to spend any time setting it. It works right out of the box, so all you need to do is install and activate it. Nothing else is required.
But of course, there are some downsides as well.
The Cache Enabler plugin does not provide any tools to help you address the most typical PageSpeeds issues, such as render-blocking resources or unoptimized JavaScript.
It only focuses on caching.
So don’t expect to see a significant increase in your Google Pagespeed score after installing Cache Enabler. If that’s what you’re searching for, this isn’t the WP Rocket alternative.
The Cache Enabler plugin is completely free to use.
Autoptimize is not a WordPress performance optimization plugin. However, it does one thing well — file optimization.
For example, you can combine inline CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files, which can dramatically improve your chances of passing Google Core Web Vitals.
Furthermore, it works great when combined with other cache plugins like WP Rocket. Plus, it’s a good alternative to cache plugins if you are on a web host that restricts many popular cache plugins.
If you’re going to use the WP Rocket WordPress plugin together with Autoptimize, WP Rocket automatically detects and disables similar features in its plugin.
So you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues. Both plugins work together nicely.
To use features like image optimization, lazy loading, automatic CSS rules, etc, you need an Autoptimze Pro version.
You can download the free version from WordPress.org. The Pro version costs $11.99/mo or $79/year for a single site license.
WP Super Cache is a powerful caching plugin.
However, like W3 Total Cache, it isn’t useful for beginners.
Take a look at the following advanced settings available in the tool:
A lot of them are useful.
For example, mobile caching can improve your mobile speed. But not in all cases. It’s all about how responsive your theme is.
When you’re an experienced developer, this kind of decision comes naturally.
So, for someone with years of expertise playing with WordPress, WP Super Cache can be an excellent alternative.
In addition to these options, you can use Super Cache to activate a CDN. That is useful, but it pales in comparison to the other options in W3 Total Cache.
So, even if you’re tech-savvy, give W3 a shot before installing WP Super Cache.
WP Super Cache is a free plugin you can download from WordPress.org.
Breeze is a toned-down variant of WP Rocket.
It’s a new tool developed by the same people who created Cloudflare, and it has nearly identical functionality to WP Rocket.
With Breeze, you get caching, file optimization, and several additional features.
Of course, because this is a Cloudflare product, you get outstanding support for integrating with their CDN. However, you also get amazing support for whichever CDN you use:
In addition, there is an option on top of WP Rocket to enable or disable relative paths.
Overall, Breeze is a decent tool.
However, Breeze’s performance falls short of that of WP Rocket. At least, not yet.
So, if you’re searching for a WP Rocket free alternative, give Breeze a try, particularly if you use Cloudflare. However, don’t expect to get the same results as with the best caching plugin.
Breeze is a free WordPress plugin you can download from WordPress.org.
WP Rocket is one of the best WordPress cache plugins. It’s a powerful solution to boost your website speed and optimize your Core Web Vitals.
However, it’s not the only option. There are many WP Rocket alternatives available, as we see above that offer similar or even more features.
All of the plugins do a great job of improving your site’s speed and performance. However, if you’re not sure which one to choose for your website, here’s what we’d suggest:
That’s it!
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Absolutely. NitroPack is a good all-in-one speed optimization platform if you have money to invest in your site and don’t have time for manual fixes. It’s an easy-to-implement solution to pass the Core Web Vitals and has excellent customizability.
However, it’s more expensive than WP Rocket. For more, check out our complete NitroPack vs WP Rocket comparison.
W3 Total Cache and WP Rocket are both excellent caching plugins for speeding up your site. However, WP Rocket is slightly better due to its ease of use and more comprehensive suite of tools.
No. It’s a premium plugin that requires a paid license to use all its features and benefits.
If you have time and knowledge to configure QUIC.cloud, LiteSpeed cache can outperform WP Rocket on some sites.
However, WP Rocket is easier to use, faster to deploy, and delivers excellent performance results. So, for most of users, WP Rocket is a better option.
WP Rocket does not support image compression, which is one of the reasons why it may not be the best option for everyone.
If you want to compress images, you’ll need to use a WP Rocket with a specific image compression tool like Imagify.
Alternatively, use an all-in-one WP Rocket alternative, such as NitroPack.
If your site has low traffic, we recommend using NitroPack’s free version. It contains all features but is limited to 5,000 page views and 1GB of CDN bandwidth each month. If you reach that limit, it will disable automatically.
If you have a high-traffic site, WP-optimize is definitely your best option.