NitroPack Review 2024: Is It Worth the Hype?

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Site speed is one of the most vital ranking factors. The slower your web pages, the more money you’re losing. In this NitroPack review, I will show you how to dramatically improve page speed without employing an SEO guru or speed optimization professional.

You can do it yourself; with a few clicks, the right tools, and the correct settings, NitroPack can get you incredible page speed scores with fewer efforts.

Here is what you will learn in this review of NiroPack.

Let’s dive in

NitroPack Test With Google Page Speed Tool

I host this blog on Namecheap’s EasyWP WordPress hosting, which has a built-in three-layer cache system. This has already improved its performance from the beginning.

But a few speed and performance issues still need to be solved. 

So, I deploy NitroPack on the website to see its impact, especially the mobile performance score and Core Web Vitals results.

Here are the before and after NitroPack was installed.

Before NitroPack

After NitroPack 

Before NitroPack

After NitroPack

And we have a perfect CWV (Core Web Vital) score for every tested page.

This is the last 28 days’ Core Web Vital Chrome user experience (CrUX) result for most pages before the current test result.

And after NitroPack, most test result looks like this

Though a few issues need to be addressed, I’m testing with the free NitroPack plan. I might achieve better optimization results if I upgrade to a paid plan.

As you can see in the above picture, I need to reduce initial server response time, properly resize images, reduce unused CSS, and avoid an excess DOM size.

However, the scores and performance are excellent for a free NitroPack plan.

What is NitroPack?

NitroPack is a cross-platform, cloud-based, all-in-one website speed and performance optimization solution.

More than a caching plugin, NitroPack combines several features and tools you need in one package to achieve a fast-loading website.

It comprises image optimization, caching, code minification, file optimization, built-in CDN, lazy loading, etc.

And it works equally on several content management systems – OpenCart, Magento, WordPress, Drupal, Woocommerce, etc.

Anyone can use Nitropack regardless of your website software.

With fewer setup processes, NitroPack automatically deploys its basic settings, optimizes your websites for speed and performance, and resolves Core Web Vital issues.

It offers both a paid and a free plan; we will get into all the pricing details in this NitroPack review. Stay with me.

How to Set up NitroPack

Setting up NitroPack is straightforward. First, you need to sign up for an account on the website. 

You can select the free plan to test it out before making a financial commitment. Here is how to get the NitroPack free plan.

Go to the NitroPack website from this link (you save a 5% discount if you subscribe to a paid plan). The link will take you to the pricing page; scroll below the pricing table.

Next, click the link with the anchor text “Free plan.”

Complete your registration and download the NitroPack WordPress connector plugin. You can download it from your WordPress admin or through the wordpress.org website.

Either way, you’re getting the same NitroPack plugin.

Once activated, you must connect the plugin to your NitroPack account.

Following the setup correctly, your NitroPack API and Site Secret keys automatically connect to the plugin.

Like in the image below.

NitroPack Features

Several features are worth discussing in this NitroPack review; I will walk you through the highlights of the all-in-one website performance solution. 

Let’s start with the dashboard.

NitroPack Dashboard

When you log in for the first time, you might have little going on, especially if you have a low-traffic website. But here is what you should expect.

Active Features.

Once the NitroPack plugin is activated, it automatically enables the basic features. You’ll see this when you log in to your account anytime.

These default features are active on your website without additional or custom settings. You can adjust these features’ behavior anytime from the settings page.

Total Cache Status

This feature alerts you how many pages on your website are currently optimized, not optimized, and pending. 

It is a good feature that lets you know what to expect and how the plugin works on your website.

Service Result

The service result is broken down into three categories:

• Cache Hit Ratio – Percentage of requests successfully delivered from the cache.
• Cache Size – This is the current disc size used by the Nitropack cache files.
• Last Purge – The last time you purged your website cache manually.

Quick Action

This is a shortcut to essential features; you can quickly enable the cache warmup and safe mode features here. 

Also, you can purge all website URLs from the Quick Action panel and access the link to the settings page.

There is not much here, but it’s worth mentioning. 

Optimization modes

There are four preconfigured optimization modes, excluding the custom option.

Each option gives you a specific optimization level and settings, but when you first log in to NitroPack, you’re automatically on the Ludicrous optimization level and settings.

You can change it if you find another option suitable for your website. 

Cache System

NitroPack uses advanced caching systems to deploy the best possible cache optimization on your website.

Here is how NitroPack handles cache:

• Improve Server Response Time – This automatically enables your website. You can adjust the cache and stale cache expiration time in the setting. 

• Minify Resources – You can toggle on/off this button to automatically optimize JavaScript, HTML, and CSS resources. 
• Optimize Only URLs – Specify only the URLs to optimize and let NitroPack skip the rest. 

• Exclude URLs – If you don’t want specific URLs optimized, use this function. However, it is different from excluding resource types. E.g., JS files and CSS files.

• Cache Ajax URLs – If you need to cache Ajax URLs, you can specify them here.

• Ignore Parameters – You can exclude URL parameters that do not modify page content on your website. You can enter the wildcard command to exclude all URLs from a specific location.

• Exclude from Optimization by Cookie – You can exclude URLs from optimization by their cookie names and values. This feature is helpful if you don’t want to serve cached pages based on cookie consent for specific users. 

• Enable Compression – NitroPack automatically enables Gzip and Brotli compression on all your website resources. You don’t need to do anything here.

Variation Cookies

Many businesses deliver optimized and personalized information-based cookies to their users. The type of information you see on such sites might depend on your location, currency, age, device, location, gender, etc.

NitroPack uses the variation cookies to serve optimized and personalized pages according to the cookies you’ve specified.

