Softwr

SEO · head to head

Lighthouse vs Serpstat

Lighthouse logo

Lighthouse

SEO

Audit web page performance and quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Serpstat logo

Serpstat

SEO

All-in-One SEO platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lighthouse performance scores vary significantly due to A/B testing, device differences, browser extensions, and antivirus software affecting results; Serpstat individual plan at $50 per month caps searches at 100 per day and keyword position checks at 10,000
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lighthouse and Serpstat actually diverge.

Attributes where Lighthouse and Serpstat differ
AttributeLighthouseSerpstat
Pricing modelfreesubscription
PlatformsChrome, EdgeWeb
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Serpstat

Nothing recorded that Lighthouse does not also cover.

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 Serpstat
  • Accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilitiesnot Serpstat
  • SEO optimization verification for search engine compatibilitynot Serpstat
  • Security and best practices scanning for code healthnot Serpstat
  • Progressive web app validation and CI/CD pipeline integrationnot Serpstat

Serpstat

  • Tracking keyword rankings across desktop, mobile, organic, and paid searchnot Lighthouse
  • Monitoring brand mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and 140+ AI modelsnot Lighthouse
  • Analyzing competitor backlinks and ranking strategies at scalenot Lighthouse
  • Generating white-label SEO reports for client delivery and retentionnot Lighthouse
  • Auditing website technical health to improve click-through ratesnot 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

Serpstat

  • Individual plan at $50 per month caps searches at 100 per day and keyword position checks at 10,000
  • The full annual discount of up to 27 percent requires paying yearly rather than monthly

Pricing, plan by plan

Lighthouse

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

Serpstat

Free
  • Individual$50/month
    • Best for freelancers and beginners
    • 5 projects, 100 daily searches, 10,000 monthly position checks
  • Team$100/month
    • Suited for small agencies and growing teams
    • Unlimited projects, 500 daily searches, up to 99,999 position checks
    • API access and Claude/ChatGPT integration
  • Team x2$169/month
    • Designed for agencies needing expanded capacity
    • Unlimited projects, 1,000 daily searches, 100,000 position checks
  • Agency$410/month
    • For large enterprises
    • Unlimited projects, 5,000 daily searches, 500,000 position checks
    • White Label Reports, Data Engineer Consultation, Phone Support

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 Serpstat if

  • You want to start without paying.
Serpstat review

Questions people ask

Is Lighthouse or Serpstat better?
Neither clearly leads. Lighthouse starts at Free and Serpstat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lighthouse or Serpstat?
Lighthouse starts at Free and Serpstat at Free.
Does Lighthouse or Serpstat run on more platforms?
Lighthouse runs on Chrome, Edge. Serpstat 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 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 Serpstat is typically brought in for.
What can Lighthouse do that Serpstat cannot?
Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Accessibility audit, SEO check, PWA validation.

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
Serpstat: How much does Serpstat cost?

Serpstat offers four tiers: Individual at $50/month, Team at $100/month, Team x2 at $169/month, and Agency at $410/month. Annual billing provides up to 27% discount. A custom enterprise plan is also available.

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
Serpstat: Does Serpstat offer a free trial?

Yes, Serpstat provides a 7-day free trial to explore core features. The trial requires credit card verification with a $1 charge that is refunded in 5-30 minutes.

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
Serpstat: What payment methods does Serpstat accept?

Serpstat accepts credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers. Users can upgrade or downgrade plans anytime, and custom enterprise pricing is available for organizations with specialized needs.

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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