/ Plugin Category

/ Performance & Optimization

/ Caching Solutions

/ WP REST Cache

WP REST Cache

By Acato

Performance & Optimization / Caching Solutions

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

WP REST Cache Review - In-Depth Analysis

WP REST Cache speeds up the WordPress REST API by caching responses. It allows for automated cache flushing and manual cache management.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 42+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

7.2 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Are you facing speed issues, using the WordPress REST API? This plugin will allow WordPress to cache the responses of the REST API, making it much faster.

This plugin offers caching of all default WordPress REST API GET endpoints, custom post type endpoints, and custom taxonomy endpoints. It also provides automated flushing of caches if contents are edited, manual flushing options, and a counter for cache retrievals.

For more advanced features, check out our WP REST Cache Pro plugin. It allows you to configure custom endpoints for caching through the wp-admin interface and set relationships within endpoints with no coding required.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP REST Cache is a specialized caching plugin for REST API endpoints, offering unique features that differentiate it from general caching plugins. While there are several caching alternatives available, none focus exclusively on REST API caching as WP REST Cache does.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Significantly improves REST API response times, often reducing load times by up to 4-5 times.
Excellent and responsive support from the developer, including quick bug fixes and helpful guidance.
Works well with headless WordPress setups and custom API endpoints.
Highly effective for specific use cases like improving map load speeds and product filtering APIs.
Offers a focused caching solution tailored to REST API endpoints, unlike general caching plugins.

Weaknesses

Limited settings and customization options for caching different API routes with varying durations.
Some features, like hiding the REST API button in the admin panel, require filters instead of simple settings, which can be inconvenient.
Documentation and FAQs could be expanded to better cover advanced use cases and custom endpoints.
Security history includes high-risk vulnerabilities that have been patched, indicating a need for cautious updating.

User Sentiment Analysis

With an outstanding 4.9 out of 5 rating based on 42 reviews and no low-star ratings, users overwhelmingly praise WP REST Cache for its performance and support. The sentiment is highly positive, reflecting satisfaction with speed improvements and developer responsiveness.

Positive highlights

"Best support I’ve ever gotten!" - katerlouis
"Works well with headless WordPress and Nuxt 3" - thaikolja
"Made a big difference in load speeds of maps" - carnini
"Improved API response time from 2.3 seconds to about 200 ms" - hirngesicht
"Absolutely fantastic! Works exactly as advertised" - zerfl

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Lack of granular caching settings for different API routes.
Some administrative features require filters rather than simple settings.
Documentation and FAQs could be more comprehensive.
Past security vulnerabilities require users to keep the plugin updated.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers and site owners who rely heavily on REST API endpoints, especially in headless WordPress setups or applications requiring fast API response times, will benefit greatly from this plugin.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a general-purpose caching plugin with extensive settings or those unwilling to manage plugin updates carefully due to past security vulnerabilities might find this plugin less suitable.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers robust REST API caching capabilities that significantly improve response times and overall site performance for API-driven applications.

Pro version

The premium version typically includes advanced features such as more granular cache control, priority support, and additional customization options for complex REST API caching scenarios.

Final Verdict

WP REST Cache stands out as a highly effective and specialized caching plugin for REST API endpoints, delivering impressive speed improvements and excellent developer support. Its focused approach makes it an excellent choice for headless WordPress setups and API-heavy sites.

However, users should be aware of its limited customization options and past security vulnerabilities, which have been addressed in updates. Those needing broader caching features or less maintenance-intensive solutions might consider alternatives. Overall, it offers great value for its niche purpose.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP REST Cache plugin.

API

Cache

REST

Screenshots

FAQ

No, the plugin will automatically flush all cache related to the page/post you just edited.

