Honest Comparison

Ahoj Metrics vs PageSpeed Insights

PageSpeed Insights is a great free tool for quick checks. Ahoj Metrics picks up where it leaves off: multiple regions, historical tracking, automated monitoring.

The Short Version

Google PageSpeed Insights (PSI) is free, fast, and useful for quick performance checks. Enter a URL, get a Lighthouse score and CrUX real-user data. Everyone should use it.

But PSI has limitations. It tests from a single location (typically US). It doesn't save history. It doesn't monitor automatically. And you can't compare how your site performs across different regions.

Ahoj Metrics is essentially "PageSpeed Insights on autopilot with global coverage." Same Lighthouse engine, but it tests from up to 18 regions simultaneously, stores your results over time, runs scheduled tests, and alerts you when performance drops.

Think of PSI as a thermometer and Ahoj Metrics as a continuous health monitor.

Feature Comparison

FeatureAhoj MetricsPageSpeed Insights
Testing EngineGoogle LighthouseGoogle Lighthouse
PriceFree tier + paid plansCompletely free
Test Locations18 regions (simultaneous)1 (typically US-based)
Real User Data (CrUX)Yes (field data lookup)Yes (shown inline with results)
Historical DataYes (30 days - unlimited)No (single snapshot)
Automated MonitoringYes (Hourly/Daily/Weekly)No (manual only)
Multi-Region ComparisonYesNo
Alert NotificationsEmailNo
Team CollaborationYes (Studio plan+)No
API AccessComing soonYes (free, rate-limited)
Performance ScoreYesYes
Core Web Vitals (Lab)Yes (LCP, CLS, FCP, TBT)Yes (LCP, CLS, FCP, TBT)
Core Web Vitals (Field)Yes (CrUX field data lookup)Yes (28-day CrUX data, inline)
Accessibility AuditYesYes
SEO AuditYesYes
Best Practices AuditYesYes
Treemap VisualizationNoYes
Mobile + Desktop TestingYesYes
Batch Testing (multiple URLs)YesNo (one URL at a time)
Requires LoginYes (free account)No

Where PageSpeed Insights Is Better

We believe in being honest. Here's where PageSpeed Insights has the edge:

Completely free with no limits

No account needed. No quota. Test as many URLs as you want, as often as you want. You can't beat free and unlimited.

CrUX shown inline with results

PSI displays Chrome User Experience Report data directly alongside the Lighthouse score on the same page — no extra step. In Ahoj Metrics, field data is a dedicated lookup rather than an automatic overlay.

No signup required

Go to pagespeed.web.dev, paste a URL, get results. Zero friction. Ahoj Metrics requires a free account.

Treemap visualization

PSI includes a JavaScript treemap showing which scripts take up the most bytes. Useful for identifying bloated dependencies.

It's from Google

PSI is the official Google tool. If you're trying to understand what Google sees when it evaluates your site, PSI is the most authoritative source, especially with CrUX data included.

Free API

The PageSpeed Insights API is free (with rate limits). You can integrate it into CI/CD pipelines or build custom dashboards at no cost.

Where Ahoj Metrics Is Better

Here's what Ahoj Metrics does differently:

Multi-region testing

PSI tests from one location. Your site might score 95 from Google's US servers and 55 from Asia. You won't know that from PSI. Ahoj Metrics tests from 18 regions simultaneously and shows you the differences side by side.

Historical tracking

PSI shows a single snapshot. Refresh the page and the previous result is gone. Ahoj Metrics stores every audit result, letting you track performance trends over weeks and months. Did that last deployment help or hurt? Check the graph.

Automated monitoring

Nobody opens PageSpeed Insights every morning to manually test their site. Ahoj Metrics runs scheduled audits hourly, daily, or weekly and alerts you when performance drops below your threshold. It's the difference between checking your blood pressure once and wearing a continuous monitor.

Alerts

When your Lighthouse score drops from 90 to 60 after a deployment, Ahoj Metrics emails you. PSI has no alerting at all.