Also, NitroPack will create separate caching for desktop, mobile, and tablet users. This helps give an optimal browsing experience for each user according to their device type.

ThirdParty Cache Integration 

If you use third-party cache optimization services or reversed proxies like Varnish or Nginx, NitroPack works seamlessly with these services, including Cloudflare, Sucurri, Cloudways cache, etc. 

Cache Warmup

This feature allows NitroPack to optimize your old and new website pages in the cache; whether you published these pages 50 years ago or recently, the automatic cache warmup will optimize them.

You must enter your homepage and sitemap URLs in the required field. Though this is a paid feature, it is worth the investment.

Content Delivery Network – CDN

NitroPack leverages the powerful content delivery network service Cloudflare to deliver global content for its users. 

Cloudflare is built-in with your NitroPack solution to experience a faster page speed. 

A CDN stores your website copies in several data centers across the internet. So when a user requests information from your website, the CDN serves a copy from the nearest data centre/server to the user.

This process significantly reduces server response and content delivery time to the client browser.

Here are the NitroPack CDN features:

• HTTP/2 Compatible – Deliver your content over an HTTP/2 secure connection.
• Global CDN Service – Cloudflare is a global CDN service provider with data centres across 275 cities in over 100 countries. This is a massive boost.
• Brotli and Gzip Compression – NitroPack uses Gzip and Brotli, the most widely used and effective file compression tools.

JavaScript Optimization

JavaScript is one of the biggest culprits for slow website pages. This is because most interaction on a page is only possible after loading JavaScript resources.

Loading too many JS files at once will negatively impact the speed and rendering of the page.

Several third-party JS files in the head section of your website, like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Site verification codes, etc., make things worse.

But all hope is not lost; NitroPack has advanced JS resources optimization features that let you define the rendering of JS files on the page to mitigate the effects.

• Combine JS – When you enable this feature, all JS codes are combined into one file, which reduces the number of requests and improves rendering. Also, NitroPack automatically switches the optimization level to custom and purges the cache. 

• Remove Render Blocking Resources – It auto removes the above-the-fold render-blocking resources. You can configure it further with a few options: delay critical resources until user interaction, enable resource loader script and resource loading strategy.

• Delay Script – Enter it here to delay a specific script from loading.

• Optimize Ads – Enable this feature with caution, especially if you have the feature already enabled by your ad code provider.

• Minify J-SON for Link Data – Enable this feature if you want NitroPack to minify the J-SON HTML elements automatically. 

• OptinMonster Script Optimization – Except you’re using the OptinMonster plugin, you have no concern with this feature. You can enable/disable it. 

These optimization features will help fix many Core Web Vital issues in the page speed tool and GTmetrix.

It will reduce the Total Blocking Time and First Contentful Paint if done correctly.

HTML Optimization

NitroPack straightforwardly handles HTML minification. It automatically minifies HTML code and removes comments on the page.

You can keep the HTML comments on the page if you want.

CSS Optimization

CSS is responsible for many things on a web page, including colors, layouts, font size, background colors, spacing, etc.

However, excess CSS code on a web page can quickly slow down page speed. If a code is not required on a page to function, you don’t have to load it.

Luckily, NitroPack has one-click CSS optimization features to fix the problem.

• Optimize CSS Delivery – NitroPack will optimize your website’s custom stylesheet delivery for optimal performance.
• Reduce Unused CSS –  CSS codes not used are removed from the optimized file to improve performance and page rendering.
• Combine CSS file – Combine CSS resources into one optimized file and group them by media type. It will reduce network requests and improve page rendering. 
• Custom CSS Rules – You can specify custom rules applied to optimized pages.

Image Optimization

NitroPack offers built-in image optimization features. It enables you to optimize your website images for the proper size and delivery. 

Often, images do not fit into their container and are not correctly optimized for speed and lazy loading. NitroPack handles all these aspects, so you don’t need an extra plugin.

Here are the NitroPack image features:

Note, if you have another Lazy loading plugin or tool on your blog, you must deactivate it to use the NitroPack lazy load option.

For example, JetPack has its built-in Lazy loading feature; you cannot simultaneously enable two image lazy loading tools. Your website might break.

You must turn off this feature in JetPack if you want to enable it in NitroPack and vice versa. 

NitroPack Pricing

Compared to competitors like WP Rocket, WP Fastest Cache, and Comet Cache, NitroPack is expensive. 

But you also enjoy value for money. 

Many NitroPack alternatives do not combine everything you need for performance, speed, image optimization, and Core Web Vital optimization in one solution. 

You might need to subscribe to different tools and services to put everything together. Nevertheless, here is the NiroPack pricing plan.

You get a 5% discount if you subscribe to a paid plan through our affiliate link. You don’t have to enter the coupon code CYBERNAIRA on the pricing page. It will automatically apply to your purchase.

NitroPack Supports

NitroPack support has received several backlashes from the community, especially from unsatisfied customers.

But I believe that’s a thing of the past. The company has improved its support services and does all it can to assist its users.

But there is a lot to improve, especially in the available channels.

As of writing, there is only ticket support and onsite help documents. There is no live chat or phone number on the website.

To resolve your issues, you have to open a support ticket, which can take 1 to 24 hours to get a response.

NitroPack Review – Pros and Cons 

Here is an overview of NitroPack if you need a quick rundown of its advantages and disadvantages. And how it can reduce page speed and help your business grow.

But ensure you read the entire article for a complete view and understanding of how NitroPack works. 

Final Thought

NitroPack is a powerful solution for improving website performance if you can afford the subscription.

However, it may be expensive for beginner marketers, which makes other solutions like WP Rocket a better choice. 

However, you must consider the features versus pricing before making a decision.

NitroPack gives you everything you need in one package; other solutions will require additional tools to complement their performance.