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WordPress Speed Tutorials Since 2011 by Tom Dupuis                                                      Skip to content

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# WordPress Speed Tutorials & Reviews

Yo, I’m Tom! Most people come here for my blunt reviews of hosting companies (soulless capitalism at its finest). I’ve also been writing cache plugin, CDN, and WordPress performance tutorials since 2013.

I’m a real person

### Hosting

Researching hosts is my specialty. These **spreadsheets** break down the performance specs, resource limits, and policies of 62 different hosting plans along with **common complaints from critical reviews**.

spreadsheets

### Cache Plugins

FlyingPress on Nginx/Apache servers or LiteSpeed Cache (on LiteSpeed servers) are **current leaders** with more features that optimize web vitals compared to WP Rocket/SiteGround Optimizer.

spreadsheet

### CDNs

Cloudflare Enterprise via FlyingCDN is ideal ($10/mo), Cloudflare with APO is next ($5/mo), or Super Page Cache (free) are **safe bets** depending on your desired performance/budget.

spreadsheet

## SiteGround → Cloudways → Rocket.net → ScalaHosting

Fast CPUs High Concurrency No Hidden Limits SPanel OpenLiteSpeed Privately Owned

ScalaHosting’s **AMD EPYC 9474F CPUs** are **top 2.5% fastest server CPUs** on PassMark (the industry standard for testing CPU performance). With **DDR5 RAM + PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs**, no wonder my site was **so much faster** coming from **Rocket.net’s 2013 CPUs**.

**102107** is the highest CPU multithread rating I’ve seen of any WordPress host, translating into better performance under load for concurrent visitors, eCommerce checkouts, and background plugins. Concurrency is what really matters— not PageSpeed scores.

Unlike Hostinger/SiteGround’s VPS which have hidden **CPU** + **I/O limits** to keep you upgrading, there are **no limits** other than the CPU cores, RAM, and storage you choose and can **scale individually** (unlike Cloudways). Plus, no bandwidth, storage, or monthly visit limits.

SPanel’s UI is **similar to cPanel** but requires just **256MB RAM** instead of **2GB**. It also supports **OpenLiteSpeed**, unlimited users, and is free (no need to buy cPanel/LiteSpeed licenses or **malware scans** like other VPS’). Everything is built-in and is what cPanel should be.

Shared plans use **LiteSpeed Enterprise** while Entry Cloud and VPS plans use OpenLiteSpeed, Apache, or Nginx. For **budget performance**, use OpenLiteSpeed + LiteSpeed Cache + Super Page Cache. For **better performance**, Apache + FlyingPress + FlyingCDN.

Through my tutorials, I’ve steered thousands of people away from hosting conglomerates since the “how to start a blog” \[insert Bluehost affiliate link\] days. Today, I’m still telling people to ditch Newfold Digital + World Host Group for small teams like **Chris/Vlad**.

Unlike Hostinger/SiteGround’s VPS which have hidden **CPU** + **I/O limits** to keep you upgrading, there are **no limits** other than the CPU cores, RAM, and storage *you* choose and can **scale individually** (unlike Cloudways). Plus, no bandwidth, storage, or monthly visit limits.

SPanel’s UI is similar to cPanel but requires **256MB RAM** compared to **4GB**. It also supports **OpenLiteSpeed**, unlimited users, and is free (unlike VPS providers who require a cPanel + LiteSpeed license and charge for malware scans). SPanel already has everything built-in.

Shared plans use **LiteSpeed Enterprise** while Entry Cloud and VPS plans can use **OpenLiteSpeed**, Apache, and Nginx. For budget performance, use OpenLiteSpeed + LiteSpeed Cache + **Super Page Cache**. For better performance, Apache + FlyingPress + **FlyingCDN**.

For over a decade, I’ve steered thousands of people away from hosting conglomerates since the “how to start a blog” \[insert Bluehost affiliate link\] days. Today, I’m happily still doing it as both ScalaHosting (run by **Chris and Vlad**) and ChemiCloud are privately owned.

For over a decade, I’ve steered thousands of people away from hosting conglomerates since the “how to start a blog” \[insert Bluehost affiliate link\] days. Today, I’m happily still doing it as both ScalaHosting (run by **Chris and Vlad**) and ChemiCloud are privately owned.

If you want something more powerful than shared but aren’t ready for a full-blown VPS, Entry Cloud comes with **2 CPU cores + 2GB RAM** of dedicated resources (not shared) and is still a VPS but isn’t scale (but actually has the best value in terms of price vs. resources).

I’ve steered thousands of people away from conglomerates since the “how to start a blog” \[insert Bluehost affiliate link\] days. I’m happy to report I’m still going strong, as both ScalaHosting and ChemiCloud are privately owned and free from private equity— a rare sighting.

