How to Move from Perfmatters to FastPixel (The Easy Way)

Most people don’t switch performance plugins because the migration sounds harder than it actually is. There are settings to recreate, exclusions to remember, and the fear that something which took hours to optimize will need to be rebuilt from scratch.

Moving from Perfmatters to FastPixel is much simpler. There’s nothing to export, no settings to map across, and no optimization setup to rebuild from scratch.

You deactivate Perfmatters, install FastPixel, choose a preset, and FastPixel takes over automatically. This guide covers why people switch, how to do it cleanly, and what to verify once FastPixel is running.

Why people consider the switch

Perfmatters is a very good WordPress performance plugin. It gives site owners detailed control over how assets load, how JavaScript is handled, and which WordPress features stay enabled.

For many people, that’s exactly the appeal.

The reason some users eventually look at alternatives isn’t because Perfmatters stops delivering results. It’s because performance optimization becomes something that requires ongoing attention.

New plugins introduce new scripts. Theme updates change how assets load. Third-party tools sometimes require additional exclusions. The more customized the setup becomes, the more there is to maintain.

FastPixel takes a different approach. Image optimization (powered by ShortPixel), CDN delivery, Critical CSS, font optimization, and page caching all live in a single plugin, available on every plan, including the free one.

Instead of assembling and tuning a configuration, you pick a preset and the plugin handles the rest in the cloud. There’s also no need to pair FastPixel with a separate caching plugin. While Perfmatters focuses on front-end optimization, FastPixel includes page caching as part of the platform.

Independent data from the HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report currently places FastPixel among the strongest-performing WordPress optimization solutions in real-world usage. The report tracks the share of origins passing LCP, INP, and CLS across different technologies.

Before you start

Two minutes of prep is all the switch really needs.

Note any custom exclusions and script rules. If you’ve used the Script Manager to disable scripts on certain pages, or added exclusions for defer JavaScript or remove unused CSS, jot those down. FastPixel handles most of these cases automatically through its presets, so you’ll likely never need the list, but it’s good to have if one element needs attention later.

Grab a PageSpeed baseline. Run your site through PageSpeed Insights and save the scores. That’s your before-and-after reference once FastPixel is live.

One thing that makes this migration simpler than most: Perfmatters has no external account or CDN service to disconnect, so there’s nothing to unwind on the service side.

The actual migration

Four steps, and you’ll probably be through them in a couple of minutes.

Step 1: Deactivate Perfmatters

Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, find Perfmatters, and click Deactivate.

Hold off on deleting it for a day or two. Keeping it installed but inactive gives you an instant rollback while FastPixel settles in.

Step 2: Install and activate FastPixel

Under Plugins > Add New, search for FastPixel, install, and activate.

You’ll be prompted to connect a FastPixel account. The free plan covers the full optimization stack within its pageview limits: page caching, image optimization, Critical CSS, font optimization, and CDN delivery.

You don’t need a paid plan to complete the migration. Paid tiers mainly raise the pageview ceiling.

Step 3: Choose a preset

FastPixel offers three: Safe, Balanced, and Fast.

For most sites focused on Core Web Vitals, Fast is the right starting point. Choose it and FastPixel sets the key options automatically, with no tab-by-tab review required.

Step 4: Let FastPixel process your pages

FastPixel adds your primary pages to the optimization queue and processes the rest as they’re visited. The first request on an unoptimized page may take a moment longer while processing starts. Every visitor after that gets the fully optimized version right away.

What’s included out of the box

One of the biggest differences after switching is that FastPixel combines several tools commonly used alongside Perfmatters into a single platform:

• Page caching through FastPixel’s cloud infrastructure, included as part of the platform
• CSS Critique, built per page and updated automatically when content changes
• CSS and JavaScript optimization, including minification and deferral
• Optimisation des images through ShortPixel‘s cloud, with WebP conversion and CDN delivery
• LCP image preloading, so your above-the-fold image loads first
• Font optimization, with font-display handling included
• CDN delivery covering HTML, CSS, JS, images, and fonts

If your host offers Redis or Memcached, FastPixel also supports Object Cache, which helps on dynamic sites like WooCommerce stores or membership areas.

After the switch: what to check

Page status in the dashboard. Make sure your key pages show the green Cached status in the FastPixel dashboard before anything else.

PageSpeed Insights comparison. Run the test again and set the new scores next to your baseline. You’re looking for improved LCP, similar or better CLS, and fewer “opportunities” in the report.

A visual pass over your main pages. Load the homepage, a post, your primary landing page, and a checkout or contact page if you have one. A quick look confirms layouts and interactive elements render correctly, especially if Perfmatters was disabling scripts on those pages.

The FastPixel dashboard. It shows which pages have been optimized and flags anything that didn’t process as expected. If something’s off, that’s where it’ll show up.

What changes for your workflow

Perfmatters gives you a lot of control, which is valuable if you enjoy fine-tuning performance settings.

FastPixel shifts more of that work into the background. New content is optimized automatically. Page updates trigger cache regeneration on their own. Critical CSS, image optimization, and CDN delivery continue working without ongoing adjustment.

For many website owners, that’s the biggest change after switching: less time spent managing performance, and more time focusing on the site itself.

FAQs

Can I run Perfmatters and FastPixel at the same time?

Technically yes, but we don’t recommend it. Running both means two plugins trying to defer JavaScript, remove unused CSS, and optimize assets at once, which tends to produce conflicts and worse results than letting FastPixel handle the full stack. If you want to test FastPixel first, use a staging site.

Will my Perfmatters settings carry over?

No. The two are built around different philosophies, Perfmatters around granular manual toggles and FastPixel around presets, so settings don’t transfer. That’s by design, and a big part of why the migration is quick: there’s nothing to recreate.

Does FastPixel handle image optimization too?

Yes. Image optimization is powered by ShortPixel’s cloud, with WebP conversion and CDN delivery handled automatically, on every plan. There’s no separate image service to keep around after switching.

Do I need a paid FastPixel plan to migrate?

No. The free plan gives you the full optimization stack, page caching, CDN, Critical CSS, font and image optimization, within its limits. Paid plans are there for higher-traffic sites, but you can complete the migration and run a fully optimized site without upgrading.