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/ WP Rocket | Simple LoadCSS Preloader

WP Rocket | Simple LoadCSS Preloader

By ensemblebd

Performance & Optimization / Caching Solutions

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

WP Rocket | Simple LoadCSS Preloader Review - In-Depth Analysis

This plugin enhances WP Rocket's CSS output by using loadCSS to preload styles. It is deprecated and will be removed in the future.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.79/10

User Rating

1/5 (based on 2+ reviews)

Active Installations

4,000+

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 is deprecated and will be removed in the future. It was coded back in 2019 when WP Rocket did not have asynchronous support for CSS. Although this plugin operates at a lower level, which helps apply loadCSS to all styles, we recommend using WP Rocket's system instead.

This is a simple high-performance plugin to enhance WP Rocket's CSS output to use the loadCSS preload polyfill. This will ensure any CSS being loaded via the page output is deferred and utilizes a preload attribute. Note: This will not affect admin pages. It is designed only to process front-end pages.

It is recommended to enable the WP Rocket setting for 'Optimize CSS', which provides your pages with inline Critical-CSS to avoid an unstyled flash on page load.

This plugin will boost your Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insight scores.

We hope that WP Rocket will implement this as a feature of their plugin. The existing Load CSS Asynchronously only works for supported wp_enqueue styles, which not all plugins/themes properly utilize. For normal users, we recommend using WP Rocket's system instead of this plugin.

Requirements include enabling WP Rocket's setting for 'caching for Logged-In Users' if you want logged-in users to see the effect. You can also run the plugin without WP Rocket.

Features include FilamentGroup's LoadCSS inline injector and a high-performance Regular Expression approach to process WP Rocket's output buffer.

No fluff. Just a robust loadCSS implementation.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP Rocket | Simple LoadCSS Preloader has several alternatives in the WordPress optimization space that offer similar or broader functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Focuses on CSS loading optimization
Lightweight plugin with a simple purpose
No known security vulnerabilities
Free to use without a paid version

Weaknesses

Reported to cause site-breaking issues
No active support or updates evident
Lacks advanced optimization features
No pro version or premium support options

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin has a very low rating with all users giving it 1 star, indicating significant dissatisfaction.

Positive highlights

Common complaints

Plugin caused site to break and database connection issues
Unexpected charges for a plugin not installed

Weaknesses

Unreliable and potentially harmful to site stability
Poor user trust due to billing issues
No positive user feedback available
Lack of updates and support

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking for a simple CSS loading optimization plugin who are willing to test carefully in a staging environment.

Not ideal for

Site owners who require reliable, well-supported optimization plugins or those who cannot risk site downtime or unexpected charges.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The plugin is free to use with basic CSS loading optimization features.

Final Verdict

WP Rocket | Simple LoadCSS Preloader currently suffers from severe reliability and trust issues, as reflected in its poor user ratings and reports of site-breaking bugs and unexpected charges. While it has no known security vulnerabilities, the lack of support and updates makes it a risky choice for most users.

Given the availability of many well-supported alternatives with broader features and better reputations, this plugin is not recommended for users seeking dependable performance optimization. Those who do try it should proceed with caution and ensure proper backups are in place.