What is Sitespeed.io?
Sitespeed.io is an open-source web performance testing framework, a CLI tool that runs Lighthouse, WebPageTest, and Coach metrics, then ships results to InfluxDB/Graphite for Grafana visualization. Free, powerful, and developer-friendly. Where it falls short for teams that need a hosted solution: Sitespeed.io is just the CLI/orchestration layer, you provision your own load-generator infrastructure, host InfluxDB/Graphite/Grafana, manage alerting plumbing, and operate the whole stack. The total cost (infra + engineering time) often exceeds a SaaS subscription.
When Sitespeed.io is the right pick
- You have a dedicated SRE/devops team comfortable operating an InfluxDB+Grafana stack.
- You need to run perf tests inside your private network (intranet sites, behind VPN).
- You want full code control + customization at the CLI level.
- You're building a CI/CD pipeline and want Sitespeed.io baked into your build steps.
Where Sitespeed.io leaves gaps
- DIY infrastructure. You provision and operate the load generators, InfluxDB time-series store, Grafana dashboards, alerting integrations.
- No hosted dashboards. Grafana is great but you build/maintain the dashboards yourself.
- No native scheduling. Cron + script wrapping required. Lose a cron job, lose your history continuity.
- Alerting is DIY. Wire Grafana alerts to PagerDuty/Slack manually; maintain those integrations as Grafana versions evolve.
- No load testing. Sitespeed.io measures one-page perf; doesn't simulate concurrent users with JMeter/k6.
LoadFocus vs. Sitespeed.io: comparison
| Feature | LoadFocus | Sitespeed.io |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse audits | Yes, hosted, scheduled | Yes (CLI) |
| Core Web Vitals tracking | Yes, with history + alerts | Yes (you build the dashboards) |
| Hosted infrastructure | Yes. SaaS | No (DIY) |
| Built-in dashboards | Yes | Grafana (you configure) |
| Scheduled runs | Yes, hourly/daily/weekly | Cron-based, DIY |
| Alerts | Email/Slack/webhook included | Grafana alerts, DIY wiring |
| JMeter cloud load testing | Yes, .jmx unchanged | No |
| k6 cloud load testing | Yes, .js scripts | No |
| Pricing | Flat SaaS, ~$19/mo | Free (OSS) + your infra/eng costs |
| Setup time | Minutes | Days-to-weeks |
When LoadFocus is the right pick
- You want hosted Lighthouse + Core Web Vitals: no Docker/Grafana plumbing.
- You need scheduled runs + history + alerts out of the box.
- You want load testing in addition to perf monitoring (JMeter/k6 cloud execution).
- You don't have a dedicated team to operate Sitespeed.io's full stack.
- You're a solo dev or small team where DIY infrastructure cost exceeds SaaS.
Migrating from Sitespeed.io
- Inventory existing Sitespeed.io scripts/configs: URLs tested, frequency, custom Lighthouse settings.
- Configure equivalent scheduled Lighthouse runs in LoadFocus: most settings map (URL, device emulation, network throttling, schedule).
- Migrate dashboards conceptually: LoadFocus's built-in dashboards cover the same metrics Sitespeed.io+Grafana give you, without the maintenance burden.
- Decommission InfluxDB+Grafana stack if Sitespeed.io was the only consumer. If you use the stack for other observability, keep it but stop running Sitespeed.io.
- Keep Sitespeed.io OSS locally for dev iterations or internal-network testing if useful; just stop running it as your production perf-monitoring backbone.
FAQ: LoadFocus vs Sitespeed.io
Are LoadFocus and Sitespeed.io using the same Lighthouse engine?
Yes, both leverage Google's Lighthouse for Core Web Vitals data. Scores should align closely for the same URL on the same day.
Can I run LoadFocus on my private network like Sitespeed.io?
No. LoadFocus is SaaS-only and tests public URLs. For intranet/VPN-only sites, Sitespeed.io self-hosted is the right tool.
Is LoadFocus cheaper than rolling Sitespeed.io + InfluxDB + Grafana?
Usually yes once you count: load-generator infra costs, time-series DB hosting, Grafana licensing/hosting, engineering time to maintain it all. LoadFocus at ~$19/mo flat typically beats a $100-500/mo DIY infrastructure stack for small-to-mid teams.
Does LoadFocus do load testing like Sitespeed.io doesn't?
Yes. JMeter (.jmx) and k6 (.js) cloud execution. Sitespeed.io measures single-page perf; for load testing you'd separately run JMeter/Gatling yourself.
Can I use both together?
Yes, run Sitespeed.io locally for dev-loop perf iteration; use LoadFocus for production scheduled monitoring + load testing + alerting. Different jobs.
What about WebPageTest integration?
Sitespeed.io wraps WebPageTest. LoadFocus doesn't integrate WebPageTest directly. Lighthouse covers most of the same use cases for modern CWV-focused workflows.
Get started with LoadFocus
Sign up free and create your first scheduled Lighthouse audit, hosted, no Docker, no Grafana to babysit.