Yes you can! You can use our WP REST Cache Pro plugin to easily register your own endpoints for caching through the wp-admin interface. Or you can do it programmatically by using the hook wp_rest_cache/allowed_endpoints like this:

/**  * Register the /wp-json/acf/v3/posts endpoint so it will be cached.  */ function wprc_add_acf_posts_endpoint( $allowed_endpoints ) {     if ( ! isset( $allowed_endpoints[ 'acf/v3' ] ) || ! in_array( 'posts', $allowed_endpoints[ 'acf/v3' ] ) ) {         $allowed_endpoints[ 'acf/v3' ][] = 'posts';     }     return $allowed_endpoints; } add_filter( 'wp_rest_cache/allowed_endpoints', 'wprc_add_acf_posts_endpoint', 10, 1);

Please note: the WP REST Cache plugin will try to detect relations in the cached data to automatically flush the cache when related items are edited, but this detection is not flawless so your caches might not be flushed automatically.

Yes you can! Use the hook wp_rest_cache/allowed_endpoints like this:

/**  * Unregister the /wp-json/wp/v2/comments endpoint so it will not be cached.  */ function wprc_unregister_wp_comments_endpoint( $allowed_endpoints ) {     if ( isset( $allowed_endpoints[ 'wp/v2' ] ) && ( $key = array_search( 'comments', $allowed_endpoints[ 'wp/v2' ] ) ) !== false ) {         unset( $allowed_endpoints[ 'wp/v2' ][ $key ] );     }     return $allowed_endpoints; } add_filter( 'wp_rest_cache/allowed_endpoints', 'wprc_unregister_wp_comments_endpoint', 100, 1);

Yes you can! Use the hook wp_rest_cache/determine_object_type like this:

function wprc_determine_object_type( $object_type, $cache_key, $data, $uri ) {     if ( $object_type !== 'unknown' || strpos( $uri, $your_namespace . '/' . $your_rest_base ) === false ) {         return $object_type;     }     // Do your magic here     $object_type = 'website';     // Do your magic here     return $object_type; } add_filter( 'wp_rest_cache/determine_object_type', 'wprc_determine_object_type', 10, 4 );

Yes you can! Use the hook wp_rest_cache/display_clear_cache_button like this:

function wprc_display_clear_cache_button( $show ) {     return false; } add_filter('wp_rest_cache/display_clear_cache_button', 'wprc_display_clear_cache_button', 10, 1);

Yes you can! There are two options for this: 1. Go to Settings > WP REST Cache and add Global cacheable request headers. This is a comma seperated list. These headers will be used for ALL endpoints. 2. Use the hook wp_rest_cache/cacheable_request_headers to specify per endpoint which request headers should be used. Like this:

function wprc_add_cacheable_request_headers( $cacheable_headers ) {     $cacheable_headers['wp/v2/posts'] = 'LANG';     return $cacheable_headers; } add_filter('wp_rest_cache/cacheable_request_headers', 'wprc_add_cacheable_request_headers', 10, 1);

Yes you can! Use the hook wp_rest_cache/settings_capability like this:

function wprc_change_settings_capability( $capability ) {     // Change the capability to users who can edit posts.     return 'edit_posts'; } add_filter('wp_rest_cache/settings_capability', 'wprc_change_settings_capability', 10, 1);

Yes you can! Use the hook wp_rest_cache/determine_object_type like this:

function wprc_determine_object_type( $object_type, $cache_key, $data, $uri ) {     if ( $object_type !== 'unknown' || strpos( $uri, $your_namespace . '/' . $your_rest_base ) === false ) {         return $object_type;     }     // Do your magic here     $object_type = 'website';     // Do your magic here     return $object_type; } add_filter( 'wp_rest_cache/determine_object_type', 'wprc_determine_object_type', 10, 4 );

Yes you can! Use the hook wp_rest_cache/display_clear_cache_button like this:

function wprc_display_clear_cache_button( $show ) {     return false; } add_filter('wp_rest_cache/display_clear_cache_button', 'wprc_display_clear_cache_button', 10, 1);