When it comes to WordPress, site speed is one of the core web vitals. The faster your website loads, the better your user experience will be.
This is why caching plugins are so important – they ensure that your pages load as quickly as possible by caching your content and serving it from a local server.
WP Rocket is a premium WordPress caching plugin that promises to speed up your website by optimizing your cache files and eliminating render-blocking JavaScript and CSS.
WP Rocket is one of the best WordPress plugins on the market, and for a good reason – it’s easy to use and delivers excellent results. But does this popular WordPress caching plugin live up to its hype?
In this WP Rocket review, we’ll look at all of the features WP Rocket offers, share our experience with WP Rocket on our test site, and see how well it performs compared to some of its competitors.
You can select a specific WP Rocket review topic below or read our WP Rocket review from start to finish. In a hurry? Download WP Rocket here.
What is the WP Rocket WordPress Plugin?
WP Rocket is a caching plugin designed to improve WordPress websites’ performance.
It does this by creating a cache of your website’s pages and posts, which can then be served to visitors much faster than if they had to load the page from scratch each time.
WP Rocket also includes many other features designed to speed up WordPress websites, such as minification (removing unnecessary code) and GZIP compression (reducing file sizes).
If you are planning to start a WordPress blog, you are going to want a speed optimization plugin such as WP Rocket.
A faster website helps with your visitors experience and also is a factor in your website’s search engine rankings. Google dislikes slow websites.
Once you have your website loading fast, then be sure to also check out our Rank Math review to help with your websites SEO.
WP Rocket Features Review
The WP Rocket WordPress plugin offers several features to make your website faster. As you’ll see below is does a lot more than just caching.
1. Page Caching
Page caching creates a static HTML file and serves that file instead of processing the comparatively heavier WordPress PHP scripts.
It’s an essential performance optimization you can make for your website. And once you enable caching, you’ll see an immediate improvement in loading time.
2. Browser Caching
When someone visits your website, their browser downloads all the files necessary to display the page. These include all the images, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript files, etc. These files are then stored in the browser’s cache.
So, when a user revisits your website, their browser doesn’t have to download all those files again. Instead, it can just load them from the cache, which is much faster.
3. Database Optimization
WordPress stores all your website’s data in a MySQL database. And every time a visitor loads a page, WordPress has to retrieve the data from the database and then display it on the page.
Database optimization features can reduce the number of queries WordPress has to make, which can speed up your site.
4. Google Fonts Optimization
Google Fonts is a popular way to add custom fonts to your website. But those fonts are often hosted on Google’s servers, which can slow down your website.
WP Rocket can optimize Google Fonts, so they’re loaded from your server instead, which is faster.
5. Lazy Loading of Images
Lazy loading is a technique that delays the loading of images until they’re needed.
So, if a user doesn’t scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, the images below the fold won’t be loaded.
Lazy loading can save time and bandwidth, especially on mobile devices.
6. Cloudflare Compatibility
Cloudflare is a popular Content Delivery Network (CDN). It’s a service that speeds up your website by caching your static files on their servers around the world.
WP Rocket can automatically integrate with Cloudflare to ensure your website is being cached properly and taking advantage of their CDN.
7. Cache Preloading
Cache preloading is a technique that starts loading resources early before they’re actually needed.
So, if a user is likely to click on a certain link, the resources for that page can start loading in the background while the user is still viewing the current page.
That way, when the user does click on the link, the next page will load faster.
Ready to get started? Download WP Rocket
How Much Does WP Rocket Cost?
WP Rocket is a great caching plugin that can speed up your WordPress website. It is one of the most popular performance plugins available and has over 2 million active installs.
WP Rocket is available in three different pricing plans for one year of support and update:
- WP Rocket Pro Plan – $49 for 1 site
- WP Rocket Plus Plan – $99 for 3 sites
- WP Rocket Infinite Plan- $249 for unlimited sites
One of the great things about this WordPress speed optimization plugiin is that it offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can try WP Rocket and see if it’s right for you without any risk.
How To Install And Activate WP Rocket?
Installing WP Rocket is a simple process that can be completed in just a few minutes:
- To install WP Rocket, you will first need to purchase a license key from the WP Rocket website.
