In my experience, there are three ways to determine how to recommend any plugin as the best for any particular area, including the best cache plugin for WordPress.
- The first is simply based on a proven track record. In other words, you use an organization's history to prove its product's future.
- The second is based on performance. In other words, regardless of who the players are, you're only looking at the results.
- The third is based on real-world support. In other words, worry less about past or final future, and focus on the support right now.
I get asked a lot about the best plugin for just about everything. And in each case, I'm making an internal decision about which criteria to use. And then I have to talk to the person asking me the question to determine which dynamic they care about most.
People approach their product selection based on a variety of factors:
- Price
- Ease of use
- Performance
- Features for their specific needs
Each of these dynamics is also at play when making a recommendation.
Why I recommend WP Rocket
Performance
[tweet “When it comes to performance @wp_rocket beats virtually all of the competition. #cache #WordPress”]
The good news about recommending WP Rocket is that you don't have to only take my word for it.
While I was preparing to do some performance tests, I came upon two other great posts that highlighted how well WP Rocket performed against its competitors.
You can check them out here:
I love being able to point you to two articles that are not only well-written but also filled with data. So that you can see the performance of each plugin.
From that data—in mid-2015 and the other just recently—you can see how great WP Rocket is. It beats virtually all of the competition hands down.
Ease of Use
Another reason I recommend WP Rocket to you is because of how easy it is to set up and use.
If you compare WP Rocket with W3 Total Cache, you'll quickly determine that you don't need an online course to configure it. I know W3TC is awesome for people who are experts in using the product, but most of the people I talk to aren't those experts.
Basic Options 
Advanced Options 
Database 
Preload 
CDN 
Tools
Integration with Managed Hosts
The final reason I recommend WP Rocket as the best cache plugin for WordPress is that it was developed while talking to, and working with, managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine—to make sure that it would work fine within their architecture.
As you may know, most managed hosts have their own solution or drop in one of the other cache plugins. So normally they won't let you add your own.
But WP Rocket was created in a way that lets it collaborate with what the hosts are doing, rather than compete with it.
WP Rocket, in 2016, is the Best Cache Plugin for WordPress
At some level, you'd like it if you didn't need a cache plugin, right? If you had enough server resources, a great host, and the right config of a CDN, maybe you could try to get away without using one.
But WP Rocket is so good that even if you're trying to skip it, you'll likely end up taking a look at it.
It's not a free product, but it's worth every penny I paid to get it installed on my newest headphone review site.
Oh, and to circle back—it has fast performance. It also has had great support. And its track record, even though it's shorter than others, has been stellar. So I can say that in every way, I fully recommend that you take a look at WP Rocket.