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
xSpeed Cache
Free WordPress cache plugin with static page caching, Redis and Memcached object cache, database cleanup and a built-in MCP server.
Free installs10K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~500Likely 250–1K
Vendor claims10,000+Vendor's own figure
Rating5.0/522 reviews
Price from$58/yrFreemium
Last updated27 Oct 2026Version 1.4.5
Overview
xSpeed Cache is a caching and performance plugin from WPDeveloper, released on WordPress.org in 2026. It writes pages as static HTML files that the web server sends before PHP starts, and sets this up on Apache, nginx and LiteSpeed. The free version also covers minifying and combining CSS and JavaScript, defer and delay JavaScript, lazy loading, font optimisation, LCP image preloading, browser cache headers, GZIP, a sitemap-based preloader, Redis and Memcached object caching, CDN URL rewriting, Cloudflare purging and scheduled database cleanup.
The plugin ships an MCP server, so Claude, ChatGPT and other AI clients can run speed tests, change settings and purge the cache. The free xSpeed Hub links many sites to one dashboard and one AI connection. Pro (listed from $58 a year for one site, with lifetime licences also sold) adds Critical CSS, unused CSS removal, WebP and AVIF conversion, Brotli, caching for 404s, search, feeds and the REST API, predictive cache warming, real-user monitoring and AI recommendations using your own AI provider key.
What it does well
- Redis and Memcached object caching are free.
- Database cleanup, heartbeat control and a click-to-play YouTube placeholder are free.
- Imports settings from WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache and LiteSpeed Cache.
- WP-CLI commands and an MCP server with read-only or read-write access and an activity log.
- Turns off its own page cache when the LiteSpeed Cache plugin is active, so two page caches never run together.
Limitations
Critical CSS, unused CSS removal and image conversion need Pro. Network-wide multisite settings are also a Pro feature. The plugin is only a few months old, so it has a short track record. A security fix (CVE-2026-109985) shipped in version 1.4.3, so keep it updated.
Who should pick it: sites that want page caching, object caching and database cleanup in one free plugin, and agencies who want to manage caching on many client sites through xSpeed Hub or an AI assistant. Sites that need Critical CSS or image conversion should budget for Pro.
Best for: Sites that want page caching, object caching and database cleanup in one free plugin, and agencies managing many sites from one dashboard or an AI assistant.
xSpeed Cache includes more in its free version than most cache plugins, including object caching and database cleanup. Its advanced CSS and image tools are paid, and it is very new, so test it on a staging site before replacing a cache plugin you already rely on.
Pros
- Static page cache served before PHP on Apache, nginx and LiteSpeed
- Free Redis and Memcached object cache
- Free database cleanup and heartbeat control
- Imports settings from four other cache plugins
- Free MCP server and xSpeed Hub for many sites
- Lifetime licences available
Cons
- Critical CSS and unused CSS removal are Pro-only
- WebP and AVIF conversion are Pro-only
- Network-wide multisite settings need Pro
- New plugin with a short track record
- Cloudflare Enterprise add-on costs $5 a month on top of a paid plan
Key features
What xSpeed Cache highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Static page cache served before PHP
- Separate mobile cache
- Sitemap-based cache preloader
- Redis and Memcached object cache
- Minify and combine HTML, CSS and JS
- Defer and delay JavaScript
- Lazy load images, iframes and videos
- Click-to-play YouTube placeholder
- Font display swap and font preloads
- LCP image preload
- CDN URL rewriting and Cloudflare purge
- Scheduled database cleanup
- Heartbeat control
- MCP server and WP-CLI
Pro / paid adds From $58/yr
- Critical CSS
- Remove unused CSS
- WebP and AVIF conversion
- Brotli compression
- Cache 404s, search, feeds and REST API
- Predictive and scheduled cache warming
- Real-user monitoring
- AI recommendations with your own key
- Cloudflare APO controls
- White-label branding
- Network-wide multisite settings
- Priority support
Feature checklist
25 of 25 features we track in Caching & Speed, feature score 100/100
Caching 8/8
Page caching Key
Serves pre-built HTML pages.
Static HTML served by the web server before PHP; auto-purge on publish.
Included
Browser caching rules
Sets cache headers for static files.
Cache-Control and Expires headers with separate TTLs for assets and HTML.
Included
Cache preloading
Builds the cache before visitors arrive.
Sitemap-driven preloader on a schedule; predictive and scheduled prewarming are Pro.
Included
Object cache
Redis or Memcached object caching.
Redis and Memcached drop-in in the free plugin.
Included
Separate mobile cache
Different cache for mobile devices.
Separate mobile cache free, with an optional separate tablet cache.
Included
WooCommerce-aware caching
Excludes cart, checkout and account pages automatically.
Cart, checkout and logged-in customers are never cached.
Included
Page cache on any server
Page caching works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed alike.
Apache, nginx, LiteSpeed and IIS; nginx and IIS need pasted config snippets.
Included
Multisite support
Works on WordPress multisite networks.
Each network site gets its own cache; network-wide settings management is Pro.
Included
CSS & JavaScript 7/7
Minify CSS & JS
Strips whitespace from CSS and JavaScript.
Minify HTML, CSS and JavaScript with a safe-minify fallback.
Included
Combine files
Merges CSS/JS files.
Combine CSS and JavaScript in the free plugin.
Included
Defer / delay JavaScript Key
Loads scripts after the page renders or on interaction.
Defer JavaScript and delay it until interaction, free.
Included
Remove unused CSS Key
Generates only the CSS each page uses.
Remove Unused CSS is Pro-only.
Paid version Pro
Critical CSS
Inlines above-the-fold CSS.
Critical CSS generation is Pro-only.
