Screaming Frog SEO Spider Free plan 9.1 Visit Lighthouse
developer.chrome.com
What it is
Lighthouse is an open-source automated tool for auditing web page quality. Given a URL, it runs audits covering performance, accessibility, best practices, SEO, and other areas, then produces a report with results and references on the audits and how to address failures. It is aimed at web developers seeking relevant, actionable guidance. Lighthouse runs in Chrome DevTools, from the command line, as a Node module, or through a web interface without installation. DevTools can audit pages requiring authentication; the Chrome extension cannot audit authenticated pages or local sites. Reports can be produced as JSON or HTML, and the command-line tool also supports CSV. Stack packs add platform-specific recommendations, while plugins allow domain experts to contribute audits and report categories. Lighthouse can be integrated into continuous integration, and Lighthouse CI can help prevent regressions. Reports can be viewed online or shared with Lighthouse Viewer using report JSON. The CLI and Node workflows require Google Chrome, and the repository specifies Node 22 (LTS) or later. Its first CLI run asks about anonymous runtime exception reporting; opting out does not affect use.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- Lighthouse is an open-source automated tool for improving web page quality, with audits for performance, accessibility, SEO, and more.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Intended users
- The documentation describes Lighthouse as guidance intended to be relevant and actionable for web developers.Read 4 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Integrations
- The documentation identifies PageSpeed Insights as a way to run Lighthouse and Lighthouse CI as a regression-prevention tool.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Accessibility and SEO
- Lighthouse includes accessibility and SEO audit categories.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Audit targets
- It can audit any web page, including public pages and pages that require authentication.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Audits
- The repository lists accessibility, best practices, performance, and SEO as audit categories.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Authentication
- The DevTools workflow can audit pages that require authentication; the Chrome extension workflow cannot.Read 4 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Browser requirement
- The CLI and Node workflows require Google Chrome installed on the machine.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- CI
- Lighthouse CI can be used to prevent regressions on websites.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Customization
- Stack packs provide platform-specific recommendations, and plugins let experts add audits and report categories.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Extension limitation
- The Chrome extension workflow cannot test local sites or authenticated pages; Chrome DevTools can test both.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- How it works
- Given a URL, Lighthouse runs audits and generates a report with results and references explaining why audits matter and how to address failures.Read 4 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Performance
- Lighthouse collects modern performance metrics and provides performance audits and insights.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Privacy setting
- The first CLI run asks whether Lighthouse may anonymously report runtime exceptions, and opting out does not affect its use.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Report sharing
- Reports can be viewed and shared online with Lighthouse Viewer using report JSON.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Reports
- Lighthouse generates a report showing page performance and gives each failed audit a reference explaining its importance and how to fix it.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Run options
- Lighthouse can run in Chrome DevTools, from the command line, as a Node module, or through a web UI without installation.Read 4 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Runtime reporting
- The first CLI run asks whether Lighthouse may anonymously report runtime exceptions, and opting out does not affect use of the tool.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Runtime requirement
- The repository states that Lighthouse requires Node 22 (LTS) or later.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Sharing
- Reports can be viewed online, and the documentation describes sharing them as secret GitHub Gists.Read 4 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Source availability
- The project is open source and welcomes contributions through its repository.Read 4 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
- Ways to run
- Lighthouse can run in Chrome DevTools, from the command line, as a Node module, or through a web UI.Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
Plans and prices
Lighthouse Free Open-source automated web page audits Read 11 Oct 2026 · developer.chrome.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Audits pages that require authentication through DevTools
- Offers CLI, Node module, DevTools, and web UI workflows
- Produces JSON and HTML reports; CLI also supports CSV
- Can be integrated into continuous integration
- Open source and welcomes contributions
Limits
- CLI and Node workflows require Google Chrome
- CLI requires Node 22 LTS or later
- Chrome extension cannot audit local or authenticated pages
Who it suits
Lighthouse suits web developers who want actionable audits of performance, accessibility, best practices, SEO, and other page quality areas. Its command-line and CI options also suit teams that want to track site regressions.
Verdict
Lighthouse provides several ways to run audits and formats for reviewing results, with CI support for catching regressions. Check the Chrome and Node requirements if you plan to use its CLI or Node workflows.
Where Specifiction places it
- Website Audit software#3 of 238.7
- SEO Audit Software#5 of 358.6
- Website Optimization Tools#10 of 298.5