- Once you have purchased a license, you can download the WP Rocket plugin from your account page.
Once you have downloaded the WP Rocket plugin, you can install it on your WordPress site:
- Login to your WordPress Dashboard.
- On the left-hand side, navigate to Plugins -> Add New.
- At the top of the page, click on the Upload Plugin button.
- Click Choose File and select the wp-rocket.zip file from your computer.
- Click Install Now.
- Once installed, click Activate Plugin.
Now that WP Rocket is activated, you will need to enter your license key in order to receive updates and support. You can find your license key on your WP Rocket account page.
Once you have entered your license key, WP Rocket will be ready to use!
Configuring The WP Rocket Settings
Once you’ve installed and activated WP Rocket, a new menu item called “WP Rocket” appears in your WordPress admin sidebar.
Clicking on this takes you to the plugin’s main settings page, which is divided into sections: Basic WP Rocket Settings, File Optimization, Media Settings, Preload, Advanced Rules, Database, CDN, and Add-Ons Tab.
Setting Up The WP Rocket Plugin
You can setup WP Rocket by following these simple steps:
1. Select the files you want to cache
WP Rocket will cache your home page, posts, and pages by default. However, if you want, you can also choose to cache other parts of your website, such as RSS feeds, unused CSS, and JavaScript files.
2. Choose how long you want cached files to be stored.
The next step is to choose how long you want cached files to be stored.
By default, WP Rocket will store cached files for 30 days. However, you can change this setting if you want cached files to be stored for a shorter or longer period of time.
3. Enable GZIP compression
Gzip compression is a method of file optimization to take up less space. This can be especially useful for large JavaScript and CSS files.
WP Rocket can automatically enable Gzip compression for you, or you can choose to do it yourself.
4. Image Optimization
Images can often be the biggest files on a website, which can make them slow to load. WP Rocket can help optimize your images so that they load faster. There are two ways to do this:
- Lazy Load: This feature loads images only when they are visible on the screen. This means that if a visitor is scrolling down a page, only the images that are visible will be loaded. The rest will be loaded as the visitor scrolls down.
- Image Optimization: This feature compresses images to take up less space. This can help reduce the file size of images, which can help them load faster.
5. Minimize HTTP requests
HTTP requests are made when a browser tries to load a file from a server. The more files a website has, the more HTTP requests will be made and the longer it will take for the website to load.
WP Rocket can help reduce the number of HTTP requests by concatenating files. This means that instead of loading multiple files, WP Rocket will load one large file containing all the smaller files.
6. Add expires headers
Expires headers tell browsers how long to cache files.
By adding expires headers, you can make sure that browsers don’t try to load files that haven’t been modified for a long time. This can help reduce the number of HTTP requests and improve website speed.
7. Enable browser caching
Browser caching stores website files in the browser so that they don’t have to be loaded from the server every time a visitor loads a page.
This can help improve site speed, as the files don’t need to be downloaded every time a page is loaded.
WP Rocket can automatically add expires headers and cache-control headers, or you can choose to do it yourself.
Once you’ve configured the settings in each section to your liking, be sure to click on the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page.
You’ve now successfully configured WP Rocket to optimize your site for speed and performance.
WP Rocket Performance Testing
In our tests, WP Rocket was able to improve the loading speed of our test site by over 50% more than it was without WP Rocket.
This is an impressive result, and it shows that WP Rocket can significantly impact your website’s performance.
WP Rocket is designed to be easy to use and set up, with no technical knowledge required. WP Rocket can be installed and activated in just a few clicks.
Once WP Rocket is activated, it automatically starts with the page caching. WP Rocket also has a number of features and settings that can be adjusted to optimize your site’s web performance further.
WP Rocket is compatible with all significant WordPress themes and plugins. WP Rocket also provides detailed documentation and support if you need help setting up or troubleshooting the plugins.
WP Rocket Plugin Pros & Cons
Now, let’s look at the pros and cons of WP Rocket to help you decide if it’s the right caching plugin for your website.
Pros Of Using WP Rocket
- Simple And Easy to Use: WP Rocket is designed to be simple and easy to use. There are no complex settings or options to configure. You can install and activate it with just a few clicks.
