WP Rocket has been my go-to WordPress cache and performance plugin for years. However, over time, I’ve observed a decline in its effectiveness and overall value. Innovation has stagnated, customer-needs seem to be an afterthought, and most critically, it often fails to deliver on its primary promise: improving performance. Setting up WP Rocket has always been a challenging process, and just when you get everything configured and running smoothly, an update comes along and disrupts your setup.
Needless to say, this has been frustrating and one of the key reasons why, despite all my attempts, my sites were not clearing
What has been even more troubling is the frequent price increases. Over the years, WP Rocket’s pricing has doubled. While enhanced features can sometimes justify price hikes, the value proposition here feels lacking.
On a personal note, these price increments hit hardest in third-world countries where currency exchange rates amplify the cost.
For instance, when I first renewed WP Rocket for a single website at $24.50, the exchange rate was around 60 INR (Indian Rupees) per USD.
Now, with 1 USD at 86 INR, the effective price increase of 200% becomes an actual 286% hike for me—nearly triple. What costs $59 for most users ends up costing $88 per year in India.
Heads up to regular readers: I am working on an article on how plugin prices are not fair to third-world countries and why everyone should switch to a purchasing power parity (PPP) based pricing model like WordPress.com.
It would have been considerate to offer long-term customers grandfathered pricing or additional discounts.
However, as WP Rocket was acquired by a more commercial enterprise called group.ONE, such customer-friendly gestures seem unlikely.
In October 2024, I made the switch to FlyingPress after conducting thorough research on WP Rocket alternatives. If you’re considering making the same move, I’ve compiled this list of alternatives to help you. That said, if you’re looking for the best WordPress cache and performance plugin, FlyingPress is the clear winner in my book. Its single-site pricing is slightly lower than WP Rocket’s ($49 vs. $59), and it offers an unlimited site license for $249—a fantastic deal for agencies. FlyingPress also integrates seamlessly with FlyingCDN, which offers Cloudflare Enterprise features for just $5 a month.
For those on a tight budget (like literally ZERO dollars) and using a LiteSpeed server instead of Apache or Nginx, the LiteSpeed Cache plugin is an excellent free alternative. (FlyingPress, by the way, performs well across all server types.)
Best WP Rocket Alternatives
When it comes to enhancing your website’s speed and performance, there are plenty of great alternatives to WP Rocket like FlyingPress & LiteSpeed Cache. Whether you’re looking for budget-friendly options or high-end solutions, these plugins offer impressive…