PageSpeed Insights Alternative
PageSpeed Insights is Google's free check of a single URL, with lab data from Lighthouse and field data from the Chrome UX Report. People looking for a PageSpeed Insights alternative usually need something one URL per test cannot give: several pages at once, the trend over recent months, a comparison with competitors, or tests behind a login. The table compares five tools using documented facts. PerfDelta works with the same data as PageSpeed Insights; test your site right here.
PageSpeed Insights alternatives compared
Every detail about another provider comes from that provider's official website. Where no clear statement was found there, the cell shows a dash.
| Feature | PerfDelta | PageSpeed Insights | Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools) | GTmetrix | WebPageTest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data sources | same as PageSpeed Insights: lab via the PageSpeed Insights API, field data from the Chrome UX Report | Lab (Lighthouse) and field data (Chrome UX Report, URL and origin, rolling 28 days) | Lab (in DevTools, from the command line or as a Node module) | Lab (Lighthouse) and field data (CrUX tab, all devices combined) | Lab (including Lighthouse, filmstrip, video) |
| Pages per test | several pages from the sitemap or your own selection, three for free; 25 to 500 URLs in projects | one URL | one page per run | bulk testing on all paid plans | bulk testing on Pro |
| Mobile and desktop | both in one run, side by side per page | both, in separate tabs | one device mode per run | – | – |
| Field data trend | weekly trend for the domain over about six months (CrUX History API) | current 28-day window | – | CrUX tab with the last 28 days | – |
| Competitor comparison | in every report, free with two competitors | – | – | – | – |
| Pages behind a login | publicly reachable pages only | – | yes, public pages and pages that require authentication | – | – |
| Test location | no choice, tests run on PageSpeed Insights servers | – | your own computer and connection | 5 (Lite), 10 (Core), 28 (Advanced, Expert) | 30 (Starter), 40 (Pro) |
| Monitoring | from Solo: 25 URLs daily; Agency: 150 URLs up to every six hours | – | – | 1 (Lite) to 50 (Expert) monitored slots per URL, location and profile; hourly from Advanced | scheduled tests and alerts on Pro |
| API and automation | REST API from Agency, MCP server from Solo | PageSpeed Insights API v5, API key recommended for automated queries | command line and Node module | REST API v2.0 and MCP server on all plans; daily API credits from Core, Lite with 10 trial credits | API access on Pro |
| Price | free test, monitoring from the Solo plan | free | free, open source | Lite at 4.99 US dollars a month billed yearly | Starter plan is free |
– means: not clearly documented on the provider's official website.
As of October 2026 (retrieved October 18 and 19, 2026). Prices and features change; the provider's page is authoritative. Sources: Google: About PageSpeed Insights, Google: PageSpeed Insights API, Chrome: Introduction to Lighthouse, Chrome: Lighthouse in DevTools, Chrome: CrUX History API, GTmetrix: pricing, GTmetrix: field data (CrUX), GTmetrix: API 2.0, GTmetrix: bulk tests, WebPageTest: plans, WebPageTest: Pro plan and bulk testing.
Strength of PageSpeed Insights: Google's reference value for one URL
PageSpeed Insights is where many people look first, because it shows what Google itself reads from the Chrome UX Report: field data from real Chrome users over a rolling 28-day window, for the URL and for the whole origin, separately for mobile and desktop. Below that, a Lighthouse run in the lab explains the causes. It is free and needs no account.
Limits of PageSpeed Insights: one URL, one point in time, no comparison
Each test looks at one URL. Checking a product page and a blog post means two tests, each with its own lab run. The field data shows the current 28-day window, so whether a value is improving or getting worse only becomes visible if you write it down yourself. Comparing your site with competitors also means more single tests, one site after another. For pages behind a login, Google documents Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools as the route.
PerfDelta: PageSpeed Insights data for several pages, with trend and competitors
PerfDelta queries the same sources, the PageSpeed Insights API for the lab run and the Chrome UX Report for field data. The values therefore match PageSpeed Insights, apart from the usual variation between two lab runs. The scope is what differs: one run measures several pages of your site from the sitemap on mobile and desktop and shows both devices side by side. Every report compares your site with competitors, up to two in the free test, and shows the weekly field data trend for the whole domain over about six months from the CrUX History API. With an account the measurements are kept, and from the Solo plan PerfDelta repeats them automatically.
Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools: lab tests on your own machine
Lighthouse is the open-source engine behind the lab part of PageSpeed Insights. In Chrome DevTools it runs in your own browser with mobile or desktop emulation and, according to Google's documentation, works for public pages as well as pages that require authentication. That makes it the tool for staging servers and logged-in areas. From the command line or as a Node module it fits into a build pipeline. A Lighthouse report contains lab data; field data from real users is not part of it.
GTmetrix and WebPageTest: choice of test location
If load times from a particular region or with a particular connection profile matter, GTmetrix and WebPageTest let you pick the location: GTmetrix offers 28 locations from the Advanced plan, WebPageTest 30 on the free Starter plan and 40 on Pro. WebPageTest also records a filmstrip and video of the page load. A detailed comparison of these tools is on the GTmetrix alternative page.
Which tool answers which question
For a quick check of one URL against Google's own data, PageSpeed Insights is the reference. For staging servers, logged-in areas or a build pipeline, Lighthouse fits. For load times from chosen regions or as video, GTmetrix and WebPageTest serve that.
To see several pages at once, the field data trend and a comparison with competitors in one report, without an account, run the PerfDelta test above.
What each part of a PageSpeed Insights report means is explained in how to read PageSpeed Insights.
FAQ
Does PerfDelta show the same values as PageSpeed Insights?
The field data comes from the same Chrome UX Report and matches. The lab data comes through the same PageSpeed Insights API, but every lab run is a new page load, so the score can differ by a few points between two runs, just as it does between two runs in PageSpeed Insights.
Is PerfDelta free like PageSpeed Insights?
The test is free and needs no account: three pages on mobile and desktop with up to two competitors. Automatic monitoring starts with the Solo plan.
Can PerfDelta test pages behind a login?
No. PerfDelta only tests publicly reachable pages. For a staging server or a logged-in area, run Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools.
Where do the details about the other tools come from?
From the providers' official websites, retrieved on October 18, 2026; the links are below the table. Where no clear statement was found, the cell shows a dash. Plans change, so the provider's current page is what counts.
See also: GTmetrix Alternative, Google Lighthouse Alternative, Bulk Page Speed Test.
Guides for every metric and finding are in the Website Speed Optimization.
A free account saves your tests and shows how your values change from one test to the next. Daily monitoring with field data and alerts starts with the Solo plan.