W3 Total Cache vs WP Fastest Cache
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | W3 Total Cache v2.11.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.4/5 Visit Details | WP Fastest Cache v1.5.3 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 900,000+ | 1M+ |
| Last updated | October 20, 2026 | October 10, 2026 |
| Editions | W3 Total Cache · W3 Total Cache Pro ($) | WP Fastest Cache · WP Fastest Cache Premium ($) |
| Pros | Page, browser, object and CDN caching in one plugin; Minification of CSS and JavaScript; Works with many CDN providers in the free code | Static page cache with a simple settings screen; Browser caching and GZIP rules written for the site; Cache is cleared when a post changes status; Cloudflare cache purge from the settings screen |
| Cons | Large settings area that is easy to misconfigure; Some modules need external cache servers or CDN accounts; Pro upgrade notes appear in the free admin | Database cleanup, mobile cache and advanced minification are Premium only; Cache and browser rules are written to .htaccess files |
| Mentioned in our posts | 3 | 2 |
| Features (Speed Optimization plugins checklist) | ||
| Page cache | Yes | Yes |
| Browser cache | Yes | Yes |
| Minify CSS/JS | Yes | Yes |
| CDN | Yes | Yes |
| Object cache | Yes | No |
| Database cleanup | — | Paid |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Database query caching, Fragment caching for plugins and themes ($), Local usage statistics collection, Pro upgrade notes in the free admin ($), Pro licence check ($) | Clears cache when a post changes status, Delete cached and minified CSS/JS files, GZIP rules in .htaccess, Cloudflare cache purge, Clear all cache from a URL call, Skips caching when DONOTCACHEPAGE is defined, Exclusion rules by page type |
| Integrations | ||
| Analytics | New Relic | — |
| Storage | BunnyCDN, Google Drive, Rackspace Cloud Files | — |
| Other | — | Cloudflare |
| Requires WordPress | 6.0 | 5.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | — |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| External services | api.bunny.net, identity.api.rackspacecloud.com, api.newrelic.com, closure-compiler.appspot.com, management.core.windows.net | api.cloudflare.com |