Most of these include free migration(s) and have reliable support teams with higher TrustPilot ratings. ChemiCloud does **10-200 migrations**, Scala Hosting does **unlimited**, Rocket.net does **unlimited**, and MechanicWeb’s **varies**. Vultr High Frequency is more **DIY**.

LiteSpeed: LiteSpeed Cache + QUIC.cloud Standard Plan. Nginx/Apache = FlyingPress + Cloudflare APO (or a proper integration of Cloudflare Enterprise).

Tab 2 consdffdsfsdfsddasfdfastent.

Tab 2 consdffdsfsdfsddasfdfastent.

### VPS

Build a VPS similar to Cloudways on a more lightweight + optimized stack at ~60% the price. Scale CPU cores, RAM, and storage granularly without having to jump to the next plan. While similar to Cloudways, I moved to Scala’s VPS **from Rocket**.

### Entry Cloud

Higher performance than shared hosting with **2 CPU cores + 2GB RAM** of *dedicated resources* (not shared). It’s a small VPS that can scale storage (but not cores/RAM) and has the best value in terms of price vs. resources for $13.45/mo.

### Shared

Still uses their high performance stack (with LiteSpeed Enterprise and fast CPUs) but is still shared hosting with **shared CPU/RAM**. A big upgrade especially from hosts who use cPanel on slow hardware, but use a VPS if the budget allows.

## **Big Hosts, Big Problems**

Old Hardware CPU Limits More Limits Upsells Renewals Suspensions Incidents Support Private Equity

Not sure which CPU model(s), RAM, or storage your host uses? Then they’re probably not the fastest WordPress host. Combine this with overcrowded servers, highly restrictive resource limits, poorly integrated CDNs, and cPanel… no wonder TTFB and CPU usage are high.

Low CPU limits cause **503 errors** and high CPU usage which forces upgrades. This can be from slow CPUs (like **HostGator’s 2012 CPUs**), low cores/RAM (like **Hostinger** and **GoDaddy**), or arbitrary CPU limits like SiteGround’s **CPU seconds** and Hostinger’s **VPS CPU limits**.

Watch for other limits like Kinsta’s **PHP threads**, **Kinsta** and **WP Engine’s** low monthly visits, staging sites with **1 CPU core**, **disk space/inode limits** that disable backups, **1GB email storage**, **1 MB/s disk IO**, low **PHP memory**, and low **MySQL/database limits**.

**Add-ons** and **product catalogs** are red flags. Open source software like **SSL certificates**, **Redis**, and **Nginx reverse proxy** are sold as add-ons. “Managed” hosting doesn’t include **migrations**, **CDN**, or **malware scans**. And SiteLock has been called as a **malware scam**.

Beware of **600% higher renewals**, getting charged **14** – **15 days** prior to your renewal date, **impossible cancellations**, high renewals for other add-ons/upsells, and hosts **not honoring money-back guarantees**. Billing problems are often larger host’s #1 complaint!

Hostinger has pattern of **suspending accounts** claiming **phishing/abuse**, **deleting data** (including backups), and **denying refunds**. Search “**suspension**” or “**scam**” in your host’s 1-2 star reviews. SiteGround also suspends account for exceeding low resource limits.

Google blocked **2M SiteGround domains**. Hostinger’s data breach impacted **14M customers**. GoDaddy’s security is so bad the **FTC stepped in**. WPX had a global outage because they **don’t use a redundancy system**. And WP Engine is dealing with the **lawsuit**.

SiteGround **dropped WordPress support**, Hostinger uses an AI chatbot, and Elementor/NameCheap’s support are one of their most common complaints. Good support technitians cost money, but that doesn’t align with private equity’s goal to increase the bottom line.

**World Host Group** and **Newfold Digital** are buying hosting companies left and right. **Hostinger**/**Kinsta** are also backed by private equity while Cloudways/SiteGround “restructured” after a growth spike. Check the lists and use small businesses who take care of you.

**Newfold Digital** (Bluehost + HostGator) and **World Hosting Group** (A2 Hosting + FastComet) are 2 conglomerates that buy hosting companies and are criticized for deteriorating services—particularly in terms of support, performance, and transparency.

These hosts are usually recommended because they pay high affiliate commissions. I’m an affiliate too (I still gotta eat) but I do my best to recommend hosts based on your best interest (and after doing way too much research) without letting commissions get in the way.

Tab 2 content.

Tab 2 content.

### World Hosting Group

Owns **Rocket.net, A2 Hosting**, **FastComet**, **StablePoint**, and several other hosts. Has been called “EIG on steroids” and is gobbling up hostging companies.

