The Unlighthouse Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Unlighthouse 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.
Unlighthouse
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source tool that runs Lighthouse on every page of a site
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among technical SEO tools, read from Unlighthouse’s own pages.
Made by Harlan Wilton · 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 Unlighthouse’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Unlighthouse’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
2.6
GPA, above 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade
Unlighthouse is a free, MIT-licensed command-line tool that finds the pages of a site from its sitemap, route files or by crawling links, runs Google Lighthouse on each one in parallel, and shows the results together in a local dashboard. A CI version fails a build when scores drop below a budget, and the v1 beta adds an MCP server for AI agents.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Unlighthouse, taken from its own pages and our grades.
A command-line tool that needs Node.js and Chrome installed.
- 1
Best for Lighthouse scores for every page of a site
Unlighthouse finds every page of a site from its sitemap, routes or links, runs Lighthouse on each in parallel and shows the results in one local dashboard.
- 2
It is free
Unlighthouse has no paid plan at all. Free and open source under the MIT license, funded by community sponsors. Runs on your own machine or CI with Node.js and Chrome.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 4
Site-wide Lighthouse scans
Runs Lighthouse on every discovered page using a pool of Chrome instances in parallel, with mobile and desktop results kept separately.
- 5
URL discovery
Finds pages through robots.txt and sitemap.xml, your framework's route files, or by crawling links from the homepage; URLs can also be listed by hand.
- 6
Dashboard and scan history
Results appear in a real-time dashboard in your browser, and saved scans can be reopened without scanning again.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 56 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
Unlighthouse is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Unlighthouse at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Harlan Wilton
- Category
- Technical SEO & Site Audits
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for Lighthouse scores for every page of a site
Unlighthouse finds every page of a site from its sitemap, routes or links, runs Lighthouse on each in parallel and shows the results in one local dashboard. But it needs Node.js and Chrome on your own machine or CI, there's no hosted version, the scores are lab only, and version 1 is still in beta.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free and MIT licensed, funded by community sponsors. It runs on your own computer or CI, so there's no server to rent for a scan. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Everything is free: the CLI, the CI runner and the dashboard, with no account and no limits on record. |
| Features | C | Site-wide Lighthouse scans with URL discovery, mobile and desktop results, saved scans, CI budgets with JSON, CSV or HTML reports, and MCP in the v1 beta. It does that job fully, but it's Lighthouse lab scores only, with no real-user data. |
| Ease of use | D | A command-line tool that needs Node.js and Chrome installed. One command starts a scan and the dashboard opens in your browser, but there's no way to use it without a terminal. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, with Nuxt, Vite, webpack, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI and Puppeteer. A program for computers only, with no hosted version. |
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 Unlighthouse is for
- Fits if you want Lighthouse scores for a whole site rather than one page
- Works for adding a Lighthouse score budget to a CI pipeline
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't use a terminal, as it needs Node.js and Chrome and has no hosted version
- Not for you if you need real-user data, as results are Lighthouse lab scores only
- Watch out: version 1 is still in beta, and Docker support is community-maintained and experimental
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want Lighthouse scores for a whole site, not one page
- Adding a Lighthouse score budget to a CI pipeline
- Nuxt, Vite and webpack projects that want audits during development
Worth knowing
- It runs on your own computer or CI and needs Node.js and Chrome; there is no hosted version.
- Results are Lighthouse lab scores only, with no real-user monitoring.
- Docker support is described as community-maintained and experimental.
- Version 1 is still in beta.
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
Unlighthouse is free to use.
Free and MIT licensed, funded by community sponsors.
Open source
$0
The full CLI, CI runner and dashboard, MIT licensed and run on your own machine.
The free plan
Free and open source under the MIT license, funded by community sponsors. Runs on your own machine or CI with Node.js and Chrome.
Read from unlighthouse.dev on Oct 23, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Free open-source tool that runs Lighthouse on every page of a site. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, site audit, page speed.
