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Perfmatters vs WP Rocket

Updated 5 Oct 2026. 46 features compared side by side.

Premium performance plugin for script management, delayed JS, unused CSS removal, lazy loading and local fonts. Not a page cache; pair it with one.

Est. installs~190K
From$29.95/yr
ModelPremium
Visit site Full profile
VS

Premium all-in-one caching and performance plugin for WordPress that applies page caching, file optimisation and lazy loading as soon as it is activated.

Est. installs~3.5M
From$59.95/yr
ModelPremium
Visit site Full profile

Choose Perfmatters if…

  • You want the lower entry price ($29.95/yr vs $59.95/yr)

Choose WP Rocket if…

  • You need page caching and browser caching rules
  • You also want cache preloading and critical CSS
  • You want the more complete feature set (89/100 vs 50/100)
  • You prefer the more widely used option

WP Rocket has 10 that Perfmatters lacks, including Page caching, Browser caching rules and Cache preloading. Both include 20 of the 46 features we track. 3 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.

At a glance

Perfmatters
WP Rocket
50/100
Feature score
89/100
13 of 25
Features included
23 of 25

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
Perfmatters
WP Rocket
Caching & Speed: Caching3/87/8
Page caching KeyServes pre-built HTML pages.
Perfmatters Not included

Not a caching plugin; it is designed to run alongside one.

WP Rocket Included

Static HTML page cache is active as soon as the plugin is enabled.

Browser caching rulesSets cache headers for static files.
Perfmatters Not included

Does not add browser-cache or expires headers.

WP Rocket Included

Adds browser cache rules for images, CSS and JS automatically.

Cache preloadingBuilds the cache before visitors arrive.
Perfmatters Not included

No cache to preload; offers browser-side speculative prerendering instead.

WP Rocket Included

Sitemap-based preload rebuilds the cache after changes; link preloading also available.

Object cacheRedis or Memcached object caching.
Perfmatters Not included

No Redis or Memcached object cache integration.

WP Rocket Not included

No Redis/Memcached object cache feature; use a separate object-cache drop-in.

Separate mobile cacheDifferent cache for mobile devices.
Perfmatters Not included

No page cache, so no separate mobile cache.

WP Rocket Included

Separate mobile cache files are on by default (phones only; tablets treated as desktop).

WooCommerce-aware cachingExcludes cart, checkout and account pages automatically.
Perfmatters Partial

No cache to exclude pages from, but can disable WooCommerce scripts and cart fragments.

WP Rocket Included

Cart, checkout and account pages are excluded from cache automatically.

Page cache on any serverPage caching works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed alike.
Perfmatters Included

Front-end optimisation plugin that is not tied to any server stack.

WP Rocket Included

Works on Apache, Nginx and managed hosts; not tied to a specific server stack.

Multisite supportWorks on WordPress multisite networks.
Perfmatters Partial

No page cache; multisite settings push is only in the Unlimited plan.

WP Rocket Included

Supported; vendor advises per-site activation so each sub-site keeps its own settings.

Caching & Speed: CSS & JavaScript5/77/7
Minify CSS & JSStrips whitespace from CSS and JavaScript.
Perfmatters Included

Separate CSS and JS minification with exclusions.

WP Rocket Included

Separate options to minify CSS files and JavaScript files.

Combine filesMerges CSS/JS files.
Perfmatters Not included

Does not combine CSS or JavaScript files.

WP Rocket Partial

Can combine JavaScript files; the old CSS combine option has been retired.

Defer / delay JavaScript KeyLoads scripts after the page renders or on interaction.
Perfmatters Included

Defers JS and can delay it until interaction or a timeout.

WP Rocket Included

Load JavaScript deferred plus Delay JavaScript execution with one-click exclusions.

Remove unused CSS KeyGenerates only the CSS each page uses.
Perfmatters Included

Removes unused CSS; originals can be delayed, async loaded or removed.

WP Rocket Included

Remove Unused CSS generated by WP Rocket's cloud service, with a safelist.

Critical CSSInlines above-the-fold CSS.
Perfmatters Not included

No separate critical CSS generator; relies on used-CSS output.

WP Rocket Included

Load CSS asynchronously generates critical CSS per page, with fallback CSS.

Font optimisationSelf-hosts or preloads web fonts.
Perfmatters Included

Hosts Google Fonts locally with display swap, subsets and font preloading.

WP Rocket Included

Self-host Google Fonts and preload chosen font files.

Preload and prefetchPreload fonts, images or links and prefetch DNS.
Perfmatters Included

Preload, preconnect, DNS prefetch, fetch priority and Early Hints.

WP Rocket Included

Font and link preloading plus automatic preconnect to external domains (since 3.19).

