Let's see an example to better understand what caching is. Think that you are a member of a team and you have to calculate a very difficult mathematical expression, like “the result of log √7 − 3(log 2 + log √5 - 6) + .... ”. After some time someone will figure out the answer. Now if you repeat this process, then immediately everyone will know the answer.
This is how caching works. When a computer - client asks for a webpage from the server, for the first time, the server will take some time to prepare that page and serve it back to the client. The next time that this webpage will be requested, and if it has not been modified, the server will serve it in much less time. To sum up, your website loads faster by using a caching mechanism.
An easy way to add caching functionality to your Wordpress website, is by installing a caching plugin. Below we recommend some of our favorite caching tools that you can use.
Comet Cache (Free and Premium version)
Comet cache is a free Wordpress caching solution and perhaps one of the fastest caching tools for Wordpress websites. It's multifunctional, with several options and it is also lightweight.
It creates copies of your website pages and supports caching on server and on browser side. It also has a paid version, which support caching for logged-in users.
WP Super cache is a free plugin, which is characterized by the ease it offers to new users. It has the
ability to instantly enable the caching mechanism without many
changes to its settings, as well as advanced settings for demanding
users.
It can create static HTML pages for visitors who are not logged in or have not commented on a post. It
can also change the loading order for the rest
of your website's plugins, as well as to schedule the deletion of the older created static pages
from the memory. Another option it offers is that you can export your settings in order to use them to future websites.
W3 Total cache is one of the most famous free plugins in this category. It offers many choices that may seem complicated for a beginner user, which at the same time makes this tool very powerful.
Some of its
most useful features are caching pages at server and browser side,
caching databases, compression of css and javascript code as well as SSL
certificate support.
WP Fastest Cache (Free and Premium version)
WP
Fastest cache offers a set of features that make it a great choice for
the intermediate users who want to complete the plugin configuration within
minutes.
It
offers features such as static HTML pages creation, deletion of the created static pages from
memory, enabling or disabling caching for mobile devices and
connected users, HTML compression and integration with the CSS and
Javascript files. It's free but there is also a paid version which also supports CDN (Content Delivery Network) services.
WP Rocket (Annual subscription)
WP Rocket is according to several measurements perhaps the fastest caching plugin for Wordpress. There is an annual subscription that offers many features similar to the other free plugins, but also a very friendly environment.
Some of its
features include the creation of HTML static pages, CSS, HTML and
Javascript compression, server and browser side caching support, database
optimization, and the option for the images and videos to load only when the user
views them in the current page. Because of its subscription form it offers excellent customer support.
Autoptimize (Free and Premium version)
Autoptimize
can compress HTML, CSS and Javascript files to create static HTML pages and integrate them together by putting the CSS code in the header and
Javascript code in the footer of the HTML pages.
Its usage is mainly to optimize a website and make it's files load faster. It is usually used together with a caching plugin like the ones above, offering the best possible performance.
