Softminal Cache 1.0 is here, and every feature is free

We are very happy to share that Softminal Cache 1.0 is now live on WordPress.org.

Our first version only had a page cache. It worked well, but a fast website needs more than that. So we kept working, and version 1.0 now has everything you need to make your WordPress site fast, in one plugin.

And the best part: every feature is free. There is no Pro version, no licence key and no account. We have no plans to add one.

What is new in 1.0

Optimize: make your pages lighter

• JavaScript: make files smaller, load scripts after the page is visible, and remove jQuery Migrate if your theme does not need it.
• CSS: make stylesheets smaller.
• Fonts: keep Google Fonts on your own server, show text while fonts are loading, and load the main fonts early.
• Images: load images, videos and embeds only when needed, add missing width and height, and make WebP and AVIF copies of your images if your server supports them.
• Script Manager: turn off any script or style on all pages, on some pages, or only for logged-in users.
• Remove extra things: the emoji script, embeds, Dashicons for visitors, XML-RPC and other things most sites do not use.

Database: keep it clean

Remove old post revisions, auto drafts, spam, trash and expired transients. First you see how many items will go, and nothing is deleted until you confirm. Autosaves are always kept. You can also run the cleanup daily, weekly or monthly, and optimise your tables with a test run first.

Speed audit with a Fix button

The Dashboard now checks your site in your own browser. It measures page load time, server response, page size, number of requests and your largest image. You get a score out of 100, a history of every check, and a Fix button next to each problem.

A better page cache

• A separate copy for mobile phones.
• Visitors get the old copy while a fresh one is being made, so nobody waits.
• Optional cache for 404 pages, feeds and logged-in visitors. Logged-in copies are private, and never made for editors or admins.
• Preload builds your pages in the background from your sitemap, at a speed your hosting can handle.
• Browser cache and compression rules for Apache and LiteSpeed, and a ready snippet for Nginx.

Made so that you cannot break your site

Many speed plugins give you fifty switches and leave the rest to you. We wanted to do it differently. You should be able to try any setting without fear.

• Self check: after a risky change, the plugin opens your homepage and a post, looks for errors, and turns the change back by itself if your site got worse.
• Undo: you can undo your last change for 24 hours. The settings history lets you go back to any older setup.
• Safe Mode: one switch pauses all optimisations while you check something. The page cache keeps working.
• Profiles: start with Safe, which is the default. When you are ready, try Balanced or Aggressive. A table shows what each one turns on.

Cart, checkout, login and private pages are never cached. So shops on WooCommerce, FluentCart and Easy Digital Downloads always show the right cart to the right person.

Coming from another cache plugin?

Go to Tools and import your settings from WP Rocket. Imports from LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache, WP Fastest Cache, WP-Optimize, Autoptimize and Perfmatters are also there, in beta. You can see what came over, and undo it if you like.

One small request: please deactivate your old cache plugin first. Two page caches on one site will fight with each other.

Why is it free?

We believe speed should not be a paid extra. Every WordPress site should be fast, small or big.

Softminal Cache also does not send your data anywhere. There is no tracking and no outside service. It only downloads Google Fonts if you ask it to keep them on your own server.

If the plugin saves you time, you can support our work with the Sponsor link at the bottom of this page. It helps us keep every feature free.

How to get it

• Already using Softminal Cache? Just update from your dashboard. Your cache settings will stay as they are.
• New to Softminal Cache? Go to Plugins, then Add New, search for “Softminal Cache”, and click Install and Activate. The page cache starts with safe settings.
• After that, open the Dashboard and run your first speed audit.

New here? Our Getting started guide shows you the first steps.

If you have any question or face any problem, please do write to us at support.softminal.com. Our team reads every message.

Thank you for trying Softminal Cache. Please do share it with your friends who use WordPress.

The Softminal team