GTMetrix Alternatives: The Best Tools for Website Performance Testing

GTMetrix used to be the go-to tool for checking website speed, but let’s be honest—paying for one-off synthetic tests isn’t worth it. If you’re still relying on synthetic testing alone, you’re missing a big part of the web performance picture.

If you care about Core Web Vitals, SEO performance, and user experience, you need more than just lab data. The good news? There are better (and free) alternatives like PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest for synthetic testing. But if you want a full picture of your website’s speed, you need tools that integrate Real User Monitoring (RUM) and Google’s Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX).

Let’s break down the best GTMetrix alternatives—including both free synthetic testing tools and premium solutions that combine real user data with synthetic insights for complete performance monitoring.

Comparison of GTMetrix Competitor Alternatives (With Pricing)

I spend a lot of time working on web performance, and I’ve used all these tools. They each focus on different ways of measuring performance, and not all performance data is the same.

• Synthetic testing runs a simulated test on your site and gives lab-based results. Great for debugging but doesn’t reflect real user performance.
• Real User Monitoring (RUM) collects live data from actual visitors, showing how real people experience your site, but can be hard to act on.
• CrUX (Chrome User Experience Report) is Google’s dataset of real-world performance from Chrome users, but it’s limited to busy public sites.

If you’re running a mid-sized website with 500,000 page views per month and testing 50 pages with synthetic tests, here’s how different tools stack up:

Tool	Data Type	Free Option?	Price
PageSpeed Insights	Synthetic + CrUX	✅ Yes	Free
WebPageTest	Synthetic + CrUX	✅ Yes	Free
Request Metrics	Synthetic + RUM + CrUX	✅ Yes	$88/month
Pingdom	Synthetic + RUM	❌ No	$130/month
SpeedCurve	Synthetic + RUM + CrUX	❌ No	$576/month

Some of these tools are great for quick checks (PageSpeed Insights), while others are better for long-term performance monitoring (Request Metrics). The right choice depends on whether you just need one-time tests or continuous insights into real user experience.

1. PageSpeed Insights - Free & Simple

$0 per month

If you just need a quick speed check, PageSpeed Insights is the easiest alternative to GTMetrix. It runs Google Lighthouse tests, provides Core Web Vitals, and gives clear recommendations on what to fix.

Pros:

• ✅ Free and easy to use
• ✅ Uses Google’s Core Web Vitals data
• ✅ No account required

Cons:

• ❌ Synthetic only—no real user monitoring
• ❌ Limited testing flexibility

💡 Best for: Quick performance insights and SEO improvements.

2. WebPageTest - Advanced Testing for Free

$0 per month

For more detailed synthetic testing, WebPageTest is a solid alternative. It’s free and lets you test from different locations, devices, and network speeds. There can be significant delays to running your tests during busy times though.

Pros:

• ✅ Free with advanced testing options
• ✅ Simulates real-world conditions (mobile, slow connections, etc.)
• ✅ Provides filmstrips and waterfall charts for analysis

Cons:

• ❌ Slow to run tests
• ❌ No Real User Monitoring (RUM)
• ❌ Can be overwhelming even if you’re technical

💡 Best for: Developers who need granular performance insights.

3. Request Metrics - Unified Web Performance

$88 per month

When you need a complete picture of web performance, Request Metrics is designed to track real-world user experience while still providing synthetic testing. Instead of testing random pages, it focuses on your most important pages—ensuring that your slowest, highest-traffic pages get automated synthetic testing and Core Web Vitals tracking.

Unlike GTMetrix, which gives one-off reports, Request Metrics offers continuous performance insights, so you can see exactly how slow pages impact user experience and conversions.

Pros:

• ✅ Combines synthetic tests with actual user performance data
• ✅ Live Core Web Vitals tracking with historical trends
• ✅ Free plan available

Cons:

• ❌ Advanced features require a subscription

💡 Best for: Businesses that care about real-world performance, Core Web Vitals, and SEO impact.

4. Pingdom - Uptime + Performance Monitoring

$130 per month

Pingdom is mostly an uptime monitoring tool, but it also offers basic speed tests and Real User Monitoring (RUM). If you need an all-in-one status + performance tool, it’s worth a look.

Pros:

• ✅ Monitors uptime, alerts, and performance trends
• ✅ Includes RUM for real visitor insights

Cons:

• ❌ Limited synthetic testing options
• ❌ Costs a lot for what it is at $130/month

💡 Best for: Businesses that want uptime alerts + RUM data in one dashboard.

5. SpeedCurve - Synthetic + RUM for Enterprise

$576 per month

SpeedCurve is a premium alternative for enterprises that combines automated Lighthouse reports, Real User Monitoring, and synthetic tests into one platform.

Pros:

• ✅ Synthetic + RUM for a complete picture
• ✅ Customizable reporting and alerts

Cons:

• ❌ Gets expensive very quickly
• ❌ Overkill for most businesses

💡 Best for: Teams that need continuous performance monitoring and reporting.

Which GTMetrix Alternative Should You Use?

If you just need free synthetic testing, PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest are great. But if you actually care about real user experience, you need a tool that includes Real User Monitoring.

• Want free synthetic testing? → PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest
• Need both synthetic + real user data? → Request Metrics ($88/month)
• Want uptime monitoring too? → Pingdom ($130/month)
• Need enterprise analytics and reporting? → SpeedCurve ($576/month)

Final Thoughts

GTMetrix was great when it was free, but paying for one-off synthetic tests simply doesn’t make sense anymore. Modern web performance tools give you a deeper understanding of what’s actually slowing down your website.

If you just need quick lab tests, stick with PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest. But if you actually want to fix what slows down real users, Request Metrics gives you RUM + synthetic testing + CrUX, so you get the full picture of your website’s performance.