W3 Total Cache vs WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #52, ahead of W3 Total Cache at #72. WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache has the largest install base: 1M+ active installs against 900K+ for W3 Total Cache. Downloads this week: W3 Total Cache 122,770 and WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache 41,355. Ratings: W3 Total Cache 4.4★ from 5,420 and WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache 4.8★ from 2,608 reviews.
| Metric | W3 Total Cache | WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #72 ▬ | #52 ▬ |
| Active installs | 900K+ | 1M+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 122,770 | 41,355 |
| Rating | 4.4★ (5,420) | 4.8★ (2,608) |
| Last updated | Sep 4, 2026 | Aug 13, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.10.6 | 4.6.1 |
| Best rank on record | #71 | #52 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2009 | Jan 2009 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 4 | 0 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
- W3 Total Cache vs LiteSpeed Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs WP Super Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs WP Fastest Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs Autoptimize
- WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache vs LiteSpeed Cache
- WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache vs WP Super Cache
- WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache vs WP Fastest Cache
- WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache vs Autoptimize
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, W3 Total Cache or WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache?
By active installs, WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache: 1M+ sites run it against 900K+ for W3 Total Cache, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, W3 Total Cache or WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache?
WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache, at #52 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with W3 Total Cache at #72. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are W3 Total Cache or WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are caching & performance plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.