Key points Dedicated VPS hosting: we use OVH VPS for its reliability, its flexibility and above all the exceptional quality of its CPUs and disks. For large sites we move to an OVH dedicated server; the cloud is nice but too expensive. Server configuration: Nginx, Redis, PHP-FPM and real cron jobs for optimal speed. Caches cleared in the right order, Redis > Elementor > FlyingPress > BunnyCDN/Cloudflare, to avoid odd bugs. Same server for staging: we always keep power in reserve, which is crucial for avoiding stack and configuration surprises. Why FlyingPress? It integrates perfectly with Redis and handles caching, minification and lazy loading. We avoid LiteSpeed because of past stability problems. Cloudflare/BunnyCDN configuration: geo-blocking, rate limiting and the recommended WordPress settings to lift speed and filter out junk traffic. BunnyCDN is often preferred: more powerful and far cheaper than Cloudflare's Pro plan at 200 USD, which no longer stands up well against the competition. Above all, never APO on e-commerce, it is dangerous with badly handled session cookies. Rock-solid security: no wp-admin for our clients, plus a compulsory VPN for login. Restrictive? Yes. But on security, it is solid rock.
Contents [Dedicated OVH VPS, our reliable choice] [Server config, Nginx + Redis = speed] [Cache & speed plugins] [Cloudflare/BunnyCDN, more than DNS] [Other optimisations & best practices]
We have worked on quite a few Elementor sites, and we get the appeal: easy to pick up, perfect for putting pages together quickly, hugely flexible for most users. But let us be clear, it is not the lightest tool in the game. It can really drag performance down if you do not have the right setup behind it. That is why we do not use it on every project. When we do, it is because it suits the client, and then we make sure everything under the bonnet is ready to take it.
Over the years we have managed tons of Elementor sites, some we built ourselves, others we inherited, and performance issues are headache number one. Beautiful sites with load times all over the place: we have seen more of them than we would like. So we put together a reference technical stack that keeps Elementor sites fast, secure and smooth.
If you are on Infomaniak in Switzerland, you are already off to a good start, it is solid and local. But if you want full control and a bit more horsepower under the bonnet, here is exactly how we configure our stack.
OVH dedicated VPS, our reliable choice
We love OVH VPS because we know it inside out, it is reliable and it gives complete control. Full stop.
We typically launch a VPS with: Debian 12 or 13 (the current stable release) At least 6 vCPU and 12 GB RAM for all sites Large sites: OVH dedicated, cloud is fine but too expensive. For €500/month we get a beast of a machine, the same in cloud would cost us €2500/month for our clients Same server for staging: we always size with headroom. For us that is non-negotiable, same stack/config = zero surprises in production
Need more storage? We attach OVH Volumes and even move the MySQL databases there for clients with massive datasets. It isolates heavy DB workloads and keeps everything smooth.
Server config, Nginx + Redis = speed
We do not touch Apache. Nginx is our web server of choice. Faster, handles high concurrency better.
We also add: Redis for object caching PHP-FPM tuned to the site’s load MariaDB or MySQL, the client’s choice Real cron jobs (not that awful wp-cron)
One important point: with Redis, FlyingPress, Elementor’s internal cache and BunnyCDN/Cloudflare in the mix, you have to watch out for the cache layers. Clearing a single level is not enough. You need the exact order: Redis > Elementor > FlyingPress > BunnyCDN/Cloudflare. That avoids a lot of hassle and keeps everything clean.
Cache & speed plugins
We put FlyingPress on every site. Yes it costs money. Yes it is worth it.
It handles: Page cache Minification Lazy loading DB cleanup Preloading
And since Redis handles the heavy object cache, FlyingPress can focus on the rest. They get along perfectly.
We also enable GZIP or Brotli compression depending on support, and turn off emojis, embeds and other useless WordPress fluff.
Many people ask us about LiteSpeed Cache, but it requires a LiteSpeed server, and we have had stability issues with it. Not worth it for us, we stick to what is reliable.
Cloudflare/BunnyCDN, more than DNS
Cloudflare is not just for speeding up DNS (although it is great at that). We set it up on every Elementor site for an extra layer of performance and security. BunnyCDN is often our go-to: far more powerful and cheaper than Cloudflare Pro at 200 bucks, and it holds up better against the competition.
Here is what we set: recommended WordPress settings Geo-blocking: we block the regions that are useless for our business. No need for random traffic from the other side of the world eating up server resources. Firewall rules and rate limiting to throw out the bad bots
For fancy stuff, APO (Automatic Platform Optimization) can help… but never in e-commerce. Too risky with badly managed session cookies.
Other optimisations & best practices
A few things we always do: latest stable version of PHP, low plugin count, Elementor already eats enough, MySQL tuning (key buffer, query cache, etc.), regular DB optimisation (transients, revisions, etc.), Admin & Site Enhancer for all the tweaks: disable wp-embed, heartbeats, XML-RPC, emojis, useless REST API, admin bar, etc., all-in-one, clean, zero bloat
Uncompromising security: No wp-admin access for our clients. Login only through a VPN. It is a bit of a pain day to day, but security-wise it is rock solid and we sleep soundly.
And we monitor performance closely with tools such as Query Monitor and New Relic, especially on complex sites.