Coming soon

### Newfold Digital

Formerly EIG and conglomerate who owns **Bluehost**, **HostGator**, and previously owned SiteLock. All I can say is if you’re still using one of these— **do more research**.

View list

### GoDaddy

While there are endless reasons not to use GoDaddy, their long list of security incidents & upsells in the product catalog are 1st on the list. Migrate **everything** away.

review

### SiteGround

**503 errors** from low limits (especially on cloud hosting), 600% renewals, paid migrations, paid CDNs, WordPress support no longer included… just glad I left.

review

### Hostinger

**Suspends accounts** for phishing/ abuse, deletes data, then denies refunds. CPU steal limits on their VPS, low CPU + RAM on shared, owned by ConHostinger. Fitting.

REVIEW

### Kinsta

Inadequate resources like WP Engine with more **PHP thread**, PHP memory, and staging limits. Free software and resource limit upgrades are expensive **add-ons**.

REVIEW

### WP Engine

Low bandwidth, visit, and other limits means **high overage fees** and ongoing upgrades. Managed hosting doesn’t mean they’ll fix your site, and slow performance.

COMING SOON

### Bluehost

Did Newfold finally update their hardware? Now they just need to update their TOS by removing all their **low resource limits** causing slow performance and upgrades.

REVIEW

### HostGator

BBB profile is filled with **scam accusations** related to renewals, refunds, billing, SiteLock, and no responses. They’re slow because they use ancient CPUs from 2012.

COMING SOON

### WPX

Their “independent” fastest hosting tests are by affiliates, but they only target a **<400ms TTFB**. And it’s still shared hosting with no redundancy and poor uptime.

review

### Elementor Cloud

Very poor performance/support and only 1 Belgium data center. **Get your hosting from a real hosting company**— not your page builder (applies to EasyWP).

COMING SOON

### NameCheap EasyWP

Between CPUs from 2019 and ~1 CPU core and ~1GB RAM on their highest plan, it’s easy to see why performance and resource usage are the two recurring complaints.

COMING SOON

### GreenGeeks

**Can’t cancel** and continues to auto-renew. TOS leaves many policies at their descretion— making backup, resource, and billing complaints very common.

COMING SOON

### InMotion

Downtime and performance are common complaints along with database/email issues. Backups are only taken for accounts less than 10GB and they use Apache.

COMING SOON

### Cloudways

Better than shared but price, resources, and performance aren’t there. CF Enterprise and Object Cache Pro are also poor. DigitalOcean-owned since 2022.

REVIEW

## CDNs

Network Dynamic Caching Smart Routing Image Optimization Cloudflare Enterprise Hosting CDNs TTFB Impact

Your CDN should have PoPs (points of presence) close to users and a fast data transfer rate measured in terabytes per second (Tbps) which are usually listed on the CDN’s **network page**. A larger/faster network generally means less latency and faster TTFB.

Dynamic caching can improve TTFB by **72%**. Most CDNs (like QUIC.cloud and Cloudflare APO) use dynamic caching. You can also use the **Super Page Cache plugin** which offers free dynamic caching through Cloudflare using the “cache everything” page rule.

Smart routing can reduce TTFB by another **33%**. This monitors real-time traffic congestion and directs traffic through the fastest network paths (like a GPS) and is especially good for dynamic/WooCommerce sites. **Cloudflare Argo** and **QUIC.cloud** support this.

Unlike image optimization plugins, CDNs optimize images without adding plugin overhead or using server resources. Many image CDNs can also dynamically resize images for mobile devices/browsers. Which means more optimizations and a lighter load on your server.

Cloudflare Enterprise has extremely powerful performance/security features for WooCommerce/dynamic sites. Arguably the **best integration** is **Rocket.net’s Cloudflare Enterprise** which is tightly integrated into their hosting, automatic, and free with their hosting.

Most hosting CDNs (including Cloudflare integrations and SiteGround’s CDN) offer significantly less features compared to setting up Cloudflare directly. You’re usually losing access to hundreds of Cloudflare features as well as access to your Cloudflare dashboard.

Besides hosting, Google lists CDNs as the **#2 way to improve TTFB**. Since TTFB is **40% of LCP** (and part of FCP), CDNs play a huge role in optimizing core web vitals. Plus, who doesn’t want their site loading fast nearly everywhere in the world? Choose your CDN wisely.

Tab 2 content.

### Cloudflare Enterprise

WooCommerce/dynamic sites greatly benefit from Argo Smart Routing, priority routing, bot mitigation, and Enterprise WAF. But not all integrations are equal.

