What is GTMetrix?
GTMetrix is an online tool that gives you speed metrics for your website. It also has tools to help webmasters improve site speeds.
The need for speed
GTMetrix tests more than just the loading speed. Find out the page size, total requests made by plugins and scripts, and how you compare to other tested sites.
Test the speed of your website with GTMetrix, and help your site thrive. Developers know that having a slow-loading site can cause a drop in traffic and search ranking. That’s why GTMetrix shows you how slow your site is and gives you a breakdown of potential issues.
Run a test by posting your URL into the box on their website. Click on the dashboard and find an overview of the different components of your website that GTMetrix tested. If you click on the separate tabs, it gives you an in-depth description of each element.
Get accurate and consistent results to help you figure out any issues with your website. GTMetrix waits until the page is loaded, before it runs its tests. Measure the consistency of your webpage before you commit to making any changes.
Follow recommendations from two different sources. Yslow and PageSpeed both offer an average of twenty recommendations. They rank your website’s performance in an easy-to-read chart.
Save time with GTMetrix, as the software enables you to set up monitoring on your behalf. Instead of manually running tests on the site, you can toggle GTMetrix to run tests at specific intervals. Premium members can choose to run tests every hour. Regardless of your monitoring frequency, GTMetrix will send you a weekly email to update you on your website’s load time.
A couple of negatives to GTMetrix are that the mobile version is only available in premium and there aren’t many available locations. GTMetrix is available to use on desktop for free, and most features are free are long as you make an account.
Despite the seven locations being in busy cities around the world, GTMetrix could do with more locations for better service.
Where can you run this program?
GTMetrix is available on Windows, macOS and Linux desktop. For mobile users, it can be run on Windows, iOS, Android, and Blackberry.
Is there a better alternative?
No, there are no better alternatives. It runs smoothly, offers many tools to monitor and improve website speed, and is free. If you want more elaborate tools however, check out WebPageTest.
Our take
This software is well-designed and provides website designers with the right tools to improve their site speed. It includes helpful recommendations and has options for monitoring the site.
Should you download it?
Yes, you should definitely download GTMetrix if you want to improve the speed of your website. It offers more than just a basic check, and the free version has all the tools you need.
