Site checks and monitoring

Hosts all describe themselves as fast and reliable, and we do not test those claims. The tools in this category let you check for yourself, on your own site, once it is live.

PageSpeed Insights from Google and GTmetrix test how quickly a page loads and list what slows it down, such as large images, heavy scripts or slow server responses. Run them on your home page and a few key pages, on mobile as well as desktop, and run them more than once, since results vary between tests.

UptimeRobot and Pingdom check your site every few minutes and alert you when it stops responding. A free monitor from UptimeRobot is enough for most small sites, and the alerts give you a record of downtime if you ever need to raise it with your host.

Featured hosting tools: site checks and monitoring

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4 hosting tools in site checks and monitoring

PageSpeed Insights

by Google

Free Google tool that tests how fast a page loads on mobile and desktop and lists what slows it down.

  • Free plan or free tier

GTmetrix

Page speed testing tool with a waterfall of every file a page loads, history and monitoring on paid plans.

  • Free plan or free tier

UptimeRobot

Checks a website every few minutes and alerts you by email or app when it stops responding, with a free plan.

  • Free plan or free tier
  • Mobile app

Pingdom

by SolarWinds

Paid website monitoring service for uptime and page speed, with a free one-off speed test.

Use the numbers to make decisions, not to chase a perfect score. If pages are slow, compress images and remove unused plugins before blaming the host. If downtime is frequent and your host cannot explain it, that is a good reason to move.

Set up a monitor for your home page and one other important page, such as your contact form or checkout, and send the alerts to an email you read every day. Keep the free tools running even after the site settles down, so you notice when an update or a plugin change slows things down.

If you use Cloudflare or another CDN, test with it on and note which numbers change, since some tools measure the CDN copy rather than your server.

Questions about site checks and monitoring

What is a good page speed score?

Treat the score as a guide. Focus on the specific suggestions, such as image sizes and slow scripts, and on how the page feels on a phone. Run each test a few times, since results vary.

Do I need uptime monitoring for a small site?

A free monitor costs nothing and tells you when your site is down before customers do. It also gives you a record of outages to share with your host.

My speed test is slow. Is it the host?

Sometimes. Large images, many plugins and heavy page builders are more common causes on small sites. Fix those first, then compare results before deciding to switch hosts.

How often should I test page speed?

Test after any big change, such as a new theme, a page builder update or a host move, and every few months otherwise. Save the results so you can compare them over time.

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