WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
vs
Headless Hostman Static WordPress
Comparison
WP Engine's Edge Full Page Cache might seem "Static" in nature, but there are some key differences.
Core Approach
WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
This takes WP Engine’s cache and serves it from the CDN level, rather than their regular WordPress servers.
Vs
Headless Hostman
We convert WordPress pages into static HTML files and serve them directly from the edge. The live website is completely static and decoupled from WordPress.
Content Delivery
WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
Dynamic caching at the edge for faster delivery.
It can take time for all of your pages to be consumed, and WP Engine’s method of moving cached files to the CDN is unclear.
This leaves a gap where files could still be served from the server level.
Vs
Headless Hostman
Fully static delivery eliminates WordPress backend dependence for serving content across the entire website without fail.
No WordPress backend means it’s faster and more secure.
Cache Invalidations
WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
To truly clear the cache, you would need to signal a variety of actions within WP Engine.
- DNS-level cache
- Edge-page cache
- Server cache
- And WP Rocket or performance cache
The most common issue we see here is that even on clearing these caches it can be difficult for many users to see the content or styling updates for up to an hour or more.
Beyond that, the rebuild process can take time, leaving pages in the gap of not being served from the CDN.
Vs
Headless Hostman
Updated static HTML files are redeployed and served from the edge immediately.
Thus changed pages are available to users within a few minutes without needing to initiate several cache clears.
Speed
WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
Cached pages are fast but may still involve some processing overhead, such as cache validation, depending on the complexity of the site.
If your site is overloaded by a sudden or consistent uptick in traffic, you will see sluggishness.
Vs
Headless Hostman
Because we deliver pre-built static file directly from the edge server, there are no processing delays.
Our service is completely agnostic to traffic spikes.
Security
WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
At the end of the day it’s still a live WordPress website, which leaves it open to the vulnerabilities of Plugins and Themes.
Vs
Headless Hostman
Your live website is completely decoupled from the WordPress instance, making it vastly impenetrable.
We also have an option to “freeze” your staging WordPress website in between content updates, so it is completely locked down.
Scalability
WP Engine Edge Full Page Cache
This service is still limited to your plan through WP Engine, which is a formula of traffic, bandwidth, and storage.
Any metering above these services — or detected issues — will trigger performance degradations and required plan upgrades.
You’ll find by and large the cost-per-performance is higher than our packages.
Vs
Headless Hostman
We only charge you for visits per our plan tiers.
We do not charge for bandwidth or storage.
Our average cost-per-performance is lower on average. For higher traffic sites, it’s considerably lower.
The Full Analysis
WP Engine’s Edge Full Page Cache tries to solve a core problem: I want to use WordPress, but I want Static pages.
It aims to do this because its Atlas Headless solution forces you to completely rebuild your WordPress’ frontend in a JS-based template language.
You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too
We developed the Headless Hostman to give you all the perks of WordPress with all of the advantages of Static.
You manage your site completely as is — with your Plugins, Themes, etc — and make them seamlessly static.
Convert and Send Pages within Minutes
The final result is achieving a truly Static front-end live website.
- It’s decoupled from WordPress for security
- It’s loaded faster
Make It Faster with Static Performance Optimizations
We’ve also added built-in performance optimizations settings to make your outputted HTML even faster. Without dependence on third-party Plugins.
Want the Benefits of Static? Just Go Static
There’s no contest. Start your journey today.
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Headless Hostman takes the best of both traditional CMS systems and other static host providers to create a site that is both easy to manage, fast, and secure.