Zinn® CacheFew settings to get wrong: safe defaults for shops and signed-in visitors are on from the start.
Compare
A W3 Total Cache alternative
W3 Total Cache offers many storage backends and CDN integrations. Zinn® Cache keeps the settings small and uses LiteSpeed's server-level cache where it can. How they compare.
The short answer
W3 Total Cache can do almost anything, with dozens of settings. Zinn® Cache does the parts that matter most with very few settings, so it is hard to misconfigure.
| Zinn® Cache | W3 Total Cache | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Pro add-on from an annual licence | Free, with a paid Pro version[1] |
| Free version | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Server needed for its page cache | Any server: LiteSpeed's cache or a file cache | Any server — disk, Redis, Memcached or APCu[1] |
| Object cache | Redis; Pro adds an APCu tier | Redis, Memcached, APCu or disk[1] |
| Optional third-party online services | None in the cache; Freemius for Pro's licence | CDN integrations[1] |
Sources
Why people choose Zinn® Cache over W3 Total Cache
Purging by tag clears only the pages a change affects, so the rest of the site stays fast after every edit.
Extras such as image and asset optimisation live in a separate Pro add-on, not as more switches in the free plugin.
Where it is the better choice
W3 Total Cache runs on almost any server and offers a very wide set of storage backends and CDN integrations. If you need a specific backend or CDN it supports, it can do things Zinn® Cache does not.
Where Zinn® Cache fits
Zinn® Cache has far fewer settings to get wrong. On LiteSpeed a cached page never reaches PHP; elsewhere its file cache serves before WordPress loads. Pro adds analytics and optimisation as an add-on rather than as more settings in one plugin.
How to switch from W3 Total Cache in three steps
Install Zinn® Cache, keep it switched off
Add the free plugin from your WordPress dashboard. Before you turn it on, note which pages W3 Total Cache leaves uncached — cart, checkout, account pages — so you can check they stay uncached after the move.
Deactivate W3 Total Cache, then turn Zinn® Cache on
Never run two page caches at once. Deactivate W3 Total Cache first, then switch Zinn® Cache on. Shop and signed-in visitors are left out of the cache by default.
Check it is working
Open your site in a private window and reload: the status panel shows which page cache is in use, and the guide on checking your cache shows how to read the response headers. Then delete W3 Total Cache for good.
Questions about switching from W3 Total Cache
Can I run Zinn® Cache and W3 Total Cache together?
Not as two page caches — two caches storing the same page fight each other and make problems hard to find. Deactivate W3 Total Cache before you switch Zinn® Cache on.
Is Zinn® Cache really free?
Yes. The page cache, tag-based purging, the Redis object cache and shop-safe exclusions are free for good, with no licence key. Zinn® Cache Pro is an optional add-on from $49 a year, with a free trial and no card needed.
Will my site be faster than with W3 Total Cache?
Any good page cache makes the biggest difference: on our own measured test a cached page started arriving in 40 ms instead of 107 ms. How Zinn® Cache compares with W3 Total Cache on your site depends on your host and theme, so measure before and after — the benchmark page shows how.
More WordPress cache plugin comparisons
- A free WP Rocket alternative
- LiteSpeed Cache or Zinn® Cache?
- A WP Super Cache alternative with an object cache
- A NitroPack alternative that runs on your own server
- A WP Fastest Cache alternative
- A free FlyingPress alternative
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Included free with Zinn Digital® hosting
Get Zinn® Cache free on Zinn Digital® hosting
Every WordPress site on our own servers comes with Zinn® Cache installed and connected: the page cache is on, the Redis object cache is managed for you, and plugin updates arrive on their own. Zinn® Cache Pro is not included; add it to any site when you want it.