Bundled with SiteGround. Tied to it too.
SG Optimizer ships free with SiteGround hosting. It is a respectable plugin that integrates with SiteGround's server level cache. The catch is that it only works on SiteGround. Move hosts and SG Optimizer comes with you in name only.
| CAPABILITY | SG OPTIMIZER | HBM ROCKET |
|---|---|---|
| Server level page cache (Memcached / Nginx) | ||
| Object cache via Memcached | ||
| Dynamic Cache (logged in safe) | ||
| JS minify and combine | ||
| CSS minify and combine | ||
| Image WebP | ||
| AVIF support | ||
| Critical CSS | ||
| Unused CSS removal | ||
| JS delay until interaction | ||
| Works on non SiteGround hosts | ||
| Multi site dashboard | ||
| Nightly Lighthouse audits | ||
| Self heal | ||
| Public report pages |
Where SG Optimizer wins
On SiteGround hosting, the server level cache integration is fast and free. Memcached object cache works out of the box. If your site is small and lives on SiteGround forever, you may need nothing else.
Where it stops
Move to Hostinger, Cloudways, Kinsta, or any other host and SG Optimizer's server level cache layer disappears. The plugin still installs but most of its value was in that integration. There is no audit history, no JS delay, no critical CSS.
Where HBM Rocket adds value
Portable across any host. Continuous audits and self heal. The full optimization pipeline, not just cache. Multi site dashboard, public reports, alerts. Run alongside SG Optimizer on SiteGround if you want the server cache; turn it off if you do not.