ProRank vs Perfmatters
Perfmatters is a strong bloat removal and JS optimization plugin. ProRank scores 95 mobile vs Perfmatters 88 \u2014 and includes page caching, critical CSS, image optimization, and full SEO.
Average Score Across 3 Themes
ProRank SEO Premium
Perfmatters 2.5.7
Key Findings
Scores by Theme
Astra
Mobile Score
Hello Elementor
Mobile Score
GeneratePress
Mobile Score
Mobile Scores by Theme
Astra
Hello Elementor
GeneratePress
Detailed Core Web Vitals
FCP, LCP, TBT, CLS, and Speed Index for each theme (mobile)
Astra
Hello Elementor
GeneratePress
Perfmatters was tested standalone without any caching plugin. Its scores would likely improve when paired with a page cache (e.g., WP Rocket + Perfmatters scored M78 in our tests, though the combination underperformed Perfmatters alone due to WP Rocket conflicts).
Complete Results Table
| Metric | Astra | Hello Elementor | GeneratePress | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProRank | Perfmatters | ProRank | Perfmatters | ProRank | Perfmatters | |
| Mobile Score | 96 | 86 | 93 | 89 | 96 | 89 |
| FCP (ms) | 1.8s | 2.3s | 1.1s | 1.8s | 1.1s | 2.1s |
| LCP (ms) | 2.4s | 3.9s | 2.6s | 3.7s | 2.7s | 3.5s |
| TBT (ms) | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms |
| CLS | 0.000 | 0.015 | 0.000 | 0.001 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Speed Index | 2.7s | 2.3s | 2.4s | 1.9s | 1.1s | 2.3s |
| Desktop Score | 100 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Desktop FCP | 295ms | 481ms | 302ms | 441ms | 304ms | 361ms |
| Desktop LCP | 407ms | 741ms | 561ms | 721ms | 548ms | 681ms |
| Desktop TBT | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms | 0ms |
| Desktop CLS | 0.000 | 0.005 | 0.000 | 0.020 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
Test Methodology
Server: Hetzner Dedicated (Germany) with Elementor Pro page builder
Method: PageSpeed Insights — median of 3 runs per config, single verified runs for v2 re-test
Themes tested: Astra, Hello Elementor, GeneratePress
PageSpeed Insights has inherent variability (±5-10 points between runs). All plugins configured for best performance. LiteSpeed Cache tested on Nginx (no server-level page cache).
27 Active Plugins During Testing:
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ProRank | Perfmatters |
|---|---|---|
| Caching & Delivery | ||
| Page caching | ||
| Browser cache headers | ||
| Cache preloading | ||
| CDN integration | CDN rewrite only | |
| Assets & Core Web Vitals | ||
| CSS/JS minification | ||
| Delay JavaScript | ||
| Script Manager | ||
| Critical CSS | ||
| Remove unused CSS | ||
| Instant page preload | ||
| Bloat Removal | ||
| Disable emojis | ||
| Disable embeds | ||
| Remove query strings | ||
| Disable XML-RPC | ||
| Heartbeat control | ||
| Disable WooCommerce scripts | ||
| Image Optimization | ||
| Lazy load images | ||
| WebP/AVIF conversion | ||
| Bulk image optimization | ||
| SEO & Content | ||
| Titles & meta descriptions | ||
| XML sitemaps | ||
| Schema markup (30+ types) | ||
| Internal linking suggestions | ||
| Content analysis | ||
| Redirect manager | ||
Features may vary by plan and version. Last verified February 16, 2026.
The Bottom Line
Perfmatters is an excellent bloat removal and JS optimization plugin that scored M88 without any page caching. But ProRank delivers M95 with built-in page caching, critical CSS, image optimization, and a complete SEO suite. One plugin replaces Perfmatters plus a caching plugin plus an SEO plugin.