It does that job fully, but it's Lighthouse lab scores only, with no real-user data.
- Site-wide Lighthouse scans
- Runs Lighthouse on every discovered page using a pool of Chrome instances in parallel, with mobile and desktop results kept separately.
- URL discovery
- Finds pages through robots.txt and sitemap.xml, your framework's route files, or by crawling links from the homepage; URLs can also be listed by hand.
- Dashboard and scan history
- Results appear in a real-time dashboard in your browser, and saved scans can be reopened without scanning again.
- CI budgets and reports
- The unlighthouse-ci command fails a build when any page scores below a budget and exports JSON, CSV or a static HTML report.
- MCP for AI agents
- In the v1 beta, an AI agent can connect over MCP to run scans and read the results.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Nuxt
- Vite
- webpack
- GitHub Actions
- GitLab CI
- CircleCI
- Puppeteer
Unlighthouse is made by Harlan Wilton.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
56/83
Other technical SEO tools it is graded above
Unlighthouse's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 62 of 83) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Unlighthouse has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 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. Unlighthouse’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 54 of 83
- AFree plan and trialAbove 62 of 83
- CFeaturesAbove 10 of 83
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 83
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 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. Unlighthouse 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
Unlighthouse 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 2.6 is higher than 56 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.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Nuxt, Vite and webpack among them.
What this rests on. Unlighthouse’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
Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights, sitespeed.io, Lighthouse Metrics and DebugBear
The 5 tools Unlighthouse is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Lighthouse
Free
Google's open-source audit of page speed, accessibility and SEO.
- Only Unlighthouse lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Lighthouse lists a web app.
- Only Lighthouse lists a browser extension.
- 3.2GPA
PageSpeed Insights
Free
Free Google speed test with real-user Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse.
- Only Unlighthouse lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only PageSpeed Insights lists a web app.
- Unlighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
sitespeed.io
Free
Free open-source toolkit for testing and monitoring web performance.
- sitespeed.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Unlighthouse also covers site audit.
- 2.2GPA
Lighthouse Metrics
Free trial · from $10 one-time
Lighthouse tests from 16 regions with scheduled monitoring.
- Unlighthouse has a free plan. Lighthouse Metrics does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Unlighthouse lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Lighthouse Metrics lists a web app.
- 2.2GPA
DebugBear
Free trial · from $99/mo
Page speed and Core Web Vitals monitoring with lab tests and RUM.
- Unlighthouse has a free plan. DebugBear does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Unlighthouse lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only DebugBear lists a web app.
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 Unlighthouse free?
Yes. Unlighthouse is free to use.
How much does Unlighthouse cost?
Unlighthouse lists one plan. Open source: $0.
What platforms does Unlighthouse work on?
Unlighthouse is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Unlighthouse have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Unlighthouse is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Unlighthouse have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Unlighthouse is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Unlighthouse open source?
Yes. Unlighthouse is open source, according to its own site.
What does Unlighthouse integrate with?
Unlighthouse's listing names Nuxt, Vite, webpack, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI and Puppeteer.
Who makes Unlighthouse?
Unlighthouse is made by Harlan Wilton.
What are the alternatives to Unlighthouse?
The closest alternatives to Unlighthouse in our directory are Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights, sitespeed.io, Lighthouse Metrics and DebugBear.
How does Unlighthouse compare with other technical SEO tools?
Unlighthouse's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is Unlighthouse good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Unlighthouse A for value for money. Unlighthouse has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Unlighthouse?
Unlighthouse 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 Unlighthouse’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 Unlighthouse'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 Harlan Wilton. Prices change, so check unlighthouse.dev 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
- Unlighthouse, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/unlighthouse
- 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, "Unlighthouse: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/unlighthouse
Know someone choosing between technical SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/unlighthouse/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded technical SEO tools after Unlighthouse, 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 Unlighthouse’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. Unlighthouse is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Harlan Wilton. Prices and plans change: check unlighthouse.dev before you buy.