The GTmetrix Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about GTmetrix in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
GTmetrix
The Insider’s Guide
Page speed testing with Lighthouse reports, monitoring and an API
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among technical SEO tools, read from GTmetrix’s own pages.
Made by GTmetrix · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from GTmetrix’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on GTmetrix’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 64 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade
GTmetrix tests how fast a web page loads with Lighthouse, from a choice of test locations, browsers and simulated devices, and reports the results with load videos and PDF exports. It can also monitor pages on a schedule with performance alerts, and a REST API with daily credits lets developers run tests from their own tools. Free Basic accounts and paid PRO plans are offered.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about GTmetrix, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Tests run on GTmetrix's own site, with nothing to install or connect before the first report.
- 1
Best for one-off Lighthouse speed reports
GTmetrix runs Lighthouse speed tests from a choice of locations, browsers and simulated devices, records the page loading as video and can retest pages on a schedule.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $4.99 per month, billed yearly ($5.99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free Basic account; the API docs give it 2 tests at a time and a lower API rate limit than PRO. Other limits could not be read.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Lighthouse speed reports
Each test produces a Lighthouse report, with older PageSpeed and YSlow reports or a metrics-only report also available through the API.
- 6
Locations, browsers and devices
Choose the test location and browser, simulate phones and tablets by screen size and pixel ratio, and throttle the connection speed.
- 7
Videos and PDF reports
Record a video and filmstrip of the page loading, and export a summary or full PDF of the report.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 64 of 83
That is against the other technical SEO tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
Nothing GTmetrix does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 2 things listed below take a company.
GTmetrix at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4.99 per month, billed yearly ($5.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- GTmetrix
- Category
- Technical SEO & Site Audits
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for one-off Lighthouse speed reports
GTmetrix runs Lighthouse speed tests from a choice of locations, browsers and simulated devices, records the page loading as video and can retest pages on a schedule. Lite is $4.99 a month on yearly billing, but holds 50 tests a month and 1 monitored page, with the API only as a 10-credit trial. Hourly checks wait on Advanced at $24.99, team seats on Expert at $49.99, and refunds turn into account credit after 14 days.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Lite is $4.99 a month billed yearly ($5.99 monthly), under 60% of the cheaper quarter of technical SEO tools ($7.20). It has 50 tests a month and 1 monitored page; API credits start on Core at $9.99 and hourly checks on Advanced at $24.99. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free Basic account. Through the API it runs 2 tests at once against 8 for most PRO users, with a lower rate limit. Its other limits aren't on record. |
| Features | C | Lighthouse reports, a choice of locations, browsers and simulated devices, connection throttling, load videos, PDF exports, scheduled monitoring with alerts and a REST API. It does page speed testing fully, but that's a smaller job, and there's no real user data on record. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record. Tests run on GTmetrix's own site, with nothing to install or connect before the first report. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with a REST API, an OpenAPI specification and a GTmetrix for WordPress plugin. No desktop or phone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who GTmetrix is for
- Fits if you want a Lighthouse report with a load video for a page now and then
- Works for developers who want to start speed tests from their own code through the API
Who it is not for
- Tight if you watch many pages, as Lite monitors 1 and Core 3, and hourly checks start on Advanced at $24.99 a month
- Pricey if a team shares it, as seats start on Expert at $49.99 a month yearly, and white-label PDFs are Enterprise only at a quoted price
- Tight if you stay on Basic or Lite: Basic runs 2 API tests at a time against 8 for most PRO users, and Lite gets the API only as a 10-credit trial
- Watch out: API tests spend credits, a video costs 0.9 more, and credits refill daily only up to the plan's allowance
- Watch out: API reports are kept 1 month unless you pay credits for up to 24, and refunds become account credit after 14 days
Good to know
Good for
- Checking why a single page loads slowly
- Testing speed from a particular region, browser or device
- Developers adding speed tests to their own tools through an API
Worth knowing
- Team seats start only on Expert ($49.99 a month billed yearly), and hourly monitoring on Advanced; refunds are promised for 14 days, after that only account credit.
- API tests run on credits: a Lighthouse report costs 1 credit, a video 0.9 more, and credits refill daily only up to the plan's allowance.
- Through the API, Basic accounts can run 2 tests at once, against 8 for most PRO users.
- API reports are kept 1 month unless longer retention, up to 24 months, is paid for in extra credits.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
GTmetrix has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month, billed yearly ($5.99 billed monthly).
Lite
$4.99
per month, billed yearly ($5.99 billed monthly)
50 on-demand tests a month, 1 monitored page, 5 test locations, 1 month of history. API and MCP only as a 10-credit trial; no hourly monitoring.
Core
$9.99
per month, billed yearly ($11.99 billed monthly)
150 tests a month, 3 monitored pages, 10 locations, 10 API credits a day and 6 months of history. No hourly monitoring or team seats.
Advanced
$24.99
per month, billed yearly ($29.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited on-demand tests under a fair-use rule, 10 monitored pages with hourly checks, 28 locations and 50 API credits a day.
