The Lighthouse Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Lighthouse 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.
Lighthouse
The Insider’s Guide
Google's open-source audit of page speed, accessibility and SEO
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among technical SEO tools, read from Lighthouse’s own pages.
Made by Google · 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 Lighthouse’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Lighthouse’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
3.2
GPA, above 81 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade
Lighthouse is an open-source tool from Google's Chrome team that audits a web page and reports on its performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO, with an explanation and fix for every failed check. It runs in the Chrome DevTools panel, from the command line, as a Node module for continuous integration, as a Chrome extension, and behind PageSpeed Insights. An experimental Agentic Browsing category checks how ready a site is for AI agents.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Lighthouse, taken from its own pages and our grades.
If you have Chrome, it's already in DevTools with nothing to install.
- 1
Best for auditing one page's speed, accessibility and SEO
Lighthouse audits a page for performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO and explains how to fix each failed check, free and built into Chrome DevTools.
- 2
It is free
Lighthouse has no paid plan at all. Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license: run it in Chrome DevTools, the command line, a Node script, the Chrome extension or PageSpeed Insights.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 4
Four audit categories
Scores performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO, and each failed audit links to a page on why it matters and how to fix it.
- 5
Several ways to run it
A Lighthouse panel in Chrome DevTools, an npm command-line tool, a Node module for CI systems, a Chrome extension, or PageSpeed Insights with nothing to install.
- 6
Pages behind a login
Audits any page, public or requiring authentication; the DevTools workflow can also test local sites.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 81 of 83
That is against the other technical SEO tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Lighthouse is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Lighthouse at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Category
- Technical SEO & Site Audits
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for auditing one page's speed, accessibility and SEO
Lighthouse audits a page for performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO and explains how to fix each failed check, free and built into Chrome DevTools. But it audits one page per run, so watching a whole site needs Lighthouse CI or another tool, the command line needs Node 22 and Chrome, and the new Agentic Browsing checks are experimental.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free and open source under Apache 2.0, built into Chrome DevTools and also run from the command line, a Node module, a Chrome extension or PageSpeed Insights. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Every audit category, report format and plugin is free, with no account. |
| Features | C | Four audit categories with a fix for each failed check, pages behind a login, stack packs and plugins, plus an experimental check of readiness for AI agents. The gap the listing shows: one page per run, so regressions across a site need Lighthouse CI or another tool. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record. If you have Chrome, it's already in DevTools with nothing to install. The command-line and Node routes need Node 22 or later. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Runs in Chrome DevTools, from the command line, as a Node module for CI, as a Chrome extension and through PageSpeed Insights, with reports shared as GitHub gists. |
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 Lighthouse is for
- Fits if you're a web developer fixing speed and accessibility problems on a page
- Works for adding automated page audits to continuous integration
Who it is not for
- Too light for watching a whole site, as it audits one page per run
- Skip it if you don't want to install Node 22 and Chrome, which the command-line and Node routes need
- Watch out: the Agentic Browsing category is experimental, needs Chrome 150 or later and an origin trial for its WebMCP audits
- Not for you if you planned to use the extension on local sites or pages behind a login, which it can't test
Good to know
Good for
- Web developers fixing speed and accessibility problems on a page
- Teams adding automated page audits to continuous integration
- Checking basic on-page SEO such as meta descriptions and canonicals
Worth knowing
- The command-line and Node workflows need Google Chrome and Node 22 or later installed.
- Audits one page per run; Lighthouse CI or another tool is needed to watch for regressions across a site.
- The Agentic Browsing category is experimental, needs Chrome 150 or later, and its WebMCP audits need an origin trial.
- The Chrome extension cannot test local sites or pages behind a login; Google recommends DevTools instead.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Lighthouse is free to use.
Every audit category, report format and plugin is free, with no account.
Open source
$0
Every audit category, HTML and JSON reports, the Lighthouse Viewer, stack packs and plugins.
The free plan
Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license: run it in Chrome DevTools, the command line, a Node script, the Chrome extension or PageSpeed Insights.
Read from developer.chrome.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
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
Google's open-source audit of page speed, accessibility and SEO. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, site audit, page speed.