- Improved PageSpeed Scores: WP Rocket can help you achieve better Google PageSpeed scores by caching your pages and minifying your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
- Reduced Server Load: By caching your pages, WP Rocket reduces the number of requests your server has to handle, leading to improved performance and reduced server load.
- Caching Static Files: WP Rocket can cache images, combine CSS files, and minify JavaScript files, which can further reduce the number of requests your server has to handle.
- Compatibility With Most Popular WordPress Caching Plugins: WP Rocket is compatible with the most popular WordPress caching plugins, which makes it easy to integrate with your existing caching setup.
- Premium Support: WP Rocket comes with premium support from its developers, who are always available to help you with any issues you may encounter.
Cons Of Using WP Rocket
- No Free Version Available: WP Rocket does not have a free version available. If you want to use it, you will need to purchase a license.
That’s the only con we could really find! However, compared to the free caching plugins, WP Rocket is worth the price.
Overall Opinion – Pros vs Cons
So as you can see, there are more pros than cons to using WP Rocket. Overall, it is an excellent caching plugin that can significantly improve the performance of your WordPress website.
If you’re looking for a simple and easy-to-use caching plugin, then WP Rocket is definitely worth the price.
WP Rocket Review – Is It Better Than Its Alternatives?
There are quite a few caching plugins available for WordPress, but not all of them are created equal. In this article, we’re going to take a look at WP Rocket and some of its alternatives to see how they compare.
1. WP Rocket Vs W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache (by BoldGrid) is one of the most popular performance plugins available for WordPress. It’s a free caching plugin with a paid Pro version that offers additional features.
Both WP Rocket and W3 Total Cache offer similar features, but WP Rocket is generally considered to be the better option. This is because it’s easier to use and set up, and it’s been shown to provide better results.
2. WP Rocket Vs Comet Cache
Comet Cache is another popular WordPress caching plugin that’s available for free, with a premium version that offers additional features.
Like WP Rocket, Comet Cache is easy to use and set up. It also offers some great performance results. However, it doesn’t have as many features as WP Rocket, so it may not be the best option for everyone.
3. WP Rocket Vs CloudFlare
CloudFlare is a web security platform that offers a variety of features, including caching. It’s available in both free and paid versions.
While CloudFlare does offer some caching features, it’s not as comprehensive as a plugin like WP Rocket. Additionally, it can be challenging to set up and use, so it may not be the best option for everyone.
Which Caching Plugin is Best?
When it comes to choosing a caching plugin, there are a few things to consider. If you’re looking for the easiest option to set up and use, WP Rocket is best.
When it comes to premium WordPress caching plugins, the W3 Total Cache pro version is also an excellent option.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive caching solution that offers other features like security and performance, CloudFlare is worth considering.
No matter which plugin you choose, adding them to your WordPress site will indeed lead to performance optimization.
Why Use the WP Rocket WordPress Plugin?
If you’re not using WP Rocket on your WordPress site, you’re missing out on many performance enhancements that can make your site load faster and run smoother.
WP Rocket plugin can help you with the Core Web Vitals in multiple ways. Here are just a few reasons why your website needs WP Rocket:
- Faster Loading Pages
WP Rocket speeds up the loading of your pages. It can combine Javascript files, remove unused CSS, and cache static files. This means that visitors to your site will see your content more quickly and won’t get frustrated waiting for slow-loading pages.
- Improved Google Rankings
Google has stated that page speed is a ranking factor in their search algorithm. This means that if your pages load faster, you’re more likely to rank higher in Google search results.
- Increased Conversion Rates
Faster loading pages lead to improved user experience, which can, in turn, lead to increased conversion rates. If visitors to your site have a better experience, they’re more likely to buy from you or sign up for your newsletter.
- Reduced Server Load
WP Rocket helps reduce the load on your server by caching static files and eliminating unnecessary HTTP requests. This can free up resources on your server, leading to improved performance for all visitors to your site.
- Better Compatibility With WordPress Plugins
WP Rocket is compatible with the most popular WordPress plugins, including Yoast SEO, Gravity Forms, and WooCommerce.
This means that you can use all of the plugins you need without worrying about compatibility issues.
