Did you ever notice the websites take comparatively less time to load when you visit them for the second time from the same browser? It is just not only for second time but also will do the same second time onwards. So how does that happen? Well, it’s the result of caching that happens on the server and the browser sides. There are some WordPress plugins that come so handy while speeding a website using caching techniques.
These plugins can also help you solve that puzzling and annoying “reduce server response time” warning you might have encountered in Google PageSpeed Insights. They can also drop your overall TTFB (time to first byte), which is another very important piece of the puzzle when it comes to calculating your total page load times in speed test tools like Pingdom and GTmetrix.
Out of so many options, you get only a few plugins that can truly help you achieve this goal. So choosing a WordPress caching plugin can be confusing if you have not tried some of them before. In this article, we will shed some light on some of the most useful WordPress caching plugins that are completely free.
Best free WordPress caching plugins
There are plenty of free WordPress caching plugins on the WordPress directory. After having been using some of them for a long time for different websites, we made a list of the best free WordPress caching plugins. Below is the list of these caching plugins.
WP Super Cache
WP Super Cache is the most recommended WordPress caching plugin. It is quite easy to use and also offers you a good performance boost. This plugin generates static HTML files from your dynamic WordPress blog. In case you’re a new user with average needs, Wp Super Cache will be the best choice for you. It is one of the most downloaded WordPress caching plugins on WordPress plugins directory.
W3 Total Cache
If you’re looking for a free caching plugin that offers a wide range of customization options, then W3 Total Cache is the way to go. To reduce a tremendous amount of loading time, W3 Total Cache utilizes file minification and GZIP compression. W3 Total Cache supports Content Delivery Networks and also allows you to export settings for future use. It improves the SEO and user experience of your site by increasing website performance and reducing download times via content delivery network (CDN) integration.
WP Fastest Cache
WP Fastest Cache is one of the most popular WordPress caching plugins on the WordPress plugins directory having over 3 million active installs at this time. It uses mod_rewrite to create static HTML files on your website. WP Fastest Cache also offers minification, GZIP compression, browser caching. It has an option for combining JavaScript and CSS files together in order to reduce requests from your server.
Autoptimize
Autoptimize is another popular WordPress cache plugin which does not limit itself to just caching but also offers some other features. Alongside caching it makes optimizing your site really easy. It can aggregate, minify and cache scripts and styles, inject CSS in the page head by default and can move and defer scripts to the footer. It also minifies the HTML code itself, making your page really lightweight.
Comet Cache
Comet is one of the must have WordPress caching plugins that can speed up your websites. It takes a real-time snapshot of every Page, Post, Category, Link, etc. then stores them intuitively, so they can be referenced later. The plugin uses advanced techniques by allowing it to recognize when it should and should not serve a cached version of the file. It is an advanced caching system for theme and plugin developers.
The more you visit different websites and WordPress plugins directory the more you will be confused. Our list consists of top 5 free WordPress caching plugins. Use one of the above plugins and boost your website performance. You can find a detailed WordPress caching guide on this post. Need any recommendation on WordPress backup plugins? Click here.
Read this article on more WordPress caching plugin suggesstions if you ever need.