The gap the listing shows: one page per run, so regressions across a site need Lighthouse CI or another tool.
- Four audit categories
- Scores performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO, and each failed audit links to a page on why it matters and how to fix it.
- Several ways to run it
- A Lighthouse panel in Chrome DevTools, an npm command-line tool, a Node module for CI systems, a Chrome extension, or PageSpeed Insights with nothing to install.
- Pages behind a login
- Audits any page, public or requiring authentication; the DevTools workflow can also test local sites.
- Agentic Browsing audits
- An experimental category checks llms.txt, WebMCP tool registration and accessibility for agents, shown as a pass ratio rather than a 0 to 100 score.
- Reports and sharing
- Save reports as HTML or JSON, open them in the Lighthouse Viewer, and share them as secret GitHub gists.
- Stack packs and plugins
- Stack packs give advice specific to the CMS or framework a site uses, and plugins let developers add their own audit categories.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Chrome DevTools
- PageSpeed Insights
- GitHub Gists
- Lighthouse CI
Lighthouse is made by Google.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
81/83
Other technical SEO tools it is graded above
Lighthouse's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 81 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 62 of 83) and worst on features (C, above 10).
Lighthouse has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 84 technical SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lighthouse’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 54 of 83
- AFree plan and trialAbove 62 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. Lighthouse 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
Lighthouse is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 81 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade.
What you could not
- Speed tests run from real browsers on a schedule.
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
What this rests on. Lighthouse’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
PageSpeed Insights, Unlighthouse, WebPageTest, GTmetrix and DebugBear
The 5 tools Lighthouse is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
PageSpeed Insights
Free
Free Google speed test with real-user Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse.
- Only Lighthouse lists a browser extension.
- Lighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
- Lighthouse also covers site audit.
- 2.6GPA
Unlighthouse
Free
Free open-source tool that runs Lighthouse on every page of a site.
- Only Lighthouse lists a web app.
- Only Lighthouse lists a browser extension.
- Only Unlighthouse lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- 2.6GPA
WebPageTest
Free plan · from $180/yr
Page speed tests from real browsers in locations around the world.
- Only Lighthouse lists a browser extension.
- Lighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
- Lighthouse also covers site audit.
- 2.8GPA
GTmetrix
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Page speed testing with Lighthouse reports, monitoring and an API.
- Only Lighthouse lists a browser extension.
- Lighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
- Lighthouse also covers site audit.
- 2.2GPA
DebugBear
Free trial · from $99/mo
Page speed and Core Web Vitals monitoring with lab tests and RUM.
- Lighthouse has a free plan. DebugBear does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lighthouse lists a browser extension.
- Lighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Lighthouse free?
Yes. Lighthouse is free to use.
How much does Lighthouse cost?
Lighthouse lists one plan. Open source: $0.
What platforms does Lighthouse work on?
Lighthouse is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Lighthouse have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Lighthouse is listed for Web.
Does Lighthouse have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Lighthouse is listed for Web.
Is Lighthouse open source?
Yes. Lighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
What does Lighthouse integrate with?
Lighthouse's listing names Chrome DevTools, PageSpeed Insights, GitHub Gists and Lighthouse CI.
Who makes Lighthouse?
Lighthouse is made by Google.
What are the alternatives to Lighthouse?
The closest alternatives to Lighthouse in our directory are PageSpeed Insights, Unlighthouse, WebPageTest, GTmetrix and DebugBear.
How does Lighthouse compare with other technical SEO tools?
Lighthouse's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 81 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is Lighthouse good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Lighthouse A for value for money. Lighthouse has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Lighthouse?
Lighthouse is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Lighthouse’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 Google's own pages on 23 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 Google. Prices change, so check developer.chrome.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
- Lighthouse, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/lighthouse
- 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, "Lighthouse: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/lighthouse
Know someone choosing between technical SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/lighthouse/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded technical SEO tools after Lighthouse, 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
- 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
- Baidu Search Resource Platform Insider's GuideBaidu's webmaster tools for indexing, crawling and keyword data3.0 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 Lighthouse’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. Lighthouse is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices and plans change: check developer.chrome.com before you buy.