Free software to test speeds
Speedtest by Ookla is a free application that lets you test the speed of your internet connection. Ookla Speed studies your internet connection to measure the speed between your device and a server. You will receive data about your download, jitter, ping, and upload speeds.
While the Ookla Speedtest is one of the most popular platforms to check your speed, you can use other alternatives such as Fast, Google Speed Test, Iperf, nPerf, SpeedOf.Me, and SpeedSmart are alternatives that you can use instead. Fast is a Netflix-owned program that is gaining popularity because of the detailed reporting that reveals your ‘Loaded Latency’ in addition to your ‘Unloaded Latency’.
Is Ookla Speed test accurate?
Speedtest by Ookla is an industry-standard for internet connection test results. The test results that you will get from Speedtest by Ookla are accurate. The cross-platform software is available on command line, desktops, mobile phones, smart TVs, tablets, and web browsers. You can use Speedtest on Android, Apple TV, CLI, Google Chrome, iOS, Mac, and Microsoft Windows PC devices.
You do not have to download and install an app to use Speedtest by Ookla. Instead, you can type the URL into your web browser to test your internet speed on the official website. Both the app and website deliver the same information.
How do I check my internet speed in Ookla?
Ookla will automatically discover a server to connect to for the test. While you cannot change the information of your personal device, you can click on the ‘Change Server’ button to switch the set server. Your internet service provider will be listed in addition to the location of the server.
You can toggle the switch on the ‘Connections’ button from ‘Multiple’ to ‘Single’ to only test a single connection instead. With the friendly user interface, you can easily test your internet speed by clicking on the ‘GO’ button in the center of the UI. The results will be presented as they come in once you make the test live, which means you can watch the progress in real time.
A large speedometer will be in the middle of the screen to let you know the megabits per second. The current Mbps will be in the center of the meter. The values will be listed beneath the sections once each test period is complete. Speedtest by Ookla will first deliver your Ping value. The Ping is recorded in milliseconds to let you know the latency.
The download speed will appear after the Ping is measured. Download speed lets you know the transfer speed of content over the network to your device. The download metric is important to tell how quickly you can stream from sites like Netflix.
Your upload speed will be recorded to let you know the performance speed of your device during an upload. The upload speed affects how quickly you can post to social media networks like Instagram. Both the download and upload values are measured in Mbps.
Can I trust Speedtest?
Since Speedtest by Ookla collects a lot of personal information, the software is not trustworthy. Your personal details, demographic info, contact data, consent records, location, payment history, and employer contacts are collected. You can review the privacy policy to read the complete list of private data that Speedtest stores about you.
As with other free programs, the free version of Speedtest contains advertisements in the user interface. You will need to upgrade to the paid version to get rid of invasive ads. Since the free app contains ads, your speed results can be affected by their presence.
Our take
Speedtest by Ookla is used in both personal and professional settings to troubleshoot internet speed issues. The app version delivers a more user-friendly experience than the website. If you are tired of the ads, a premium license will need to be purchased. The popularity of Speedtest by Ookla is decreasing due to the untrustworthy privacy policy standards.
Should you download it?
If you need to test your internet speed often, then the app may be worth downloading. But if you are uncomfortable with the lack of privacy the app offers, you will be better off considering the alternatives.