Paid version Pro
Font optimisation
Self-hosts or preloads web fonts.
font-display swap, font preloads and self-hosted Google Fonts.
Included
Preload and prefetch
Preload fonts, images or links and prefetch DNS.
LCP image preload, extra image preloads and preconnect hosts.
Included
Media & delivery 7/7
Lazy loading
Defers off-screen images and iframes.
Images, iframes and videos, with automatic missing image sizes.
Included
Image compression
Compresses uploaded images.
WebP/AVIF conversion, bulk conversion and AI Smart Image are Pro.
Paid version Pro
WebP / AVIF delivery
Serves next-gen image formats.
WebP and AVIF conversion with server rewrite in Pro.
Paid version Pro
CDN integration
Rewrites asset URLs to a CDN.
Pull-zone URL rewriting for any CDN.
Included
Cloudflare integration
Purges or configures Cloudflare.
Zone connection, auto-purge and development mode free; APO and cache level controls are Pro.
Included
Lazy-load video embeds
Replace YouTube and Vimeo embeds with a lightweight preview.
Click-to-play video facade in the free plugin.
Included
Included CDN service
A CDN is part of the product or plan, not just URL rewriting.
Cloudflare Enterprise add-on ($5/month on a paid plan) serves the whole site from Cloudflare.
Via add-on Add-on
Housekeeping 3/3
Database cleanup
Removes revisions, transients and spam.
Cleans revisions, spam, trash, transients and orphaned meta on a schedule.
Included
Heartbeat control
Limits the WordPress Heartbeat API.
Dashboard, editor and front-end heartbeat control, free.
Included
WP-CLI commands
Clear or warm the cache from the command line.
Full WP-CLI command set in the free plugin.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Personal
$58per year1 site
All Pro features. $29/yr during launch (50% off for 6 months). Lifetime $158 ($79 at launch). 14-day refund.
Business
$98per year5 sites
Priority support. $49/yr during launch. Lifetime $298 ($149 at launch).
Agency
$198per year25 sites
$99/yr during launch. Lifetime $498 ($249 at launch).
Enterprise
$398per yearUnlimited
Guided onboarding and custom SLA. $199/yr during launch. Lifetime $798 ($399 at launch).
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 31 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use xSpeed Cache?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
10K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
10,000+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~500
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: WordPress.org shows 10K+ free installs, which could mean anything from 10K to 20K. The vendor says 10,000+ sites, so we put the free count halfway between the middle of that range and the vendor figure, at about 13K. About 13K free installs x 4% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when most features are free) gives 500. Likely range: 250 to 1K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 31 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
9,877 downloads last week, 91.5K all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 1.4.5 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 27 Oct 2026 (7 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 6.0+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 2 of 2 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 27 May 2026 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 14-day money-back (source, 31 Oct 2026) |
|---|
xSpeed Cache compared
WP Super Cache/xSpeed Cache
NitroPack/xSpeed Cache
WP Fastest Cache/xSpeed Cache
WP-Optimize/xSpeed Cache
FlyingPress/xSpeed Cache
Breeze/xSpeed Cache
Hummingbird/xSpeed Cache
Autoptimize/xSpeed Cache
Jetpack Boost/xSpeed Cache
Cache Enabler/xSpeed Cache
WP Rocket/xSpeed CacheLiteSpeed Cache/xSpeed Cache
W3 Total Cache/xSpeed Cache
Perfmatters/xSpeed Cache Alternatives to xSpeed Cache
FlyingPress
Premium all-in-one WordPress speed plugin: page cache, used-CSS generation, delayed JS, image optimisation, Redis and an optional FlyingCDN add-on.
97
WP Rocket
Premium all-in-one caching and performance plugin for WordPress that applies page caching, file optimisation and lazy loading as soon as it is…
89
NitroPack
Cloud-based speed optimisation service with caching, critical CSS, image optimisation and a built-in Cloudflare-powered CDN, billed by pageviews.
87
Hummingbird
WPMU DEV's performance plugin with page, browser and Gravatar caching, asset optimisation, Cloudflare tools and Redis; Pro adds critical CSS and a…
86
W3 Total Cache
Host-agnostic caching framework with page, object, database and browser caching, minify and CDN tools; BoldGrid sells a Pro upgrade.
85
FAQ
Is xSpeed Cache free?
Yes. xSpeed Cache has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $58/yr.
How many sites use xSpeed Cache?
WordPress.org reports 10K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 10,000+ sites in total. We estimate around 500 sites run the paid version.
Does xSpeed Cache have page caching?
Yes: included. Static HTML served by the web server before PHP; auto-purge on publish.
Does xSpeed Cache have defer / delay javascript?
Yes: included. Defer JavaScript and delay it until interaction, free.
Does xSpeed Cache have remove unused css?
Yes: paid version (Pro). Remove Unused CSS is Pro-only.
Is object caching free in xSpeed Cache?
Yes. Redis and Memcached object caching are in the free plugin, with connection settings and a flush button in the dashboard.
Does xSpeed Cache work alongside LiteSpeed Cache?
It detects the LiteSpeed Cache plugin and does not turn on its own page cache or other overlapping features while that plugin is active. On LiteSpeed servers it also clears the server cache when it clears its own.
What does xSpeed Cache Pro add?
Critical CSS, unused CSS removal, WebP and AVIF conversion, Brotli, caching for 404s, search, feeds and the REST API, predictive cache warming, real-user monitoring and AI recommendations using your own AI provider key.
Can an AI assistant control xSpeed Cache?
Yes. The free plugin includes an MCP server. Connections can be read-only, every action is logged, and actions that cannot be undone, such as database cleanup, need the site owner's approval.
Last updated 31 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.