Enhancing Magento 2 Performance with Essential Modules

Introduction

Magento 2 is notoriously slow out of the box, a fact well-known among developers. However, there are effective ways to enhance its performance. Here are some highly recommended modules that can significantly speed up your Magento 2 store, beyond the usual suggestions found in most articles.

Recommended Modules for Speed Optimization

1. WebP Images

JPEGs and PNGs are becoming outdated. The modern image format for the web is WebP, offering both lossless and lossy compression with images typically 25% smaller than JPEGs. To convert your JPEGs and PNGs in Magento to WebP files, I recommend using the Yireo_Webp2 module.

2. Preloading Resources

Preloading primary resources can improve load times. I recommend the Yireo_LinkPreload module, which has shown significant improvements in fully loaded times.

3. Cron Manager

While not always directly improving speed, a good cron manager prevents cron jobs from stacking up, which can cause performance issues. I use the Magemojo Cron Manager on every site I develop. It’s effective in preventing performance bottlenecks related to cron jobs.

4. Defer JavaScript

Magento 2’s JavaScript files can be quite large. To defer JavaScript loading by moving JS files to the bottom of the HTML, I recommend the BSS Commerce Defer JavaScript Extension.

5. Lazy Load Images

Lazy loading images can significantly improve load times by only loading images visible on the screen and deferring the rest as the user scrolls. I recommend the Weltpixel Lazy Load Product Extension for this purpose.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the top three modules—WebP images, resource preloading, and cron management—should be part of the Magento core due to their significant impact on performance.

Try These Modules

Give these modules a try and observe the improvements in your Magento 2 store’s performance. Feel free to share your experiences and results!