LiteSpeed Cache
Free caching plugin from LiteSpeed Technologies. Top-tier performance when paired with LiteSpeed-hosted environments.
- Lighthouse
- 97 / 100 Tested June 1, 2026
- Accessibility
- WCAG untested
- Open CVEs
- 0
- Last release
- May 26, 2026 v6.5.4
- WP.org rating
- 4.8
LiteSpeed Cache (LSCWP) is the free WordPress caching plugin from LiteSpeed Technologies, the company behind the LiteSpeed Enterprise web server. On LiteSpeed-hosted environments (most managed WordPress hosts now use LiteSpeed under the hood, including Hostinger and IONOS), the plugin delivers caching performance that matches or beats WP Rocket. On non-LiteSpeed hosts, performance is competitive but less differentiated.
Pros
- Completely free, no Pro tier required for full feature surface
- Best-in-class performance on LiteSpeed-hosted environments
- Integrated QUIC.cloud CDN with generous free tier
- Image optimization, critical CSS, JS deferral all included
Cons
- Performance advantage diminishes significantly on non-LiteSpeed hosts (Nginx, Apache)
- Admin UI is dense and can feel overwhelming for non-technical users
- Some advanced features require QUIC.cloud account setup
Pick LiteSpeed Cache when your host runs LiteSpeed (check with your hosting provider — most managed WP hosts do) and you want a free, fully-featured alternative to WP Rocket.
Avoid if your host doesn't run LiteSpeed (the marginal advantage over WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache becomes small) or if you want a one-click setup without configuration depth.
Frequently asked questions
- Is LiteSpeed Cache free?
- Yes, completely. No Pro tier, no upsell flow. The vendor (LiteSpeed Technologies) monetizes via the LiteSpeed web server and QUIC.cloud CDN; the plugin is free as a distribution channel.
- Do I need LiteSpeed hosting?
- No, but the performance advantage is much smaller on non-LiteSpeed hosts (Nginx, Apache). On LiteSpeed-enabled hosting (most managed WP hosts now), LSCWP matches or beats WP Rocket. On other hosts, it's competitive but not differentiated.
- LiteSpeed Cache vs WP Rocket?
- LiteSpeed Cache is free and faster on LiteSpeed hosts. WP Rocket is paid ($59+/year) and offers slightly easier setup. If your host runs LiteSpeed, LSCWP is the better choice; otherwise WP Rocket may be worth the cost for setup simplicity.
- What is QUIC.cloud?
- LiteSpeed Technologies's CDN service. It integrates tightly with LiteSpeed Cache and offers a generous free tier for personal sites. Sites running LiteSpeed Cache on LiteSpeed hosting get the full QUIC.cloud advantage; non-LiteSpeed hosts can still use it but with less integration.
Recent releases
- v6.5.4 May 26, 2026
Critical CSS generation improvements, security patches
- v6.5.3 April 18, 2026
Two security patches, QUIC.cloud integration update
- v6.5.2 March 22, 2026
Patch release
- v6.5.1 February 18, 2026
Maintenance release
- v6.5.0 January 15, 2026
New: page-level cache exclusion UI, image WebP delivery
- v6.4.5 November 30, 2025
WordPress 6.7 compatibility
| Product | Category | Price | Lighthouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Performance | Free | 97 |
| | Performance | From $59 | 96 |
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Performance testing
Tested on LiteSpeed-enabled hosting (sample tier), LiteSpeed Cache default settings, Astra theme baseline, mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. Configuration: default LSCWP settings + QUIC.cloud CDN enabled, mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. 5 runs, median reported. Raw Lighthouse JSON downloadable on request.
Vulnerability tracking
Open and recently closed CVE counts pulled from Patchstack and Wordfence Intelligence on every build. Last disclosure date reflects the most recent public CVE for this plugin, not necessarily the most recent vendor patch.