WP Super Cache

by Automattic
Tested with WP 7.1.3 Free, GPLv2

Our take

WP Super Cache is the no-frills, fully free way to add page caching to WordPress. It is made by the company behind WordPress.com, it works on almost any hosting, and the recommended Simple mode needs no server changes. It only caches pages, so for CSS, JavaScript and image optimization add a plugin such as Autoptimize.

Good

  • Completely free, no paid version
  • Works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed in Simple mode
  • Cache preloading and CDN support
  • Maintained by Automattic

Watch out

  • Only caches pages, no file or image optimization
  • Expert mode requires editing .htaccess

Every time someone opens a WordPress page, the server normally runs PHP and queries the database to build it from scratch. WP Super Cache saves the finished page as a plain HTML file and hands that file to the next visitor instead. Pages load faster and the server copes much better with traffic spikes.

Caching modes

Visitors who are not logged in get the static file. Logged-in users and people who left a comment get a personal cached copy so they still see their own details. You can choose between three ways of serving the cache:

  • Simple: served by PHP, recommended for most sites, no server changes
  • Expert: served directly by the web server through rewrite rules, the fastest but needs .htaccess edits
  • WP-Cache: a flexible mode used for logged-in users, feeds and URLs with parameters

Other useful features

  • Preloading so every page is cached before the first visit
  • Automatic cleanup of old cache files
  • CDN support for static files
  • Option to keep parts of a page dynamic