PageVitals vs Request Metrics (2026): which should you pick?

Pick PageVitals if

• Fits if you run a couple of small sites and want lab, RUM and CrUX data on one plan
• Works for agencies tracking Core Web Vitals for several client websites

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only a 14-day trial and the pricing page says no refunds
• Pricey if you need the API, webhooks, CI/CD or tests behind a login, which start at Growth, $39 a month billed yearly
• Watch out: when the month's tests run out, testing stops until the next cycle, and unused tests don't roll over
• Tight if you test a lot, as 5,000 extra synthetic tests are a $50 a month add-on

Pick Request Metrics if

• Fits if you want real-user Core Web Vitals and weekly Lighthouse tests on one bill
• Works for teams of any size, as every paid plan includes unlimited users

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're staying free: 1 site, 1,000 page views a month and 24 hours of data
• Watch out: page views are capped per minute, so traffic above the limit during a spike is left out of the data
• Not for you if you want a refund, as payments aren't refunded and cancelling deletes the account's data at once
• Pricey if you need performance budgets or error monitoring, which start at Professional, $88 a month billed yearly
• Skip it if you want to host it yourself, which is offered only on Enterprise plans

PageVitals

• There is no free plan, and the pricing page says it gives no refunds; the 14-day trial is offered instead.
• The REST API, webhooks, CI/CD integration and tests behind a login start at Growth, $39 a month billed annually.
• When the monthly test allowance runs out, testing stops until the next billing cycle; unused tests do not roll over.
• Extra tests are add-ons: 5,000 synthetic tests for $50 a month, 100,000 field tests for $10 a month.

Request Metrics

• Monitored page views are capped per minute, so traffic above the limit during a spike is left out of the data rather than billed.
• The free plan keeps 24 hours of data for one site; RUM and Lighthouse tests start at Essentials, $34 a month billed annually.
• Its billing page says payments are not refunded, and cancelling closes the account at once and deletes its data.
• Self-hosting is offered only on Enterprise plans.

PageVitals

Scheduled Lighthouse tests

Synthetic tests on desktop and mobile from 11 regions, with Lighthouse and network waterfall reports. One page tested daily uses about 60 tests a month.

Real-user monitoring

A script collects LCP, INP, CLS and TTFB from real visits, filterable by device, location and network. Installs through GTM, WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Magento.

CrUX reports

Chrome UX Report data for the whole site and for single pages, with 6 months of weekly history and competitor comparison.

Multi-step tests

Scripted tests that follow a user flow across several steps, from 5 on Starter to 100 on Pro.

Performance budgets and alerts

Budgets on 25+ lab and field metrics, with defaults based on Google's recommendations, and alerts by email, Slack, Teams or webhook.

Developer workflow

A GitHub Action, CLI, JavaScript SDK, REST API and a Zapier connection. The API and CI/CD integration start at the Growth plan.

Request Metrics

Lighthouse performance testing

Lighthouse tests on desktop and mobile check your top pages every week, and on-demand runs confirm whether a change made a page faster.

Real-user monitoring

Records how actual visitors load your pages, with load times, device types and network speeds, shown in real time.

Core Web Vitals attribution

Points to the elements that are slow to paint or that shift during load, and to the slow resources and third-party vendors behind them.

Competitor benchmarks

Uses Chrome UX Report data to track the real-user scores of competing sites alongside your own.

Privacy and ad-block handling

The vendor says it uses no cookies, stores no IP addresses and keeps data in Canada; a custom hostname keeps browser extensions from blocking the script.

CSV export

Any dashboard or filtered report can be exported as CSV for analysis elsewhere.

PageVitals

• Starter$12

  per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)

  2 websites, 1,000 synthetic tests and 50,000 RUM pageviews a month, 5 multi-step tests and 6 months of data.

• Growth$39

  per month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)

  Up to 10 websites, 5,000 synthetic tests and 250,000 RUM pageviews, plus the REST API, webhooks, CI/CD and tests behind a login.

• Pro$79

  per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)

  Up to 25 websites, 10,000 synthetic tests, 2 million RUM pageviews, 24 months of data, priority support and SSO.

Request Metrics

• Free$0

  1 user, 1 website and 1,000 page views a month, with Core Web Vitals, email alerts and 24 hours of data.

• Essentials$34

  per month for 75,000 page views, billed annually ($37 billed monthly)

  Unlimited users, RUM, Lighthouse tests, SEO tracking and 30 days of data. Each extra 25,000 page views adds $10 a month billed monthly.

• Professional$88

  per month for 500,000 page views, billed annually ($96 billed monthly)

  Adds budgets, traffic analytics, error monitoring, user activity, SSO and 90 days of data. Extra 50,000 page views add $4 a month.

• CustomCustom

  Professional features plus dedicated support, staff training, and invoicing with payment terms.

PageVitals

• Annual discount

  About 20% off with annual billing

  PageVitals' pricing page shows Starter at $12 a month billed annually against $15 billed monthly, and Pro at $79 against $99.

• Nonprofit

  Nonprofit and charity discount

  The pricing FAQ says non-profit and charity organizations can get a discount on annual plans by contacting the sales team.

Request Metrics

• Annual discount

  Lower monthly rate with annual billing

  The pricing page lists Essentials at $34 a month billed annually against $37 billed monthly, and Professional at $88 against $96.