Free page caching for WordPress

Pick a preset. NiroCache does the rest.

Install it, activate it, and Standard mode is already on. Your pages are saved as static HTML and served before WordPress loads, with safe defaults for everything else.

Free on WordPress.orgVersion 1.0.1WordPress 6.2 or laterPHP 7.4 or later

Performance modes
4
Days of cache charts
7 / 30 / 90
API keys or cloud services
0
Free and open source
GPLv2+

Most cache plugins hand you a wall of settings.

NiroCache starts working the moment you activate it. Standard mode is already selected, so page caching, preloading, compression and minification run with safe defaults. Logged-in visitors, carts and checkouts are never cached. When you want more control, pick another preset or switch to Custom.

Features

Everything NiroCache does

  • Served before WordPress loads

    Pages are saved as static HTML and delivered by the standard advanced-cache.php early cache. Apache and LiteSpeed can deliver them directly, and Nginx gets a ready-to-copy config snippet.

  • Smart purging

    Updating a post clears that post, the home page, its archives and their pagination. Theme, menu, widget, Customizer and permalink changes clear everything.

  • Stale while rebuilding

    When a cached page expires, one request rebuilds it while other visitors get the previous copy. No pile-up of requests rebuilding the same page.

  • Preloading and cache warming

    Preloads your home page, the WordPress sitemap or your SEO plugin’s sitemap, and any extra URLs. Paced batches resume where they stopped.

  • Query strings, handled

    Tracking parameters like utm_source and gclid share the cached page. Approved parameters get their own copies. Unknown ones bypass the cache.

  • Lighter CSS and JavaScript

    Minify HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and defer or delay scripts. Minified copies live in the cache folder, so your theme and plugin files are never modified.

  • Compression and browser caching

    Gzip and Brotli when your server supports them, precompressed copies of cached pages, and browser caching rules for images, fonts, CSS and JavaScript.

  • Server check-up

    See your web server, PHP, OPcache, compression and object cache at a glance. Detects hosting caches like Varnish and Cloudflare, and conflicting plugins.

  • Dashboard and cache test

    Pages served from cache, hit rate and why pages were bypassed, for 7, 30 or 90 days. A one-click test confirms a MISS then a HIT, or tells you why not.

Performance modes

Pick how far NiroCache goes.

Every preset includes safe page caching. They differ in how much NiroCache changes your CSS and JavaScript. Standard is selected when you activate the plugin.

  • Basic: page cache, compression and browser caching, with your CSS and JavaScript left untouched.
  • Standard: adds sitemap preload, cache warming, minification and preconnect.
  • Aggressive: adds deferred and delayed JavaScript and cached approved query strings.
  • Custom: your own combination, including combine CSS and JavaScript and a separate mobile cache.

Safe by design

Careful with your site, and with other plugins.

NiroCache changes as little as possible outside its own folder, only where nothing else is in charge, and removes what it added when you are done.

  • Creates advanced-cache.php only when no other plugin owns it.
  • Adds WP_CACHE to wp-config.php only when it is not already defined.
  • Writes one marked block to .htaccess, on Apache and LiteSpeed only.
  • Never overwrites another plugin’s advanced-cache.php or object-cache.php.

Never cached

Dynamic pages stay dynamic.

Personal and transactional pages are always generated fresh. NiroCache also respects DONOTCACHEPAGE and no-cache, no-store or private Cache-Control headers.

  • Logged-in users, commenters, carts, checkout and account pages.
  • Search results, previews, password-protected pages and 404s.
  • Feeds, REST API and AJAX requests, and form submissions.
  • Your own exclusions by URL, cookie, user agent, post type or single page.

Compatibility

Works with what you already run.

NiroCache knows the plugins and setups that need special care, and keeps their dynamic pages out of the cache.

  • WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, EasyCommerce and NiroCommerce.
  • Elementor and Beaver Builder editor and preview requests are never cached.
  • Multisite with a separate cache per site and a network-wide purge.
  • WP-CLI commands for status, purge, preload, test, preset and settings.

How it works

From install to done in minutes

  1. Install and activate

    Search for NiroCache under Plugins > Add New Plugin, or upload the zip. Activation sets up the early cache for you.

  2. Standard mode is already on

    Page caching, preloading, minification and browser caching start with safe defaults. Nothing to configure first.

  3. Check it any time

    Open the NiroCache dashboard to see pages served from cache, or click Run cache test to confirm a HIT.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Requirements

WordPress
6.2 or later
PHP
7.4 or later
Web server
Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed and others
License
GPLv2 or later
Current version
1.0.1
License
GPLv2 or later

Is NiroCache free?

Yes. NiroCache is free and licensed GPLv2 or later, with no account, no API key, no cloud service and no tracking. It needs WordPress 6.2 or later and PHP 7.4 or later.

Which performance mode should I choose?

Keep Standard, which is already selected. It adds preloading and minification on top of safe page caching. Choose Basic for membership or highly dynamic sites, or if anything looks wrong after minification. Aggressive also defers and delays JavaScript and caches approved query strings, so test your key pages after switching to it.

How do I know caching is working?

Click Run cache test on the NiroCache dashboard. It requests your home page twice and reports whether the second request was served from the cache, or why it was not. You can also turn on debug headers and look for X-Niro-Cache: HIT in your browser’s developer tools while logged out.

Why don’t I see cached pages while I’m logged in?

Logged-in users always get freshly generated pages, so nobody ever sees someone else’s personal content. Run the cache test, or open your site in a private browser window, to see what visitors get.

Does it work with WooCommerce?

Yes. Cart, checkout and account pages are never cached, shoppers with items in their cart always get fresh pages, and product pages are cleared when their stock or price changes. Easy Digital Downloads, EasyCommerce and NiroCommerce are handled too.

Will minifying or delaying JavaScript break my site?

Minified files are copies kept in the cache folder, so your theme and plugin files are never modified. Defer and delay are only on in Aggressive mode, and payment, checkout and consent scripts are never delayed. If something looks wrong, add an exclusion or switch back to Standard or Basic.

Does it work on Nginx?

Yes. The early cache runs through the standard WordPress advanced-cache.php file, which works on Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed and others. If you want Nginx itself to deliver cached pages, the Server screen gives you an optional config snippet to add.

Can I use it with another cache plugin or my host’s cache?

Running two page caches at once causes unexpected behavior, so NiroCache warns you when it detects another page cache or optimization plugin. The Server screen also detects hosting caches such as LiteSpeed, Varnish, Cloudflare and managed hosts, and recommends what to do.

Does NiroCache collect any data?

No. NiroCache does not collect or send any data. The cache test, preloading and server checks only send requests from your server to your own site, and statistics are simple daily counts stored on your server.

What happens when I deactivate or delete NiroCache?

Deactivating removes the early-cache file, the WP_CACHE line and the .htaccess block NiroCache added, and deletes cached pages. Your settings are kept. Deleting the plugin also removes its settings, statistics and the whole cache folder.

Install it, activate it, and you’re done.

Standard mode is on from the start. Change it later, or never.

Get NiroCache free