WordPress plugin comparison
Speed Optimizer vs W3 Total Cache
At a glance
- Speed Optimizer has more active installs: 1M+, against 900K+ for W3 Total Cache.
- On a typical day, W3 Total Cache is downloaded about 10,014 times, Speed Optimizer about 5,598.
- W3 Total Cache is rated higher: 4.4 out of 5 from 5,420 reviews, against 4.2 from 641 reviews.
- Speed Optimizer was updated more recently: Nov 2, 2026, against Oct 20, 2026 for W3 Total Cache.
- Speed Optimizer resolves more of its support threads: 57% in the last two months, against 50% for W3 Total Cache.
- Both are tested up to WordPress 7.1.4.
- W3 Total Cache has been around longer: since 2009, against 2014 for Speed Optimizer.
Line by line
Speed Optimizer leads on 5 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric |  Speed Optimizer |  W3 Total Cache |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #44 | #73 |
| Active installs | 1M+ | 900K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 3.5M | 592.5K |
| Rating | 4.2(641) | 4.4(5.4K) |
| Support threads resolved | 57% | 50% |
| Tested up to | 7.1.4 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×2.73 | ×3.22 |
| Last release | 7 days ago | 20 days ago |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
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