- Improved Security
WP Rocket adds security enhancements to your WordPress site, including the prevention of hotlinking and the removal of query strings from static resources.
This helps to protect your site from malicious attacks and improve your overall security posture.
- Easy User Interface
WP Rocket is easy to use, even for beginners. The plugin has an intuitive user interface that makes it simple to configure all of the settings.
If you need any help, the WP Rocket team offers excellent customer support and updates.
There’s no reason not to use WP Rocket on your WordPress site. So don’t wait any longer; install WP Rocket and see the difference it can make for your website.
What are WP Rocket Advanced Rules?
Advanced rules are available to those who want to get the most out of WP Rocket. Here are some examples:
1) Use caching for logged-in users – This is great for sites with members who need to log in to access the content. By caching pages for logged-in users, you can speed up the experience for them.
2) Exclude certain pages from cache – If there are pages on your site that shouldn’t be cached (like a shopping cart or checkout page), you can exclude them with this rule.
3) Cache based on user-agent – This rule lets you cache different versions of a page based on the user agent, so mobile devices and desktop browsers can each have their own cached version.
4) Cache Lifespan – The Cache lifespan setting controls how long cached files are stored on your visitors’ computers before they expire and need to be re-fetched from your server.
5) Don’t cache pages with GET parameters – This rule is useful if you have pages that can be accessed with different GET parameters (like a search results page). By excluding pages with GET parameters, you can ensure to separate cache for each unique search result.
6) Cache 404 error pages – If your site has a lot of 404 errors, this rule can help speed up the experience for your visitors by caching those pages.
7) CSS delivery Optimization – This rule helps improve performance by making sure that only the CSS needed for the initial rendering of the page is loaded. Additional CSS will be loaded asynchronously after the page has finished loading.
8) Defer JS loading – This rule helps to delay Javascript execution until after the initial page render. This can improve performance by reducing the time it takes to render the initial page.
9) Leverage browser caching – This rule helps improve performance by telling browsers to cache static files on your site. This can reduce the loading time for repeat visitors.
These are just a few examples of the advanced rules that are available in WP Rocket. By using these rules, you can fine-tune the caching and performance of your site.
WP Rocket Review – Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a premium WordPress caching plugin to improve the performance of your website, then WP Rocket is definitely worth considering.
However, it is essential to remember that no caching plugin will work miracles – if your website is already slow, WP Rocket (or any other plugin) will not always suddenly make it lightning-fast.
That being said, if you are having speed issues with your WordPress website, WP Rocket is definitely worth a try.
Is WP Rocket worth the price? In our opinion, YES!
While WP Rocket is not free, it is definitely worth the price. It is easy to set up and use and comes with many features that other performance plugins don’t have. WP Rocket also has excellent customer support and updates regularly.
If you are serious about speed and performance, WP Rocket is the best caching plugin available.
Learn More or Get WP Rocket Now
WP Rocket WordPress Plugin – FAQs
1. Can I use WP Rocket on my WordPress multisite?
Yes, WP Rocket can be used on a WordPress multisite installation. However, a separate license must be purchased for each website in the network.
2. How often should I clear my cache?
It’s not necessary to clear your cache every time you make a change to your website. However, if you want to see those changes reflected immediately, you can clear your cache from the WP Rocket settings page.
3. Does WP Rocket work with CDNs?
Yes, WP Rocket is fully compatible with all major CDNs, including CloudFlare, MaxCDN, and Amazon CloudFront.
4. How do I know if my website is cached?
You can check to see if your website is cached by going to the WP Rocket settings page and looking for the “Cache Status” section. If your website is cached, you will see a message saying, “Your site is cached by WP Rocket.”
5. What is Heartbeat in WP Rocket?
Heartbeat is a feature in WP Rocket that allows you to manage how often your WordPress site “pings” the server. This can be helpful in reducing server load and improving performance.
6. I’m having issues with my WordPress site after installing WP Rocket. What should I do?
If you’re having any issues with your WordPress site after installing WP Rocket, the first thing you should do is deactivate the plugin and see if that resolves the issue.
If it does, there may be a conflict with another plugin or theme on your site. Again, you can try reactivating each plugin one by one to narrow down the source of the conflict.
You can contact WP Rocket support for help if you still have issues.