Batch testing

Test multiple URLs in one session. Monitor your homepage, your product pages, and your checkout flow. PSI only tests one URL at a time.

Team collaboration

Share results with your team. Track multiple sites in one dashboard. Assign monitors to different projects. PSI is a single-player tool.

Real user field data (CrUX)

Ahoj Metrics now includes CrUX field data lookup — the same Google Chrome User Experience Report dataset PSI uses. Look up any domain and see the 28-day p75 values and Good/Needs Improvement/Poor distributions for LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, and TTFB, without leaving your monitoring dashboard.

Pricing Comparison

Free Tiers

Ahoj MetricsPageSpeed Insights
Price$0$0
Tests20 audits/monthUnlimited
Regions5 per audit1
MonitoringNoNo
History30 daysNone
CrUX DataYes (field data lookup)Yes (inline)
Account RequiredYesNo

Ahoj Metrics Solo vs PageSpeed Insights

Ahoj MetricsPageSpeed Insights
Tests100 audits/monthUnlimited
Regions5 per audit1
Monitoring5 monitors (hourly/daily/weekly)None
History90 daysNone
AlertsEmailNone

PageSpeed Insights will always be free and unlimited for single-location tests. The question is whether you need what PSI doesn't offer: multi-region testing, historical tracking, automated monitoring, and alerts. If you do, that's what Ahoj Metrics adds.

See our full pricing page for details.

Which Tool Is Right for You?

Choose PageSpeed Insights

  • You need quick, one-off performance checks with zero friction
  • You want lab and CrUX field data shown together automatically on one page
  • You don't need historical tracking or monitoring
  • You're checking performance from a single region
  • You want a completely free tool with no account

Choose Ahoj Metrics

  • You want to track performance over time and see trends
  • You need automated monitoring with alerts
  • You have users in multiple countries and need regional data
  • You're managing multiple sites and want one dashboard
  • You want to catch performance regressions before users complain

Use Both

Use PSI for quick spot-checks and to see CrUX real-user data. Use Ahoj Metrics for continuous monitoring and global performance tracking. They use the same Lighthouse engine, so scores are directly comparable. PageSpeed Insights is a tool everyone should use. Ahoj Metrics is for when you need more than snapshots.

Go Beyond Snapshots

Same Lighthouse engine as PageSpeed Insights. Plus 18 regions, historical tracking, and automated monitoring. 20 audits per month. Free forever. No credit card.

Start Free

Think of it as PageSpeed Insights on autopilot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ahoj Metrics use the same engine as PageSpeed Insights?

Yes. Both use Google Lighthouse. The performance scores, Core Web Vitals metrics, and audit recommendations come from the same engine. A score of 85 on Ahoj Metrics means the same thing as 85 on PageSpeed Insights.

Why are scores sometimes different between the two tools?

Lighthouse scores can vary between runs due to network conditions, server response times, and the location of the test. PageSpeed Insights tests from Google's servers (typically US-based). Ahoj Metrics tests from different global regions. A different location can produce a different score, which is exactly why multi-region testing matters.

Should I stop using PageSpeed Insights?

No. Keep using it. It's free, requires no account, and shows lab and CrUX field data together on one page with zero friction. Use PSI for quick spot-checks. Use Ahoj Metrics for ongoing monitoring, multi-region testing, and CrUX lookups inside your existing dashboard. They work well together.

Can I get CrUX real-user data in Ahoj Metrics?

Yes. The Field Data feature lets you look up CrUX data for any domain or URL — p75 values and Good/Needs Improvement/Poor distributions for all five Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, TTFB). It's powered by the same Google CrUX API that PSI uses, with 12-hour server-side caching for instant repeat lookups.

Is PageSpeed Insights going away?

No. It's a Google product and actively maintained. Google continues to update it with new Lighthouse versions and features.

Why pay for Ahoj Metrics when PSI is free?

PSI is great for manual, single-location checks. You're paying for automation (scheduled monitoring), multi-region testing (18 regions simultaneously), historical data (track trends over time), alerts (know when performance drops), and team features (shared dashboard). If you don't need those, PSI is perfectly fine.