WordPress Performance Reviews
Accelerate your WordPress site with faster hosting, CDNs, and optimization plugins with reviews/tutorials viewed 6M+ times.
For static sites
ChemiCloud
LiteSpeed hosting with faster NVMe SSDs, Redis, cPanel, scalable CPU/RAM, and 5/5 TrustPilot rating. Static sites can average a ∼100ms global TTFB with their WP Turbo plan ($4.95/mo) + LiteSpeed Cache (free) + QUIC.cloud’s CDN ($.02 – $.08/GB). It’s a faster + cheaper setup than other shared hosts, including SiteGround and Hostinger.
LiteSpeed Cache
Cache plugin for LiteSpeed servers with more optimizations than WP Rocket and SiteGround Optimizer. This tutorial shows you how to configure the settings, connect Redis, and add your CDN. Once everything is setup, retest core web vitals (specifically TTFB + LCP) while testing TTFB in multiple locations with KeyCDN’s Performance Test.
For WooCommerce / resource-demanding sites
Rocket.net
The “fastest” host with free Cloudflare Enterprise and more resources, averaging 100ms globally with APO and Argo Smart Routing. Ideal for resource-demanding sites with 32 CPU cores + 128GB RAM), ∞ PHP workers, NVMe SSDs, and Redis/Redis Pro. Outperforms Cloudways, SiteGround Cloud, Kinsta, WPE, and other cloud hosts.
FlyingPress
When not using LiteSpeed Cache, try FlyingPress before WP Rocket. You get more features to optimize LCP, images, third-party code, and bloat removal. It doesn’t require Perfmatters since you can use a free plugin (Asset CleanUp) to disable plugins on pages they’re not used. Developed by Gijo from WP Speed Matters.
more Hosting
LiteSpeed
List of hosts with LiteSpeed servers which are newer and more CPU/memory efficient than Apache. You’ll also get LiteSpeed Cache (4.8/5 rating).
Scala
LiteSpeed hosting with a shared/cloud hybrid plan on 4GHz processors, NVMe SSDs in US data center, Redis, and custom control panel (sPanel).
FastComet
Cheap LiteSpeed hosting with more CPU cores/RAM and 1-3 year flexible pricing on cPanel. However, they use slower SATA SSDs, Memcached, and MySQL.
NameHero
Similar to ChemiCloud with LiteSpeed, cPanel, and Redis. But they cost more and only have a US data center. A VPS also costs more with LiteSpeed.
Cloudways
You can still Vultr High Frequency + 30% off 3 months using my link, but there have been several complaints after being acquired by DigitalOcean.
GridPane
What agencies should use. Launch servers from multiple cloud providers, manage them with a suite of tools, and turn your hosting into a profit center.
Servebolt
Extremely fast but starts at $99/mo and their Cloudflare Enterprise (called accelerated domains) is an extra $299/mo. Very solid if that’s your budget.
SiteGround
Partners with Facebook group admins who have been writing reviews on their behalf for 10+ years, resulting in “glowing reviews” without affiliate links.
Hostinger
Scams/fake reviews you can find on Reddit. Resource limits are falsely advertised and can lead to poor performance, I/O limits, and account suspension.
Kinsta
Unless you want to constantly upgrade due to PHP workers, monthly visits, or pay $100/mo for Redis, avoid Kinsta. Slower and costs more vs. Rocket.net.
WP Engine
Very similar to Kinsta with prices, incomplete “Cloudflare Enterprise” integration, SATA SSDs, and low limits on PHP workers, visits, and bandwidth.
WPX
Not the fastest host like they claim. <400ms target TTFB, shared hosting, downtimes, and no redundancy system caused a worldwide outage.
Bluehost
Mainly promoted by “how to start a blog” affiliates who target noobs that don’t know better. Old infrastructure and pays WP to be “recommended.”
GoDaddy
Everyone knows to avoid SlowDaddy. If you bought a domain through them, you’ll want to switch your DNS to Cloudflare since theirs is slow.
