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
Jetpack Boost
Automattic's one-click speed plugin: page cache, critical CSS, deferred JS, concatenation and an image CDN. Paid tier automates critical CSS.
Free installs200K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~13KLikely 6.5K–26K
Rating4.7/5612 reviews
Price from$239.40/yrFreemium
Last updated8 Oct 2026Version 4.8.1
Overview
Jetpack Boost is a standalone performance plugin from Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and Jetpack. It does not require the main Jetpack plugin and is built around a short list of toggle-based modules aimed at Core Web Vitals, with a speed score from Google PageSpeed shown on its dashboard.
How it works
The free version includes a disk-based page cache (via advanced-cache.php) for logged-out visitors, with automatic clearing when content changes, URL exclusions and a default one-hour lifetime. It respects WordPress’s DONOTCACHEPAGE signal, which WooCommerce uses on cart and checkout pages. On hosts that run their own page cache, such as WordPress.com and other WP Cloud hosts, the module steps aside. Other modules include Optimize CSS Loading (critical CSS), Defer Non-Essential JavaScript, concatenate and minify JS and CSS, the Image CDN (resized, modern-format images served from Jetpack’s network), Optimize LCP Images, prerendering of Cornerstone Pages via speculation rules, and an Image Guide overlay that flags oversized images.
Free vs paid
On the free plan, critical CSS must be regenerated manually after theme or content changes, and Cornerstone Page and LCP optimisations apply to one page. The paid Boost plan regenerates critical CSS automatically, extends those optimisations to up to ten pages, adds performance history charts, per-format image quality controls on the CDN and priority support. Boost is also included in the Jetpack Complete bundle.
Limitations
The module list is deliberately short: there is no separate mobile cache, cache preloading, browser-cache header management, database cleanup, Heartbeat control, font optimisation, third-party CDN rewriting or Cloudflare integration, and the old lazy-load module has been retired in favour of WordPress’s native lazy loading. Some features rely on a WordPress.com connection, and the paid plan costs more than several full-featured competitors.
Who should pick it: site owners who want a simple, low-maintenance speed plugin from a trusted vendor, especially those already using Jetpack or hosting on WordPress.com/WP Cloud, rather than power users who want granular control.
Best for: Non-technical site owners and Jetpack users who want a few safe, high-impact speed optimisations with minimal configuration.
Jetpack Boost is easy to use and the free tier, with page cache, critical CSS and an image CDN, is genuinely useful. Its narrow feature set and pricey upgrade mean power users will find more control and value elsewhere.
Pros
- Very simple toggle-based setup
- Free page cache, critical CSS, deferred JS and concatenation
- Free image CDN with automatic resizing and modern formats
- Image Guide overlay highlights oversized images
- WP-CLI commands to enable or disable each module
- Backed by Automattic with frequent updates
Cons
- Automatic critical CSS regeneration requires the paid plan
- Paid plan is expensive compared with feature-rich rivals
- No cache preload, mobile cache, database or Heartbeat tools
- No third-party CDN or Cloudflare integration
- Lazy-load module retired; relies on WordPress core
Key features
What Jetpack Boost highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Static page cache for visitors
- Manual critical CSS generation
- Defer non-essential JavaScript
- Concatenate and minify JS and CSS
- Image CDN with automatic resizing
- Modern image formats via CDN
- Optimize LCP image on one page
- Prerender a Cornerstone Page
- Image Guide for oversized images
- PageSpeed-based speed score
- URL exclusions for cache and defer
- WP-CLI module controls
Pro / paid adds From $239.40/yr
- Automatic critical CSS regeneration
- Performance history charts
- Image CDN quality controls
- Cornerstone Pages for up to 10 pages
- LCP optimisation for up to 10 pages
- Priority email support
- Included in Jetpack Complete
Feature checklist
12 of 25 features we track in Caching & Speed, feature score 49/100
Caching 3/8
Page caching Key
Serves pre-built HTML pages.
Disk-based static page cache for logged-out visitors.
Included
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.
No cache preloading; pages cache on first visit.
Not included
Object cache
Redis or Memcached object caching.
No Redis/Memcached integration.
Not included
Separate mobile cache
Different cache for mobile devices.
No separate mobile cache.
Not included
WooCommerce-aware caching
Excludes cart, checkout and account pages automatically.
Honours DONOTCACHEPAGE, which WooCommerce sets on cart/checkout; URL exclusions too.
Included
Page cache on any server
Page caching works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed alike.
Works on most hosts; cache toggle hidden where the host runs its own page cache.
Included
Multisite support
Works on WordPress multisite networks.
No documentation found on multisite network support.
