How Super Page Cache for Cloudflare Affects Your WordPress Speed

What Super Page Cache Actually Does

Super Page Cache (formerly WP Cloudflare Super Page Cache) takes your WordPress HTML output and caches it at Cloudflare’s 200+ global edge locations. Instead of every visitor hitting your origin server, most requests are served directly from the nearest Cloudflare data center.

This is fundamentally different from plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache, which cache pages on your own server’s disk. Server-level caching helps, but your visitors still need to reach your server. With edge caching, a visitor in Tokyo gets your page from a Tokyo data center — not from your VPS in Frankfurt.

Performance Benchmark

We tested Super Page Cache v5.2.3 in our isolated Docker environment (WordPress 6.9.1, PHP 8.3, GeneratePress theme):

Speed Score: B+ — The server-side overhead is minimal. The +7ms TTFB and +4MB memory are typical for a well-built caching plugin that needs to bootstrap its cache logic on every request. Zero additional database queries is excellent.

Important context: this benchmark measures origin server overhead only. The real benefit — sub-50ms TTFB from edge locations — only kicks in when connected to Cloudflare. Our test environment doesn’t have Cloudflare, so the B+ score reflects the plugin’s footprint, not its full potential.

What We Like

• Actually free edge caching. Cloudflare APO costs $5/month. This plugin achieves similar results with Cloudflare’s free plan. That’s a real cost savings for sites that don’t need APO’s automatic platform optimization.
• Smart cache purging. When you update a post, it purges that post, its category archives, tag pages, and the homepage. No stale content, no manual purging needed.
• Fallback disk cache. If Cloudflare goes down (rare but possible), the plugin serves pages from a local disk cache. Good resilience engineering.
• Database cleanup built in. Removes post revisions, auto-drafts, spam comments, and expired transients. Most caching plugins don’t include this.
• No additional queries. Our benchmark showed zero extra database queries, meaning the plugin’s cache-checking logic runs entirely in PHP memory.

What Could Be Better

• Plugin size is hefty. At 5MB and 442 files, it’s larger than most caching plugins. WP Super Cache is under 1MB. Much of this is the redesigned dashboard and bundled features (lazy loading, JS defer, database optimization).
• Feature creep. The plugin started as a Cloudflare page cache. Now it includes lazy loading, Google Fonts optimization, JS deferring, and database cleanup. Each feature adds complexity and potential conflicts. We’d prefer a focused caching plugin + separate optimization tools.
• v4 to v5 migration pain. The v5.x rewrite changed settings structure and deprecated some features. Several support threads mention confusion after upgrading. If you’re on v4.x and it works, research before upgrading.
• Conflicts with other cache layers. If your host runs Varnish, or you have another caching plugin active, expect issues. This isn’t unique to Super Page Cache — it’s true of all caching plugins — but the support forum shows it’s a recurring source of tickets.
• Pro features feel basic. The paid version adds JS delay, advanced lazy loading, and marketing parameter stripping. These are table stakes in 2026 — plugins like Perfmatters and FlyingPress offer more for similar prices.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for: Sites already on Cloudflare (free or paid plan) that want full-page edge caching without paying for Cloudflare APO or WP Rocket. Small-to-medium WordPress sites, blogs, and portfolios where global TTFB matters.

Not ideal for: WooCommerce stores with heavy dynamic content (cart, checkout pages need careful cache exclusions). Sites already using WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache — don’t stack caching plugins. Sites on hosts with built-in caching (Kinsta, WP Engine) should test carefully for conflicts.

Alternatives to Consider

• WP Super Cache — Automattic’s free caching plugin. Simpler, lighter, no Cloudflare integration.
• W3 Total Cache — Maximum features including object caching, fragment caching, and CDN support. Complex setup.
• LiteSpeed Cache — Best free option if your server runs LiteSpeed/OpenLiteSpeed. Built-in CDN via QUIC.cloud.
• WP Rocket — Premium ($59/yr) all-in-one. Easiest setup, broadest optimization features, but no free edge caching.

The Verdict

Super Page Cache for Cloudflare does one thing exceptionally well: it turns Cloudflare’s free CDN into a full-page cache for WordPress. If you’re on Cloudflare and want fast global delivery without paying for APO or WP Rocket, this is the best free option.

The plugin has grown beyond its original scope with lazy loading, JS optimization, and database cleanup bolted on. These additions work but add complexity. Our recommendation: use Super Page Cache for what it’s best at (Cloudflare caching), and pair it with a focused optimization plugin like Autoptimize for CSS/JS optimization.

Rating: 4/5 — Excellent at its core job. Docked a point for feature bloat and the rough v5 migration experience.

Benchmark data measured 2026-02-24 in an isolated Docker environment (WordPress 6.9.1, PHP 8.3, GeneratePress). See our full methodology.