Elementor Cloud
Extremely slow, way too minimal, and you should get your hosting from an actual hosting company – not your page builder/domain registrar.
Cache Plugins
LiteSpeed Cache
Cache plugin for LiteSpeed servers. Learn to configure the settings and setup QUIC.cloud (or Cloudflare full page caching) with object cache, ideally Redis.
WP Rocket
Poor job optimizing LCP, images, and third-party code compared to FlyingPress. Also can’t remove bloat or lazy load HTML. Slow to release features.
SG Optimizer
Lacks many features (like remove unused CSS and delay JavaScript), so you will need FlyingPress or Perfmatters for better results + core web vitals.
CDNs
Cloudflare
The fastest CDN to improve TTFB, especially with full page caching. Network has over 310 PoPs, speeds of 228 Tbps, and more features in the dashboard.
Cloudflare Enterprise
Improve TTFB for dynamic + WooCommerce sites with APO, Argo, prioritizing routing, load balancing, image optimization. Used on Rocket.net/Cloudways.
QUIC.cloud
LiteSpeed’s CDN is #1 on CDN Performance Tracker. Use the standard/paid plan which uses all 83 PoPs and includes DDoS protection (free plan uses 6).
BunnyCDN
CDN used by FlyingCDN (FlyingPress) and RocketCDN (WP Rocket). But… FlyingCDN uses Bunny Optimizer’s image optimization and perma-cache.
SiteGround CDN
Unreliable since their DNS was blocked by Google and caused 2M domains to get deindexed… which SG blamed on their own partners (Google and Amazon).
RocketCDN
Doesn’t use Bunny Optimizer (for image optimization) and perma-cache (geo-replication) like FlyingCDN does, making RocketCDN the slower option.
Web Vitals
LCP
Learn the 4 sub-parts of LCP and how optimizing TTFB (and above the fold content) can improve scores. The core web vital people struggle with most.
CLS
Stop things from shifting on your website which is often fixed with CSS/font settings, adding dimensions, delaying JS, and preloading local fonts.
TBT
Blocking time is usually from JavaScript added by plugins, themes, and third-party code (including jQuery). Remove it from the source or optimize it.
TTFB
Test your global TTFB in KeyCDN’s Performance Test or SpeedVitals. A good host and CDN (with full page caching) can solve most TTFB problems.
Third-Party Code
Host fonts/Gravatars locally, then delay JavaScript for most other third-party domains (as long as their JavaScript loads below the fold, try delaying it).
Image Optimization
Optimize LCP, mobile, and background images. Image CDNs generally do a better job compared to plugins, and they also don’t use server resources.
Themes
GeneratePress
Why I used GeneratePress + GenerateBlocks to redesign my site and how it fixed several design/speed issues I’ve been having (cheaper than Kadence).
Speed Up Elementor
Use the performance settings, remove wp-block-library, and learn other optimizations like excluding Elementor files from remove unused CSS + delay JS.
Speed Up Divi
Similar to Elementor’s tutorial only specific to Divi. However, both page builders add extra CSS/JS – especially when you add extra page builder plugins.
Plugins
Speed Plugins
Overkilled list of 50+ speed plugins. Which ones you need (or don’t need) largely depend on which hosting/cache plugin you use, so choose both wisely.
Slow Plugins To Avoid
List of 75 slow plugins that increase memory usage or add CSS/JS to the frontend. Use the Chrome Dev Tools coverage report to find bloated plugins.
WP-Optimize
Cleans database better than cache plugins since it removes tables, takes database backups, and keeps a few post revisions (instead of deleting all of them).
tom dupuis
Why I Started OMM
Money ¯_(ツ)_/¯
After running this since 2011, it’s been more about helping people avoid garbage recommendations to overpriced services that aren’t even that good (you know who you are). If I can legitimately help you optimize your site while getting paid via affiliate links, while hopefully saving YOU money, I’ll take this job any day. It’s all about the win-win. Plus, I get roughly the same commission for most hosts/cache plugins.
