LiteSpeed Cache
Free server-level cache and optimisation suite from LiteSpeed Technologies; full-page caching needs a LiteSpeed web server or QUIC.cloud CDN.
94
Autoptimize
Front-end optimiser that minifies, aggregates and defers CSS/JS, optimises images and Google Fonts. No page cache in the free plugin; Pro adds one.
Free installs800K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~42KLikely 21K–84K
Vendor claims1M+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.7/51,428 reviews
Price from$89/yrFreemium
Last updated25 Oct 2026Version 3.1.17
Overview
Autoptimize, developed by Frank Goossens (Optimizing Matters), is one of the longest-running front-end optimisation plugins for WordPress. It is important to understand what it is not: the free plugin does not include page caching. It optimises the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images and fonts that your pages output, and the developer recommends pairing it with a separate page cache such as Cache Enabler, a host-level cache or Cloudflare.
How it works
Autoptimize processes page output and can minify HTML, CSS and JavaScript, optionally aggregate files (off by default on new installs for HTTP/2), defer scripts, and inline and defer CSS using critical CSS. Critical CSS rules can be created manually for free, or generated automatically with a paid criticalcss.com API key that the plugin integrates with directly. The Images tab lazy-loads images and can route them through ShortPixel’s optimisation CDN, which serves WebP or AVIF versions; you can also set a per-page image to preload for better LCP. The Extra tab removes emojis and block-library CSS, optimises or removes Google Fonts, and adds preconnect and preload hints. Optimised files can be rewritten to your own CDN, and cart/checkout pages can be excluded from optimisation for WooCommerce, EDD and WP eCommerce.
Autoptimize Pro
Autoptimize Pro is a separate paid add-on with monthly or annual billing. It adds page caching, automatic critical CSS, image optimisation with CDN delivery, and “Boosters” such as delaying all or third-party JavaScript, delaying iframes (YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion), delaying below-the-fold HTML, removing unneeded CSS/JS files per page, link prefetching via instant.page, and a configuration wizard with presets.
Limitations
Without Pro or a companion cache you get no page caching, so server response time is untouched. There are no database or Heartbeat tools, WP-CLI support is limited to clearing the cache, and aggressive aggregation can break poorly coded themes, so exclusions sometimes need tuning.
Who should pick it: sites that already have page caching from their host or another plugin and want flexible, free CSS/JS/image delivery optimisation. Upgrade to Pro if you want caching and automation in the same plugin.
Best for: Sites that already have page caching and want free, flexible CSS, JS, image and font delivery optimisation.
Autoptimize remains a strong free front-end optimiser and a natural partner for a separate page cache. On its own it does not cache pages, so compare it with full caching plugins only if you plan to buy Pro or already have caching elsewhere.
Pros
- Mature, widely used CSS/JS optimiser with fine-grained exclusions
- Free critical CSS support (manual rules or criticalcss.com key)
- Free image lazy load and ShortPixel-powered image CDN with WebP/AVIF
- Google Fonts optimisation and per-page LCP image preload
- Pairs well with any page cache, host cache or Cloudflare
- Pro offers monthly billing and delay-JS/iframe boosters
Cons
- No page caching in the free plugin
- No database cleanup or Heartbeat control
- Automatic critical CSS needs Pro or a paid criticalcss.com key
- Aggregation can break some themes without careful exclusions
- WP-CLI limited to clearing the cache
Key features
What Autoptimize highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Minify HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- Optional CSS/JS aggregation
- Defer and async JavaScript
- Inline and defer CSS with critical CSS
- criticalcss.com API integration
- Lazy load images
- ShortPixel image optimisation CDN
- WebP and AVIF delivery
- Google Fonts optimise or remove
- Preconnect and per-page image preload
- Custom CDN URL for assets
- Skip cart/checkout optimisation
- Remove emojis and block CSS
Pro / paid adds From $89/yr
- Built-in page caching
- Automatic critical CSS rules
- Image optimisation with CDN delivery
- Delay all or third-party JavaScript
- Delay YouTube/Vimeo iframes
- Delay below-the-fold HTML
- Delay full CSS
- Remove unneeded CSS/JS per page
- instant.page link prefetching
- Adaptive images
- Setup wizard with presets
- Monthly or yearly billing
Feature checklist
18 of 25 features we track in Caching & Speed, feature score 70/100
Caching 4/8
Page caching Key
Serves pre-built HTML pages.
Free plugin has no page cache; Autoptimize Pro adds one.
Paid version Pro
Browser caching rules
Sets cache headers for static files.
Does not manage browser cache headers.
Not included
Cache preloading
Builds the cache before visitors arrive.
Could not confirm cache preloading for the Pro page cache.
Not verified
Object cache
Redis or Memcached object caching.
No Redis/Memcached integration.
Not included
Separate mobile cache
Different cache for mobile devices.
No documentation found on a separate mobile cache in Pro.
Not verified
WooCommerce-aware caching
Excludes cart, checkout and account pages automatically.
Option to skip optimising cart/checkout for WooCommerce, EDD, WP eCommerce.
Included
Page cache on any server
Page caching works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed alike.
Plugin-level optimisation that works on any host.
Included
Multisite support
Works on WordPress multisite networks.
Network-wide or per-site settings on multisite since v2.6.