COMING SOON

### Cloudflare

Massive network of 330 PoPs + 388 Tbps data transfer rates. Set up manually (not through your hosting) to ensure you have full access your dashboard/features.

settings

### QUIC.cloud

LiteSpeed’s CDN is often top 3 on CDN Performance Checker with native dynamic caching, page/image optimizations, and HTTP/3. Use the standard plan.

settings

### FlyingCDN

Solid integration of Cloudflare Enterprise and convenient if you’re using FlyingPress and want CF Enterprise features without moving to Rocket.net.

COMING SOON

### RocketCDN

Uses BunnyCDN, but adds no benefit compared to setting up BunnyCDN directly (other than the extra convenience). Doesn’t specify bandwidth limits either.

review

### SiteGround CDN

Limited optimization/security features, yet costs more than Cloudflare APO. Makes you use SiteGround’s DNS which was previously blocked by Google.

review

## Optimization Plugins

### FlyingPress

#1 in core web vitals according to the Chrome UX Report which collects performance data from real users. Leading the way with better features & optimizations.

settings

### LiteSpeed Cache

Free cache plugin for LiteSpeed servers. Learn to configure the settings and set up QUIC.cloud (or Cloudflare full page caching) with object cache via your host.

settings

### Perfmatters

When using FlyingPress or LiteSpeed Cache, you mainly want this for the script manager to disable plugins on specific pages/posts (reducing CSS/JS).

settings

### Database Cleaner

Cleans up the database junk cache plugins can’t: delete unused plugin tables, detect plugin autoloads, and repair corrupted or damaged tables.

coming soon

### WP Rocket

Compare their changelog to FlyingPress’ and you’ll see WP Rocket is following their tracks. Which explains why both their cache plugin and CDN are slower.

settings

### SiteGround Optimizer

4/5 star rating due to lacking features + compatibility issues. Get your hosting from a hosting company, and your optimization plugin from **reliable developers**.

SETTINGS

### NitroPack

Delivers a stripped-down version of your site to manipulate scores, but not ideal for real users. Even with manipulation strategies, it fall behinds FlyingPress in CrUX.

COMING SOON

### W3 Total Cache

I have a soft spot for this plugin since this guide is how my blog got popular (645+ comments)! But since FlyingPress/LSC came along, it’s not the best option :/

settings

### Full List

Overkilled list of 50+ speed plugins. Which ones you need (and don’t need) largely depend on which hosting/cache plugin you use. So choose both wisely.

list

## Core Web Vitals

### LCP

Learn the **4 LCP sub-parts** and how to optimze above the fold images, TTFB, and your entire site for better LCP. The core web vital people struggle with most.

tutorial

### CLS

Prevent elements from **shifting** on your site which is often fixed by tweaking CSS/font settings, CSS animations, preloading local fonts, and by delaying JavaScript.

tutorial

### TBT

Blocking time is usually from **JavaScript** added by plugins, themes, and third-party code (including jQuery). Remove it from the source or optimize it.

tutorial

### TTFB

KeyCDN’s Performance Test and SpeedVitals test TTFB in multiple locations. **A good host and CDN** (with dynamic caching and smart routing) the ticket for a fast TTFB.

tutorial

### Third-Party Code

Fonts, Gravatars, analytics tracking codes, and other third-party code should be hosted locally or delayed, especially when they load below the fold.

tutorial

### Image Optimization

Optimize **LCP, mobile, and background images**. Image CDNs generally do a better job compared to plugins, and they also don’t use server resources.

tutorial

## Page Builders

### Speed Up Elementor

Enable performance settings, remove wp-block-library, and exclude Elementor files when removing unused CSS/delaying JavaScript in your cache plugin.

tutorial

### Speed Up Divi

Similar to Elementor’s tutorial only specific to Divi. However, both page builders add extra CSS/JS— especially when you add extra page builder plugins.

tutorial

### GeneratePress

Why I used GeneratePress + GenerateBlocks to redesign my site and how it fixed several design/speed issues I’ve been having (cheaper than Kadence).

Review

**tom dupuis**

### Why I Started OMM

Because of how much misinformation is out there – specifically about WordPress hosting.

I started challenging “how to start a blog” affiliates in 2015 and haven’t stopped. All I care about is giving people factual, sourced reviews so they can make better decisions in a $100 billion hosting industry (the profits are insane… no wonder there’s so much noise)!

Outside of hosting, I’ve written several popular WordPress speed guides, including my first popular tutorial on W3 Total Cache in 2013 (a big reason my blog blew up in the first place). Times have changed!

When I’m not working, I’m usually hiking, exercising (boxing and yoga), letting loose at Red Rocks concerts, or traveling with my crew.

my story

Hosted on **ScalaHosting's VPS** | Optimized with **FlyingPress + FlyingCDN** | Built in **GeneratePress** | Developed by **BDkamol**

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