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SEO · head to head

Lighthouse vs Majestic

Lighthouse logo

Lighthouse

SEO

Audit web page performance and quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Majestic logo

Majestic

SEO

Backlink analysis and link intelligence platform for SEO

From
$41.67/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lighthouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lighthouse performance scores vary significantly due to A/B testing, device differences, browser extensions, and antivirus software affecting results; Majestic pricing is based on consumable analysis units, so heavy usage can exhaust a plan's allowance before the month ends.
  • They diverge on capability: Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Majestic covers Trust Flow & Citation Flow.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lighthouse and Majestic actually diverge.

Attributes where Lighthouse and Majestic differ
AttributeLighthouseMajestic
Starting priceFree$41.67/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsChrome, Edgeweb, api
Founded19982004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (SEO).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Lighthouse

  • Performance scoring
  • Accessibility audit
  • SEO check
  • PWA validation
  • Chrome support
  • Edge support

Only in Majestic

  • Trust Flow & Citation Flow
  • Site Explorer
  • Fresh & Historic Index
  • Bulk Backlink Checker
  • Author Explorer
  • Link Graph
  • API Access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lighthouse

  • Performance auditing to identify page loading speed improvementsnot Majestic
  • Accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilitiesnot Majestic
  • SEO optimization verification for search engine compatibilitynot Majestic
  • Security and best practices scanning for code healthnot Majestic
  • Progressive web app validation and CI/CD pipeline integrationnot Majestic

Majestic

  • Auditing a site's backlink profile before an SEO campaignnot Lighthouse
  • Comparing link profiles between competitor domainsnot Lighthouse
  • Bulk-checking backlinks across many URLs at oncenot Lighthouse
  • Finding link-building opportunities via the link graphnot Lighthouse

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Lighthouse

  • Performance scores vary significantly due to A/B testing, device differences, browser extensions, and antivirus software affecting results
  • Limited to metrics that contribute to scores; Opportunities and Diagnostics don't directly impact scoring
  • Diminishing returns above 0.96 score, making perfect 100 scores extremely challenging
  • Scores based on HTTP Archive data which may not reflect all performance scenarios

Majestic

  • Pricing is based on consumable analysis units, so heavy usage can exhaust a plan's allowance before the month ends.
  • Lite plan excludes the Historic Index and raw data exports, which are common needs for deeper backlink audits.
  • API access requires the most expensive plan, unlike some competitors that bundle limited API calls into mid-tier plans.
  • The 7-day money-back guarantee is limited to first-time subscribers on Lite and Pro plans only.

Pricing, plan by plan

Lighthouse

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Performance audit
    • Accessibility check
    • SEO analysis

Majestic

$41.67/month
  • Lite$41.67/month
    • 1 user
    • 1 million analysis units
    • Fresh Index, Site Explorer
  • Pro$83.33/month
    • 1 user
    • 20 million analysis units
    • Historic Index, Index Merger
  • API$333.33/month
    • 5 users
    • 100 million analysis units
    • Full API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Lighthouse if

  • You need performance scoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge.
  • You also want accessibility audit.
Lighthouse review

Choose Majestic if

  • You need trust flow & citation flow.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want site explorer.
Majestic review

Questions people ask

Is Lighthouse or Majestic better?
Neither clearly leads. Lighthouse starts at Free and Majestic at $41.67/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lighthouse or Majestic?
Lighthouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lighthouse and $41.67/month for Majestic.
Does Lighthouse or Majestic run on more platforms?
Lighthouse runs on Chrome, Edge. Majestic runs on web, api.
Can I use Lighthouse for free?
Yes. Lighthouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Majestic starts at $41.67/month.
What is Lighthouse best used for?
Lighthouse is most often used for performance auditing to identify page loading speed improvements, accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilities, seo optimization verification for search engine compatibility, security and best practices scanning for code health. Of those, performance auditing to identify page loading speed improvements and accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilities are not what Majestic is typically brought in for.
What can Lighthouse do that Majestic cannot?
Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Accessibility audit, SEO check, PWA validation. Majestic covers Trust Flow & Citation Flow, Site Explorer, Fresh & Historic Index, Bulk Backlink Checker.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lighthouse: Is Lighthouse free?

Yes. Lighthouse is completely free and open-source. It is developed by Google and integrated into Chrome DevTools, PageSpeed Insights, and available as a command-line tool. There are no licensing fees or premium tiers.

Source
Majestic: What payment options does Majestic support?

Majestic supports payment by Credit Card, Debit Card, and PayPal for recurring monthly and annual subscription plans.

Source
Lighthouse: Can I run Lighthouse offline?

Yes. Lighthouse can run offline in multiple ways: through Chrome DevTools (built into Chrome), as a command-line tool (Node.js), or as a Node.js module integrated into your build process. You do not need an internet connection after installing the tool.

Source
Majestic: Does Majestic offer a money-back guarantee?

Lite and Pro plans include a 7-day money-back guarantee for new customers purchasing their first ever subscription plan.

Source
Lighthouse: What pages can Lighthouse audit?

Lighthouse can audit any web page, including pages that require authentication. This is an advantage over some alternative tools that cannot test behind login screens. You can run audits on public pages or authenticated pages via command-line with custom headers.

Source
Majestic: How do I cancel my Majestic subscription?

PayPal users manage cancellation through their PayPal account, while monthly credit card subscribers can cancel via the My Subscriptions page in their account.

Source
Lighthouse: Can Lighthouse prevent performance regression during development?

Yes. Lighthouse CI is available to prevent performance degradation during development cycles. You can integrate Lighthouse CI into your continuous integration pipeline to automatically audit pages on every commit and fail builds if performance metrics fall below thresholds you define.

Source
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