Perfmatters
Key Applications
- Removing unused JavaScript/CSS and disabling unnecessary features/themes/plugins per page.
- Lazy loading images, videos, iframes; delaying JS to minimize render-blocking.
- Preloading critical assets (fonts, images, scripts) and prefetched resources for better load times.
- Database cleanup (removing post revisions, transients, spam/trash, optimizing tables) to keep backend lean.
Who It’s For
Perfmatters is perfect for site owners, bloggers, eCommerce stores, developers, or agencies who want to squeeze out extra performance, improve Core Web Vitals, and reduce unnecessary overhead on their WordPress sites. If you’re using caching plugins already but still have scripts/styles or WordPress defaults slowing you down, this tool gives you the fine-grained control you need. It’s less suited if you want an all-in-one caching + hosting solution; Perfmatters works best in complement with caching or CDN tools.
Pros & Cons
| Pros |
Cons |
| ✔️ Deep control over scripts/styles to remove bloat. |
✖️ No built-in caching; needs to pair with a caching plugin. |
| ✔️ Many performance tweaks beyond basic caching (lazy load, preload, remove defaults). |
✖️ Some features require careful testing, may break theme/plugins if misconfigured. |
| ✔️ Lightweight, minimal overhead, good UI with one-click toggles. |
✖️ Premium plugin; no free version to try all features. |
| Pros |
Cons |
| ✔ Very beginner-friendly |
✖ Limited backlink data compared to Ahrefs |
| ✔ Clean interface |
✖ Less feature depth than Semrush |
| ✔ Helpful community and resources |
✖ Can feel slower at scale |
How It Compares
- Versus WP Rocket: WP Rocket includes built-in caching and many front-end optimizations; Perfmatters does not handle caching but provides deeper script/style control.
- Versus FlyingPress: FlyingPress also focuses on performance but bundles more caching and asset loading tools; Perfmatters gives more options for disabling features globally or per page.
- Versus free performance plugins: Most free plugins lack advanced script disabling per page, unused CSS removal, or granular feature toggles. Perfmatters provides these in a premium, well-supported package.
Bullet Point Features
- Script Manager to enable/disable JS/CSS per page, post type, device.Lazy load & defer/delay JavaScript; manage loading of images, iframes.
- UloveWPRemove WordPress defaults: emojis, embeds, version info, REST link, etc.
- Preloading / DNS prefetch / preconnect resources. Database optimization & cleanups.