Not verified
CSS & JavaScript 5/7
Minify CSS & JS
Strips whitespace from CSS and JavaScript.
Concatenate and minify CSS and JS modules.
Included
Combine files
Merges CSS/JS files.
Concatenates JS and CSS files to reduce requests.
Included
Defer / delay JavaScript Key
Loads scripts after the page renders or on interaction.
Defers non-essential JavaScript until after load.
Included
Remove unused CSS Key
Generates only the CSS each page uses.
No unused CSS removal.
Not included
Critical CSS
Inlines above-the-fold CSS.
Manual generation free; automatic regeneration on paid plan.
Included
Font optimisation
Self-hosts or preloads web fonts.
No font optimisation module.
Not included
Preload and prefetch
Preload fonts, images or links and prefetch DNS.
Prerenders Cornerstone Pages and optimises LCP images; no manual hint controls.
Partial
Media & delivery 3/7
Lazy loading
Defers off-screen images and iframes.
Lazy-load module deprecated; relies on WordPress native lazy loading.
Not included
Image compression
Compresses uploaded images.
Image CDN resizes and compresses images; quality controls on paid plan.
Included
WebP / AVIF delivery
Serves next-gen image formats.
Image CDN serves modern formats such as WebP.
Included
CDN integration
Rewrites asset URLs to a CDN.
No option to rewrite assets to a third-party CDN.
Not included
Cloudflare integration
Purges or configures Cloudflare.
No Cloudflare integration.
Not 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.
Jetpack-run Image CDN for images only, free.
Partial
Housekeeping 1/3
Database cleanup
Removes revisions, transients and spam.
No database cleanup.
Not included
Heartbeat control
Limits the WordPress Heartbeat API.
No Heartbeat control.
Not included
WP-CLI commands
Clear or warm the cache from the command line.
wp jetpack-boost commands to toggle modules and manage connection.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
Freeper yearUnlimited
Free plugin on WordPress.org.
Boost
$239.40per year1 site
Listed as $19.95/month billed yearly; first year 50% off ($9.95/month).
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Jetpack Boost?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
200K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
—
The vendor does not publish a total.
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~13K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 250K free installs x 5% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when a hosted service whose free tier is generous) gives 13K. Likely range: 6.5K to 26K. 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
18,378 downloads last week, 14.1M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 4.8.1 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 8 Oct 2026 (26 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 7.0+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 3 of 4 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 31 Dec 2020 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 14-day money-back (annual); 7 days (monthly) (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
|---|
Jetpack Boost compared
Jetpack Boost/WP-Optimize
Cache Enabler/Jetpack Boost
Jetpack Boost/WP Super Cache
Jetpack Boost/xSpeed Cache
Jetpack Boost/Perfmatters
Jetpack Boost/NitroPack
Jetpack Boost/WP Fastest Cache
FlyingPress/Jetpack Boost
Breeze/Jetpack Boost
Hummingbird/Jetpack Boost
Autoptimize/Jetpack Boost
Jetpack Boost/WP RocketJetpack Boost/LiteSpeed Cache
Jetpack Boost/W3 Total Cache Alternatives to Jetpack Boost
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WP Rocket
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NitroPack
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Hummingbird
WPMU DEV's performance plugin with page, browser and Gravatar caching, asset optimisation, Cloudflare tools and Redis; Pro adds critical CSS and a…
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FAQ
Is Jetpack Boost free?
Yes. Jetpack Boost has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $239.40/yr.
How many sites use Jetpack Boost?
WordPress.org reports 200K+ active installations of the free version. We estimate around 13K sites run the paid version.
Does Jetpack Boost have page caching?
Yes: included. Disk-based static page cache for logged-out visitors.
Does Jetpack Boost have defer / delay javascript?
Yes: included. Defers non-essential JavaScript until after load.
Does Jetpack Boost have remove unused css?
No: not included. No unused CSS removal.
Does Jetpack Boost need the Jetpack plugin?
No. Boost is a standalone plugin, though some features use a WordPress.com connection.
What does the paid Boost plan add?
Automatic critical CSS regeneration, performance history, Image CDN quality controls, more Cornerstone/LCP pages and priority support.
How much does Jetpack Boost cost?
The paid plan is listed at $19.95/month billed yearly, with 50% off the first year. It is also part of Jetpack Complete.
Why can't I enable the page cache?
Some hosts, including WordPress.com and other WP Cloud hosts, run their own page cache; Boost detects it and hides its own cache toggle.
Can I use Jetpack Boost with another caching plugin?
Yes, but avoid enabling the same optimisation in both, and only run one page cache at a time.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.