The reason a $3 plan can now load a WordPress page in 200 milliseconds is mostly one piece of software: LiteSpeed, and its built-in cache.
What LiteSpeed is
LiteSpeed is a web server that drops in as a replacement for Apache. It reads the same .htaccess and configuration files, so a host can switch with little disruption, but it handles many simultaneous connections in a small memory footprint the way NGINX does, rather than the way older Apache does.
The part that matters: LSCache
LiteSpeed ships with LSCache, a full-page cache built into the server with strong integration for WordPress, WooCommerce, and other common platforms. A cached site is served without running PHP or touching the database. On a traditional host you get similar results with a caching plugin, but it is one more thing to configure and keep working; with LiteSpeed it is part of the server.
Modern Apache with the event handler narrows the gap, but many shared hosts do not run it that way.
What it means for you
When you compare hosts, LiteSpeed with LSCache enabled is a strong signal that a cached site will be fast without extra work. Hostinger, A2, GreenGeeks, ScalaHosting and many regional hosts run it. After you install WordPress, confirm the cache is on by checking the response headers for an x-litespeed-cache: hit.
Mahdi Hassan · Web Developer & Site Speed
A LiteSpeed host with LSCache is the lowest-effort fast setup for WordPress on shared hosting. Install the LiteSpeed Cache plugin, turn it on, and you are done. No juggling three caching plugins that fight each other.
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