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SEO & Website Optimization · head to head

Lighthouse vs Moz

Lighthouse logo

Lighthouse

SEO & Website Optimization

Audit web page performance and quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Moz logo

Moz

Marketing

SEO software for smarter marketing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lighthouse described by the vendor as an open-source, automated tool with community contributions welcomed, no commercial edition; Moz smaller keyword database with only 500M+ keywords compared to 25 billion for Semrush
  • They diverge on capability: Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Moz covers Keyword Explorer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lighthouse and Moz actually diverge.

Attributes where Lighthouse and Moz differ
AttributeLighthouseMoz
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsChrome, EdgeWeb
CategorySEO & Website OptimizationMarketing
Founded19982004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Moz

  • Keyword Explorer
  • Link Explorer
  • Site Crawl
  • Rank Tracking
  • Page Optimization
  • Competitive research
  • Local SEO tools
  • Fresh Web Explorer

What people use each for

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

Lighthouse

No use cases recorded yet. See the Lighthouse review.

Moz

  • SEO auditsnot Lighthouse
  • Keyword researchnot Lighthouse
  • Link buildingnot Lighthouse
  • Local SEOnot Lighthouse
  • Competitive analysisnot Lighthouse

Where each one falls short

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

Lighthouse

  • Described by the vendor as an open-source, automated tool with community contributions welcomed, no commercial edition

Moz

  • Smaller keyword database with only 500M+ keywords compared to 25 billion for Semrush
  • Unreliable competitive analysis for B2B companies with niche competitor sets
  • Weekly rank tracking on lower plans creates bottlenecks versus daily updates on competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

Lighthouse

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

Moz

Free
  • Starter$39/month
    • Limited keyword tracking
    • Basic site audit
  • Standard$99/month
    • Enhanced keyword tracking
    • Competitive analysis

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 Moz if

  • You need keyword explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want link explorer.
Moz review

Questions people ask

Is Lighthouse or Moz better?
Neither clearly leads. Lighthouse starts at Free and Moz at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lighthouse or Moz?
Lighthouse starts at Free and Moz at Free.
Does Lighthouse or Moz run on more platforms?
Lighthouse runs on Chrome, Edge. Moz runs on Web.
Can I use Lighthouse for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Lighthouse do that Moz cannot?
Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Accessibility audit, SEO check, PWA validation. Moz covers Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, Site Crawl, Rank Tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moz: What are Moz's main weaknesses compared to Semrush and Ahrefs?

Moz has a smaller keyword database (500M+ keywords vs Semrush's 25B), weaker competitive analysis tools for B2B niches, weekly rank tracking on lower plans, and limited local SEO features compared to modern competitors.

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Related pages

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