/ Plugin Category

/ Performance & Optimization

/ Caching Solutions

/ Cache External Scripts

Cache External Scripts

By Voorsie

Performance & Optimization / Caching Solutions

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Cache External Scripts Review - In-Depth Analysis

Cache Google Analytics scripts locally for improved PageSpeed scores. Optimize browser caching beyond 2 hours.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.73/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 25+ reviews)

Active Installations

800+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin helps you optimize your Google Pagespeed score by caching the Google Analytics scripts, specifically gtag.js and analytics.js, on your local server.

By doing so, you can enable browser caching for longer than the default 2 hours. The plugin checks daily for updates to ensure that your cache remains current.

Comparing to Alternatives

Cache External Scripts is a specialized plugin with several alternatives available that offer similar script optimization features.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Highly effective caching of external scripts
Excellent compatibility with other caching plugins like W3 Total Cache
Simple and lightweight with minimal configuration needed
Consistently high user satisfaction with a 5-star average rating

Weaknesses

Limited scope focusing mainly on external scripts
Lacks support for some scripts like Google Maps and Facebook Pixel
No advanced customization options
No pro version with extended features

User Sentiment Analysis

With a perfect 5-star average from 25 ratings and no negative reviews, users overwhelmingly appreciate the plugin's performance and reliability.

Positive highlights

'Great little plugin, works very well' - tonyuk123
'Works like a charm! Perfect compatibility with W3 Total Cache' - alibt68
'Best service' - musa007
'Great job for Google Analytics support' - RicaNeaga
'Very good plugin' - vkw72

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Does not currently support caching for Facebook Pixel
Could improve support for Google Maps scripts
No additional features beyond basic external script caching

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Website owners looking for a simple, effective solution to cache external scripts and improve site speed without complex setup.

Not ideal for

Users needing comprehensive script optimization including support for a wide range of scripts like Facebook Pixel or Google Maps, or those wanting advanced customization options.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides full functionality for caching external scripts, delivering excellent performance improvements without cost.

Final Verdict

Cache External Scripts excels at its core function of caching external scripts with high reliability and user satisfaction, making it a valuable tool for improving website performance. Its simplicity and compatibility with popular caching plugins add to its appeal for users seeking straightforward optimization.

However, its limited feature set and lack of support for some popular scripts may prompt users with more complex needs to consider alternative plugins. Overall, it offers excellent value as a free solution with no known security issues.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Cache External Scripts plugin.

Cache

Caching

Google Analytics

Screenshots

FAQ

This plugin only caches the script and replaces it in your current Analytics code, containing ‘gtag.js’, ‘analytics.js’ or the older ‘ga.js’ script.
We chose not to insert the Analytics code itself because there are tons of plugins for that already, and some users require modifications in the code.