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
Hummingbird
WPMU DEV's performance plugin with page, browser and Gravatar caching, asset optimisation, Cloudflare tools and Redis; Pro adds critical CSS and a CDN.
Free installs70K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~12KLikely 6K–24K
Rating4.7/51,488 reviews
Price from$60/yrFreemium
Last updated3 Nov 2026Version 4.0.0
Overview
Hummingbird is the performance plugin from WPMU DEV. The free version on WordPress.org is a full caching and asset-optimisation tool, while Hummingbird Pro, sold on its own or as part of a WPMU DEV membership, adds the features most closely tied to Core Web Vitals scores.
How it works
A PageSpeed-based Performance Test scans your site and links each recommendation to the setting that addresses it. Caching covers full pages, browser expiry headers, Gravatars and RSS feeds. Page caching can keep a separate copy for mobile devices, preload the cache automatically and exclude WooCommerce session cookies by default. On WPMU DEV hosting it switches to the server’s static cache. A Redis integration manages object caching when Redis is available on the server.
The Asset Optimization module lists every CSS and JavaScript file so you can compress, combine, move, defer or exclude each one, or use an automatic mode. Extra tools handle Google Fonts delivery (preload and font swap), preconnect and preload hints, lazy-loaded comments, emoji removal and scheduled database cleanup. A Cloudflare integration connects by API key or token to control browser cache TTL and toggle Automatic Platform Optimization. Free users also get uptime monitoring and scheduled reports.
What Pro adds
Pro unlocks Delay JavaScript (scripts load on user interaction), automatically generated critical CSS with an option to remove unused CSS, separate mobile critical CSS, extra-strength minification and WPMU DEV’s asset CDN with Brotli compression. Standalone Pro plans start at a 1-site tier that includes CDN bandwidth, and a WPMU DEV membership includes every Pro plugin.
Limitations
Image compression, WebP conversion and image lazy loading are handed off to WPMU DEV’s sister plugin Smush rather than built in. There is no Heartbeat control and no field to rewrite assets to your own CDN. The headline Core Web Vitals features (delay JS, critical CSS) sit behind the paywall.
Who should pick it: site owners who want a capable free cache with Cloudflare tools, and agencies already in the WPMU DEV ecosystem, where Pro, Smush and the CDN are bundled together.
Best for: Site owners wanting a strong free cache with Cloudflare tools, and WPMU DEV members who get Pro features bundled.
Hummingbird's free tier is one of the more complete free caching plugins, with granular asset control and Cloudflare tools. Pro is reasonably priced and adds the critical CSS and delay-JS features that matter for Core Web Vitals, but you will still need Smush for images.
Pros
- Generous free version with page, browser, Gravatar and RSS caching
- Per-file asset optimisation with combine, move and defer controls
- Cloudflare API integration including APO toggle
- Redis object cache integration and mobile page cache
- Pro critical CSS can also remove unused CSS
- Free uptime monitoring and scheduled performance reports
Cons
- Delay JS and critical CSS require Pro
- Image optimisation and lazy load rely on the separate Smush plugin
- No Heartbeat control or custom CDN URL rewriting
- Best value only if you use other WPMU DEV services
Key features
What Hummingbird highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Full page, browser and Gravatar caching
- Mobile page cache and cache preload
- Per-file CSS/JS minify, combine and defer
- Google Fonts preload and font swap
- Preconnect and preload hints
- Cloudflare cache and APO controls
- Redis object cache integration
- Scheduled database cleanup
- Lazy load comments
- Performance test with fix suggestions
- Uptime monitoring and reports
- Safe Mode for testing settings
- Multisite network controls
Pro / paid adds From $60/yr
- Delay JavaScript until interaction
- Automatic critical CSS generation
- Remove unused CSS option
- Separate mobile critical CSS
- Enhanced minification
- WPMU DEV asset CDN with Brotli
- CDN bandwidth included per plan
- White-label reports
- Priority WPMU DEV support
Feature checklist
21 of 25 features we track in Caching & Speed, feature score 86/100
Caching 8/8
Page caching Key
Serves pre-built HTML pages.
Full page cache; uses WPMU DEV static server cache when hosted there.
Included
Browser caching rules
Sets cache headers for static files.
Sets browser cache expiry, or Cloudflare browser TTL when connected.
Included
Cache preloading
Builds the cache before visitors arrive.
Preload caching option builds cached files automatically.
Included
Object cache
Redis or Memcached object caching.
Redis integration for object caching when Redis is available.
Included
Separate mobile cache
Different cache for mobile devices.
Cache on mobile devices option, on by default.
Included
WooCommerce-aware caching
Excludes cart, checkout and account pages automatically.
Excludes WooCommerce session cookies and cart/checkout pages by default.
Included
Page cache on any server
Page caching works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed alike.
Works on any host; switches to static server cache on WPMU DEV hosting.
Included
Multisite support
Works on WordPress multisite networks.
Network-level page cache controls with optional per-subsite opt-out.