Caching & Speed: Media & delivery3/77/7
Lazy loadingDefers off-screen images and iframes.
Perfmatters Included

Lazy loads images, iframes, videos and CSS background images.

WP Rocket Included

Lazy load images and CSS background images, with exclusions.

Image compressionCompresses uploaded images.
Perfmatters Not included

Does not compress images.

WP Rocket Via add-on

Compression is provided by the separate Imagify plugin (free tier, paid plans).

WebP / AVIF deliveryServes next-gen image formats.
Perfmatters Not included

Does not convert images; only lazy loads existing WebP/AVIF files.

WP Rocket Partial

WebP compatibility serves next-gen files created by Imagify or other plugins; no conversion itself.

CDN integrationRewrites asset URLs to a CDN.
Perfmatters Included

CDN rewrite with directory and file-type rules.

WP Rocket Included

Rewrites asset URLs to any CDN CNAME you enter.

Cloudflare integrationPurges or configures Cloudflare.
Perfmatters Not included

No Cloudflare API integration; docs only cover enabling Early Hints.

WP Rocket Included

Built-in Cloudflare add-on for purging, dev mode and optimal settings.

Lazy-load video embedsReplace YouTube and Vimeo embeds with a lightweight preview.
Perfmatters Included

Swaps iframes for a preview thumbnail with an SVG play icon.

WP Rocket Included

Option to replace YouTube iframes with a preview image until clicked.

Included CDN serviceA CDN is part of the product or plan, not just URL rewriting.
Perfmatters Not included

No vendor-run CDN.

WP Rocket Via add-on

RocketCDN free for 3 pages; whole-site RocketCDN Pro is $7.99/month.

Caching & Speed: Housekeeping2/32/3
Database cleanupRemoves revisions, transients and spam.
Perfmatters Included

Cleans revisions, drafts, spam, transients and tables on a schedule.

WP Rocket Included

Cleans revisions, drafts, trash, spam, transients and optimises tables on a schedule.

Heartbeat controlLimits the WordPress Heartbeat API.
Perfmatters Included

Disable the Heartbeat API or change its frequency.

WP Rocket Included

Reduce or disable Heartbeat separately for backend, editor and frontend.

WP-CLI commandsClear or warm the cache from the command line.
Perfmatters Not included

WP-CLI commands cover licence, options and caches but not database cleanup.

WP Rocket Not verified

Free official wp-rocket-cli package adds purge, preload and settings commands.

Database Optimization: Cleanup4/84/8
Post revisions KeyDelete old post and page revisions.
Perfmatters Included

Database section deletes revisions for posts, pages and custom post types.

WP Rocket Included

Posts cleanup deletes all post revisions.

Auto-drafts & trashed postsRemove auto-drafts and emptied trash.
Perfmatters Included

Deletes auto-drafts and trashed posts.

WP Rocket Included

Deletes auto-drafts and trashed posts.

Spam & trashed commentsDelete spam, trashed and unapproved comments.
Perfmatters Partial

Deletes spam and trashed comments; no option for unapproved comments.

WP Rocket Partial

Deletes spam and trashed comments; unapproved comments are not covered.

Expired transients KeyRemove expired (or all) transients.
Perfmatters Included

Deletes expired transients, or all transients if chosen.

WP Rocket Included

Transients cleanup deletes all transients (no expired-only option).

Orphaned & duplicate metadata KeyRemove post, comment, user and term meta with no parent.
Perfmatters Not included

Not among the database cleanup options listed.

WP Rocket Not included

Not among the Database tab cleanup options.

Leftover plugin tables KeyFind and delete tables left behind by removed plugins.
Perfmatters Not included

No tool for finding or deleting leftover plugin tables.

WP Rocket Not included

No tool for leftover plugin tables.

Leftover options & cron jobsFind options and scheduled tasks left by removed plugins.
Perfmatters Not included

No cleanup for leftover plugin options or cron events.

WP Rocket Not included

No cleanup of leftover plugin options or cron events.

Action Scheduler logsClean WooCommerce Action Scheduler completed actions and logs.
Perfmatters Not included

Action Scheduler data is not among the cleanup options.

WP Rocket Not included

Action Scheduler data is not among the cleanup options.

Database Optimization: Optimisation2/51/5
Optimise tables KeyRun OPTIMIZE TABLE to reclaim space and defragment tables.
Perfmatters Included

Runs OPTIMIZE TABLE in the background on optimisable (mainly MyISAM) tables.

WP Rocket Included

Optimize Tables runs OPTIMIZE TABLE; InnoDB tables are skipped.

Repair tablesRepair corrupted or crashed tables.
Perfmatters Not included

No table repair option in the database section.