Expert
$49.99
per month, billed yearly ($59.99 billed monthly)
50 monitored pages, 100 API credits a day, 12 months of history and 5 team seats. Enterprise adds white-label PDFs at a quoted price.
The free plan
Free Basic account; the API docs give it 2 tests at a time and a lower API rate limit than PRO. Other limits could not be read.
Read from gtmetrix.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Page speed testing with Lighthouse reports, monitoring and an API. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, page speed.
It does page speed testing fully, but that's a smaller job, and there's no real user data on record.
- Lighthouse speed reports
- Each test produces a Lighthouse report, with older PageSpeed and YSlow reports or a metrics-only report also available through the API.
- Locations, browsers and devices
- Choose the test location and browser, simulate phones and tablets by screen size and pixel ratio, and throttle the connection speed.
- Videos and PDF reports
- Record a video and filmstrip of the page loading, and export a summary or full PDF of the report.
- Page monitoring and alerts
- Monitored pages are retested on a schedule, grouped with tags, and can raise performance alerts when chosen metrics cross set conditions.
- REST API
- Start tests, fetch reports and manage monitored pages from your own code, with an OpenAPI specification and a GTmetrix for WordPress plugin.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WordPress
GTmetrix is made by GTmetrix.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
64/83
Other technical SEO tools it is graded above
GTmetrix's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 64 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 54 of 83) and worst on features (C, above 10).
Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $22.41 for the category: 3 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 84 technical SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. GTmetrix’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 54 of 83
- CFree plan and trialAbove 18 of 83
- CFeaturesAbove 10 of 83
- BEase of useAbove 62 of 83
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 27 of 83
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 73 technical SEO tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. GTmetrix is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Nothing GTmetrix does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 2 things listed below take a company.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 64 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade. It costs $59.88 a year.
What you could not
- Speed tests run from real browsers on a schedule.
- It plugs into other products, WordPress among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. GTmetrix’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
WebPageTest, PageSpeed Insights, DebugBear, SpeedVitals and PageVitals
The 5 tools GTmetrix is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
WebPageTest
Free plan · from $180/yr
Page speed tests from real browsers in locations around the world.
- WebPageTest also covers dashboards.
- 3.2GPA
PageSpeed Insights
Free
Free Google speed test with real-user Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse.
- 2.2GPA
DebugBear
Free trial · from $99/mo
Page speed and Core Web Vitals monitoring with lab tests and RUM.
- GTmetrix has a free plan. DebugBear does not, though it has a free trial.
- DebugBear also covers dashboards.
- 2.4GPA
SpeedVitals
Free plan · from $16/mo
Page speed tests from 35 locations, TTFB checks and speed monitoring.
- SpeedVitals also covers web analytics.
- 2.4GPA
PageVitals
Free trial · from $12/mo
Page speed monitoring with Lighthouse tests, RUM and CrUX data.
- GTmetrix has a free plan. PageVitals does not, though it has a free trial.
- PageVitals also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is GTmetrix free?
GTmetrix has a free plan. Free Basic account; the API docs give it 2 tests at a time and a lower API rate limit than PRO.
How much does GTmetrix cost?
GTmetrix lists 4 plans. Lite: $4.99 per month, billed yearly ($5.99 billed monthly).
What platforms does GTmetrix work on?
GTmetrix is available on Web.
Does GTmetrix have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. GTmetrix is listed for Web.
Does GTmetrix have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. GTmetrix is listed for Web.
Is GTmetrix open source?
GTmetrix is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does GTmetrix have an API?
Yes. GTmetrix offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does GTmetrix integrate with?
GTmetrix's listing names WordPress. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes GTmetrix?
GTmetrix is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to GTmetrix?
The closest alternatives to GTmetrix in our directory are WebPageTest, PageSpeed Insights, DebugBear, SpeedVitals and PageVitals.
How does GTmetrix compare with other technical SEO tools?
GTmetrix's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 64 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is GTmetrix good value for money?
ToolGPA grades GTmetrix A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $22.41 for the category: 3 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of GTmetrix?
Nothing GTmetrix does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 2 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from GTmetrix’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from GTmetrix's own pages on 23 October 2026, with its prices read from its pricing page in a browser on 24 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by GTmetrix. Prices change, so check gtmetrix.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- GTmetrix, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gtmetrix
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "GTmetrix: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gtmetrix
Know someone choosing between technical SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gtmetrix/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded technical SEO tools after GTmetrix, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Technical SEO & Site Audits Insider's GuideEvery one of the 84 technical SEO tools we grade, compared
- Lighthouse Insider's GuideGoogle's open-source audit of page speed, accessibility and SEO3.2 GPA
- PageSpeed Insights Insider's GuideFree Google speed test with real-user Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse3.2 GPA
- Yellow Lab Tools Insider's GuideFree open-source audit of a page's speed and front-end code3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what GTmetrix’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. GTmetrix is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by GTmetrix. Prices and plans change: check gtmetrix.com before you buy.