Included
CSS & JavaScript 7/7
Minify CSS & JS
Strips whitespace from CSS and JavaScript.
Compress CSS/JS per file or automatically; Pro adds enhanced minify.
Included
Combine files
Merges CSS/JS files.
Combine option per asset in Asset Optimization.
Included
Defer / delay JavaScript Key
Loads scripts after the page renders or on interaction.
Defer free; Delay JavaScript until interaction needs Pro.
Included
Remove unused CSS Key
Generates only the CSS each page uses.
Full-page critical CSS mode can remove unused CSS.
Paid version Pro
Critical CSS
Inlines above-the-fold CSS.
Automatic critical CSS generation, incl. separate mobile CSS.
Paid version Pro
Font optimisation
Self-hosts or preloads web fonts.
Preload fonts and swap web fonts; Google Fonts delivery optimisation.
Included
Preload and prefetch
Preload fonts, images or links and prefetch DNS.
Preconnect, DNS prefetch and preload key requests.
Included
Media & delivery 5/7
Lazy loading
Defers off-screen images and iframes.
Image lazy load comes from the free Smush plugin; Hummingbird lazy-loads comments.
Via add-on
Image compression
Compresses uploaded images.
Handled by WPMU DEV's sister plugin Smush (free, with Pro tier).
Via add-on
WebP / AVIF delivery
Serves next-gen image formats.
Next-gen formats served via Smush Pro's CDN, not Hummingbird itself.
Via add-on
CDN integration
Rewrites asset URLs to a CDN.
No field to rewrite assets to a third-party CDN; Pro uses WPMU DEV CDN.
Not included
Cloudflare integration
Purges or configures Cloudflare.
Connect via API key/token to manage browser cache, purge and APO.
Included
Lazy-load video embeds
Replace YouTube and Vimeo embeds with a lightweight preview.
No video embed placeholder feature.
Not included
Included CDN service
A CDN is part of the product or plan, not just URL rewriting.
WPMU DEV asset CDN with Brotli; bandwidth allowance per plan.
Paid version Pro Basic
Housekeeping 1/3
Database cleanup
Removes revisions, transients and spam.
Database cleanup with optional scheduling.
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.
No WP-CLI commands found in readme or developer docs.
Not verified
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
Freeper yearUnlimited
Free version on WordPress.org.
Pro Basic
$60per year1 site
Includes 50GB CDN. Promo shown at $36/yr (40% off).
Pro Standard
$100per year3 sites
Includes 100GB CDN. Promo shown at $60/yr (40% off).
Pro Plus
$200per year10 sites
Includes 250GB CDN. Promo shown at $120/yr (40% off).
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Hummingbird?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
70K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
—
The vendor does not publish a total.
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~12K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 75K free installs x 16% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when some key features are paid, and Pro is included in a wider membership) gives 12K. Likely range: 6K to 24K. 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
3,072 downloads last week, 5.8M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 4.0.0 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 3 Nov 2026 (0 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 6.4+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 1 of 1 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 9 Jun 2017 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back (source, 5 Oct 2026) Stated on WPMU DEV pricing page. |
|---|
Hummingbird compared
Hummingbird/WP Fastest Cache
Hummingbird/xSpeed Cache
Hummingbird/Perfmatters
Hummingbird/NitroPack
Hummingbird/WP-Optimize
FlyingPress/Hummingbird
Autoptimize/Hummingbird
Hummingbird/Jetpack Boost
Cache Enabler/Hummingbird
Breeze/Hummingbird
Hummingbird/WP RocketHummingbird/LiteSpeed Cache
Hummingbird/W3 Total Cache
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FAQ
Is Hummingbird free?
Yes. Hummingbird has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.
How many sites use Hummingbird?
WordPress.org reports 70K+ active installations of the free version. We estimate around 12K sites run the paid version.
Does Hummingbird have page caching?
Yes: included. Full page cache; uses WPMU DEV static server cache when hosted there.
Does Hummingbird have defer / delay javascript?
Yes: included. Defer free; Delay JavaScript until interaction needs Pro.
Does Hummingbird have remove unused css?
Yes: paid version (Pro). Full-page critical CSS mode can remove unused CSS.
What is the difference between Hummingbird free and Pro?
Free covers caching, asset optimisation, Cloudflare, Redis and database tools. Pro adds delay JavaScript, automatic critical CSS (with unused CSS removal), enhanced minification and the WPMU DEV CDN.
How much does Hummingbird Pro cost?
Standalone Pro plans list at $60/year for 1 site, $100 for 3 and $200 for 10, with a 40% discount advertised at the time of checking. It is also included in all WPMU DEV memberships.
Does Hummingbird optimise images?
Not directly. Image compression, WebP and image lazy loading come from WPMU DEV's Smush plugin, which integrates with Hummingbird.
Is Hummingbird compatible with WooCommerce?
Yes. Page caching excludes WooCommerce session cookies by default and the developer states cart, checkout and account pages are excluded.
Does it work on multisite?
Yes. Network admins control page caching across the network and can optionally let subsite admins turn it off.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.