WP Rocket Not included

No repair option in the Database tab.

Autoloaded options control KeySee the size of autoloaded options and switch heavy ones off.
Perfmatters Not included

No autoloaded options report or toggle in the documented features.

WP Rocket Not included

No autoloaded options report or toggle in the Database tab.

Convert to InnoDBConvert MyISAM tables to InnoDB.
Perfmatters Not included

No engine conversion tool; docs only note OPTIMIZE skips InnoDB.

WP Rocket Not included

No engine conversion tool; InnoDB tables are just skipped.

Limit future revisionsCap how many revisions WordPress keeps from now on.
Perfmatters Included

General setting to disable revisions or cap them at 1 to 30.

WP Rocket Not verified
Database Optimization: Automation & safety2/52/5
Scheduled cleanup KeyRun cleanups automatically on a schedule.
Perfmatters Included

Selected optimisations can run daily, weekly or monthly in the background.

WP Rocket Included

Automatic cleanup runs the chosen options daily, weekly or monthly via cron.

Preview before deletingShows counts or the exact items before anything is removed.
Perfmatters Included

Scan Database refreshes the item counts shown beside each optimisation.

WP Rocket Included

Settings page shows counts of optimisable items before you run a cleanup.

Keep recent dataKeep the last X days or revisions when cleaning.
Perfmatters Not included

Cleanups remove all matching items; no keep-last-X setting documented.

WP Rocket Not included

Cleanups remove every matching item; no keep-recent setting.

Backup before cleanupBuilt-in or integrated backup before running a cleanup.
Perfmatters Not included

No built-in backup; docs warn changes are permanent and say to back up first.

WP Rocket Not included

No built-in backup; docs advise backing up first as changes are irreversible.

ExclusionsExclude specific tables, options or items from cleanup.
Perfmatters Not included

No way to exclude specific tables or items documented.

WP Rocket Not included

No option to exclude tables or items from cleanup.

Database Optimization: Insights & admin1/30/3
Database size reportShows table sizes and how much space a cleanup will save.
Perfmatters Not included

Shows counts only, not table sizes or space saved.

WP Rocket Not included

Shows item counts, not table sizes or space saved.

Identify table & option ownersShows which plugin or theme created each table or option.
Perfmatters Not included

Does not show which plugin created a table or option.

WP Rocket Not included

Does not show which plugin owns a table or option.

Multisite supportClean and optimise across a multisite network.
Perfmatters Partial

Multisite works on the Unlimited plan, but no network-wide database cleanup is documented.

WP Rocket Not verified

Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?

Pricing compared

Perfmatters Premium

Personal$29.95 per year, 1 site
Business$59.95 per year, 3 sites
Unlimited Sites$124.95 per year, Unlimited

WP Rocket Premium

Single$59.95 per year, 1 site
Plus$119.95 per year, 3 sites
Multi$299.95 per year, 50 sites

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 5 Oct 2026

WP Rocket scores higher on our feature checklist (89/100 against 50/100) and includes page caching, browser caching rules and cache preloading that Perfmatters does not. Paid plans start at $29.95/yr for Perfmatters and $59.95/yr for WP Rocket. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Biggest differences

Page caching

Perfmatters: not included. WP Rocket: included. Static HTML page cache is active as soon as the plugin is enabled.

Browser caching rules

Perfmatters: not included. WP Rocket: included. Adds browser cache rules for images, CSS and JS automatically.

Cache preloading

Perfmatters: not included. WP Rocket: included. Sitemap-based preload rebuilds the cache after changes; link preloading also available.

Critical CSS

Perfmatters: not included. WP Rocket: included. Load CSS asynchronously generates critical CSS per page, with fallback CSS.

Image compression

Perfmatters: not included. WP Rocket: via add-on. Compression is provided by the separate Imagify plugin (free tier, paid plans).

Separate mobile cache

Perfmatters: not included. WP Rocket: included. Separate mobile cache files are on by default (phones only; tablets treated as desktop).

Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.

Which would you choose?

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FAQ

Which is better, Perfmatters or WP Rocket?

WP Rocket scores higher on our feature checklist (89/100 against 50/100) and includes page caching, browser caching rules and cache preloading that Perfmatters does not. Paid plans start at $29.95/yr for Perfmatters and $59.95/yr for WP Rocket. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Which has more features?

WP Rocket includes 23 of the 25 features we track, against 13 for Perfmatters. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.

Is Perfmatters free?

Perfmatters is premium only. Paid plans start at $29.95/yr.

Is WP Rocket free?

WP Rocket is premium only. Paid plans start at $59.95/yr.

Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Perfmatters or WP Rocket. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.