Currently, WordPress is one of the best content management systems (CMS) in the world. It is available to the users free of cost and is an open-source content management platform. WordPress is coded in PHP and combined with a MariaDB or MySQL database. It runs on Unix-like operating systems, Linux, and Windows.
Essential features of WordPress
The principal features of WordPress speed plugin and its architecture.
Initially, WordPress was launched in the form of a blog-publishing platform. However, the world-famous CMS has transformed to underpin other forms of web content such as the following:
- Conventional forums and mailing lists
- Membership/subscription websites
- Media galleries
- Online stores
- Learning management systems (LMS)
Presently, WordPress ranks among the most user-friendly content management systems throughout the world.
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Plugins Architecture of WordPress
The plugin architecture of WordPress enables users to broaden the functionalities and attributes of a blog or website. WordPress features 55,487 plugins as of January 2020. Every one of these plugins provides tailor-made functionalities and other attributes that allow users to custom their websites or blogs according to their particular requirements and preferences. Nonetheless, these plugins don’t have the premium plugins available. Around 1500+ premium plugins are there and they are not a part of the WordPress.org repository.
The customizations vary from SEO (search engine optimization) to content management systems, to client portals utilized for showing confidential details to logged-in users, to content exhibiting attributes, like the inclusion of navigation bars and widgets.
Not every available plugin is up-to-date with the updates. Consequently, they don’t function appropriately or might not be operational at all.
The majority of the plugins are offered via WordPress itself. You can get them by either downloading and installing the files yourself through FTP or via the dashboard of WordPress.
Several third-party WordPress speed plugins are available from different websites and most of them come against a price. If you are a developer, you can use the WP hook system which comprises more than 300 hooks to develop plugins yourself. There are two types of hooks: filter hooks and action hooks.
Which is the Best Plugin to Speed up WordPress?
Now, the question is which is the best plugin to speed up WordPress?
Given below is a list of some of the best plugins to speed up WordPress
- WP Super Cache
- WP Super Minify: Ideal for compressing CSS and JavaScript files
- W3 Total Cache
- BJ Lazy Load: Lowers page load
- WP Smush: Cuts image size
- Autoptimize: For script optimization
- WP-Optimize: For optimizing the database
- Lazy load by WP Rocket: To solve lazy loading problems
- Short Pixel: For compressing images
- Asset Cleaner: It is a Granular Optimization Dashboard
- Cache Enabler: Quicker rendering
- WP YouTube Lyte: For solving lazy loading issues
- Compress PNG & JPEG images: For compressing images
- OMGF: For hosting Google fonts locally
- Heartbeat control by WP Rocket: Restricting or preventing WordPress Heartbeat API
- AMP for WP: Sped up mobile pages
- WP User Avatar: For optimizing Gravatars
- EWWW Image Optimizer: For compressing images
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How to Increase Website Speed WordPress
While searching for the best plugin to speed up WordPress, you need to keep in mind that too many plugins would actually slow down your site or blog. The simple reason behind this is that the higher the number of plugins, the higher is the number of codes that a browser needs to load. Therefore, it slows down your site. Plugins are fundamentally a means to insert codes that you don’t need to script yourself. So, it is always advisable to run as few plugins as you can.
In conclusion, choosing the best WordPress speed optimization plugin depends on what you particularly need to accelerate your website or blog. Not all plugins will add value to your site or blog. So, be a little logical. Go through reviews of the plugins you wish to add and also consider the number of installations by users.