Included
CSS & JavaScript 7/7
Minify CSS & JS
Strips whitespace from CSS and JavaScript.
Minifies HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Included
Combine files
Merges CSS/JS files.
Optional CSS/JS aggregation; off by default on new installs.
Included
Defer / delay JavaScript Key
Loads scripts after the page renders or on interaction.
Defer/async JS free; Pro boosters delay all or third-party JS.
Included
Remove unused CSS Key
Generates only the CSS each page uses.
No rule-level unused CSS removal; Pro can strip unneeded CSS files per page.
Partial
Critical CSS
Inlines above-the-fold CSS.
Inline & defer CSS; manual rules free, automatic via criticalcss.com key or Pro.
Included
Font optimisation
Self-hosts or preloads web fonts.
Combine, async-load or remove Google Fonts.
Included
Preload and prefetch
Preload fonts, images or links and prefetch DNS.
Preconnect domains and preload a chosen image per page.
Included
Media & delivery 6/7
Lazy loading
Defers off-screen images and iframes.
Lazy-loads images using the lazysizes library.
Included
Image compression
Compresses uploaded images.
Optional on-the-fly optimisation via ShortPixel's CDN; usage limits apply.
Included
WebP / AVIF delivery
Serves next-gen image formats.
Image optimisation serves WebP and AVIF where supported.
Included
CDN integration
Rewrites asset URLs to a CDN.
Rewrites optimised asset URLs to a CDN base URL.
Included
Cloudflare integration
Purges or configures Cloudflare.
No Cloudflare API integration; assets simply pass through Cloudflare's CDN.
Not included
Lazy-load video embeds
Replace YouTube and Vimeo embeds with a lightweight preview.
Pro booster delays YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion iframes.
Paid version Pro
Included CDN service
A CDN is part of the product or plan, not just URL rewriting.
Images only, via ShortPixel's CDN; Pro raises CDN delivery limits.
Partial
Housekeeping 1/3
Database cleanup
Removes revisions, transients and spam.
No database cleanup tools.
Not included
Heartbeat control
Limits the WordPress Heartbeat API.
No Heartbeat API control.
Not included
WP-CLI commands
Clear or warm the cache from the command line.
Single WP-CLI command to clear the Autoptimize cache.
Partial
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
Freeper yearUnlimited
Free plugin on WordPress.org; no page cache.
Pro Single Site
$89per year1 site
Or $12.99/month. Also priced in EUR (€89/yr).
Pro 5 Sites
$379per year5 sites
Or $39.99/month.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Autoptimize?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
800K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
1M+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~42K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 850K free installs x 4% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when most features are free) gives 34K. The vendor claims 1M+ sites in total. Taking away about 850K free installs leaves 150K, and 80% of that is 120K. Vendor totals are loose, so we only move our figure part of the way toward it, from 34K to 42K. Likely range: 21K to 84K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
372,983 downloads last week, 45.2M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 3.1.17 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 25 Oct 2026 (9 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 5.3+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 4 of 5 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 9 Jul 2009 |
Company & policy
| Founded | 2016 (source, 5 Oct 2026) Year Frank Goossens founded Optimizing Matters; the plugin itself is older. |
|---|
Autoptimize compared
Autoptimize/WP Super Cache
Autoptimize/xSpeed Cache
Autoptimize/Perfmatters
Autoptimize/NitroPack
Autoptimize/WP-Optimize
Autoptimize/Breeze
Autoptimize/Hummingbird
Autoptimize/WP RocketAutoptimize/LiteSpeed Cache
Autoptimize/W3 Total Cache
Autoptimize/WP Fastest Cache
Autoptimize/FlyingPress
Autoptimize/Jetpack Boost
Autoptimize/Cache Enabler Alternatives to Autoptimize
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NitroPack
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Hummingbird
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FAQ
Is Autoptimize free?
Yes. Autoptimize has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $89/yr.
How many sites use Autoptimize?
WordPress.org reports 800K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 1M+ sites in total. We estimate around 42K sites run the paid version.
Does Autoptimize have page caching?
Yes: paid version (Pro). Free plugin has no page cache; Autoptimize Pro adds one.
Does Autoptimize have defer / delay javascript?
Yes: included. Defer/async JS free; Pro boosters delay all or third-party JS.
Does Autoptimize have remove unused css?
Yes: partial. No rule-level unused CSS removal; Pro can strip unneeded CSS files per page.
Does Autoptimize cache pages?
Not in the free plugin. It optimises assets only, so pair it with a page cache (host, Cloudflare or a plugin like Cache Enabler). Autoptimize Pro adds page caching.
Do I need a separate Critical CSS power-up?
No. Since version 2.7 critical CSS is built in. Manual rules are free; automatic generation needs a criticalcss.com API key or Autoptimize Pro.
How much is Autoptimize Pro?
$89/year (or $12.99/month) for one site and $379/year (or $39.99/month) for five sites, with equivalent euro pricing.
Is Autoptimize safe for WooCommerce?
Yes. There is an option to skip optimisation on cart and checkout pages for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads and WP eCommerce.
Can I use Autoptimize with WP Rocket or another cache plugin?
It is commonly combined with page caching plugins, but disable overlapping minify/combine features in the other plugin to avoid conflicts.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.