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Purge Varnish Cache vs Smart Varnish (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Purge Varnish Cache

Purge Varnish Cache

5(10)

2.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 years ago
View Purge Varnish Cache
VS
Smart Varnish

Smart Varnish

5(2)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 9 years ago
View Smart Varnish

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Purge Varnish Cache has a higher user rating (5/5 from 10 reviews) and leads in active installations (2.0K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Purge Varnish Cache has accumulated 56K+ total downloads while Smart Varnish has 1.9K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
5/5Purge Varnish Cache
Smart Varnish5/5
Total Reviews
10Purge Varnish Cache
◄
Smart Varnish2
Active Installs
2.0K+Purge Varnish Cache
◄
Smart Varnish10
Total Downloads
56K+Purge Varnish Cache
◄
Smart Varnish1.9K+
Support Resolution
N/APurge Varnish Cache
Smart VarnishN/A
Last Updated
2 years agoPurge Varnish Cache
◄
Smart Varnish9 years ago
First Released
2016Purge Varnish Cache
Smart Varnish2014
Age
10 yearsPurge Varnish Cache
Smart Varnish12 years
WP Requires
4.0+Purge Varnish Cache
Smart Varnish3.5+
PHP Requires
false+Purge Varnish Cache
Smart Varnishfalse+
Business Model
FreePurge Varnish Cache
Smart VarnishFree
Latest Version
2.6Purge Varnish Cache
Smart Varnish1.0.2

Rating Breakdown

Purge Varnish Cache

5/5(10 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Smart Varnish

5/5(2 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Purge Varnish Cache Reviews

by stratoextra

Does Exactly What it Should

Does exactly what it should and still works with WordPress 6.7.2.

by Igor Kovacic

Possible malware – images/purge16x16.png

EDIT: Resolved very quick. We’ve just finished scanning of our website, and malware scanner reported file wp-content/plugins/purge-varnish/images/purge16x16.png If you open that file in text editor, y

by pradipktiwari

Functional and very useful plugin

This Plugin works perfectly now with wordpress version 5.2 and Varnish 6.x, and I’m very happy using it. The only working plugin for me.

Smart Varnish Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Purge Varnish Cache or Smart Varnish more popular?
Purge Varnish Cache has 2.0K+ active installations while Smart Varnish has 10. Purge Varnish Cache is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Purge Varnish Cache or Smart Varnish?
Purge Varnish Cache has a 5/5 rating from 10 reviews, while Smart Varnish has a 5/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are Purge Varnish Cache and Smart Varnish free?
Purge Varnish Cache is free and Smart Varnish is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Purge Varnish Cache or Smart Varnish?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Purge Varnish Cache was last updated 2 years ago and Smart Varnish was last updated 9 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.