HTTPArchive introduces a new technology comparison dashboard that is currently in beta testing. Users can now view real-world web hosting performance scores for Core Web Vitals. We compare six web hosts and find one that consistently outperforms in almost all metrics.

About HTTPArchive

HTTPArchive tracks websites through crawling and with data collected in the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX). It publishes reports on the technologies that power websites, including the Core Web Vitals performance of content management systems like WordPress and Wix.

New Technology Comparison Panel – Beta

HTTPArchive has new reports in development; one is a comparison of Web hosts’ Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse performance scores. HTTPArchive also tracks median page weight by web hosts but is still under development and in Beta testing.

New reports allow comparison by web host. Data is not yet available for many web hosts, but data is available for the following six. Comparing web hosts based on their core web vitals is not a completely fair comparison. A web server like Ionos can host thousands of small, local sites that are not resource intensive.

With those caveats, here are the six web hosts compared:

1. blue server
2. GoDaddy
3. HostGator
4. IONOS
5. SiteGround
6. WP Engine

Basic Web Data by Web Host

Below is a list of web hosts based on the percentage of sites hosted on each that pass Core Web Vitals. HTTPArchive says that this report is still under development and, as previously mentioned, the percentages do not necessarily reflect the quality of the web hosts but the quality of the sites hosted there.

Here is the description of CWV metric scores:

“Passed Important Web Data
Percentage of resources that pass all Three Core Web Pillars (LCP, INP, CLS) with a good experience. Note that if a resource is missing INP data, it will be evaluated based on the performance of the remaining metrics.”

But it is interesting to see that the number one web host is a managed WordPress web host, as this may indicate that the platform itself may be better optimized than a generic web host. The scores below are based on a photo taken in early September.

Core Web Vitals Scores in Descending Order

• WP Engine 70%
• GoDaddy 67%
• SiteGround 65%
• HostGator 58%
• Ions 58%
• Blue server 45%

Largest Content Paint (LCP)

LCP measures perceived page loading speed, that is, how fast the page appears to load for a site visitor.

HTTPArchive defines this metric:

“Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is an important, stable Core Web Vital metric for measuring perceived loading speed because it marks the point in the page load timeline where the main content of the page is most likely loaded; A fast LCP helps reassure the user that the page will load. It is useful. Good experiences are less than or equal to 2.5 seconds.”

WP Engine comes out on top again, perhaps indicating the quality of sites hosted on that platform as well as performance optimizations, which is an important element of that web host.

LCP Points in Descending Order

• WP Engine 79%
• GoDaddy 78%
• SiteGround 75%
• HostGator 69%
• IONOS 69%
• Blue server 52%

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

HTTPArchive also provides a comparison of six web servers by CLS score. CLS measures how much a web page changes as it is rendered in a web browser. A score of 0.1 or lower is recommended for 75% of visitors. Each of the web hosts had percentages above 75% minimum. This time, WP Engine shares first place with HostGator.

CLS Scores in Descending Order

• WP Engine 88%
• HostGator 88%
• Blue server 87%
• SiteGround 86%
• IONOS 85%
• GoDaddy 84%

First Content Paint (FCP)

FCP measures how long it takes for content to become visible. Low FCP means content is rendered quickly. It turns out that FCP’s number one web host is GoDaddy, ahead by a significant 7-point margin. WP Engine comes in second place, followed by SiteGround.

FCP Points in Descending Order

• 73% of GoDaddy
• WP Engine 67%
• SiteGround 62%
• IONOS 60%
• HostGator 57%
• Blue server 39%

Time to First Byte (TTFB)

TTFB measures how long it takes to download the first byte of a resource after it is requested by a browser. GoDaddy topped the list again.

TTFB in Descending Order

• 59% of GoDaddy
• IONOS 45%
• WP Engine 39%
• HostGator 38%
• SiteGround 37%
• Blue server 25%

Next Interaction with Dye (INP)

This metric represents the overall responsiveness of the entire web page.

HTTPArchive explains what this score means:

“INP is a metric that evaluates a page’s overall responsiveness to user interactions by observing the latency of all clicks, taps, and keyboard interactions that occur during the time a user visits a page. The final INP value is the longest interaction observed, ignoring outliers. A good experience is less than or equal to 200ms.”

Ratings are the percentage of pages that provide a good INP experience. WP Engine is back on top in terms of INP, but the other five web hosts aren’t far behind.

INP Points in Descending Order

• WP Engine 95%
• SiteGround 94%
• Blue server 92%
• 90% of GoDaddy
• HostGator 89%
• IONOS 88%

Lighthouse Performance Score

Lighthouse is an open source auditing tool that scores web pages for performance, SEO and other metrics. The performance scores for the six web servers are fairly close to each other, falling on either side of the 40 performance score.

HTTPArchive’s explanation on this score is as follows:

“Overall, only metrics contribute to your Lighthouse Performance score, not Opportunities or Diagnostic results.”

Interestingly, HostGator ranks highest in terms of Lighthouse Performance score, while GoDaddy and Ionos come in second. The other three shared third place, one point below the second place. Still, HostGator was the clear winner in the Lighthouse Performance score measurement.

Lighthouse Performance Scores

• HostGator 43
• GoDaddy 40
• IONOS 40
• bluehost 39
• SiteGround 39
• WP Engine 39

HostGator ranked near the top in Core Web Vitals and scored at the top of the list for the Lighthouse Performance metric. WP Engine is clustered with two other web hosts that received a score of 39.

Lighthouse Accessibility Scores

Accessibility scores cluster on either side of the 85 score, similar to performance scores.

HTTPArchive explains this metric as follows:

“The Lighthouse Accessibility score is the weighted average of all accessibility audits. Weighting based on ax user impact assessments. Every accessibility check is either pass or fail. “Unlike performance audits, a page does not receive points for partially passing an accessibility audit.”

Accessibility Scores in Descending Order

• GoDaddy 87
• Bluehost 86
• WP Engine 86
• SiteGround 86
• HostGator 85
• Ionos 85

Lighthouse SEO Scores

SEO scores clustered even more tightly; GoDaddy received the highest score among the six web hosts compared.

HTTPArchive explains what SEO Score measures:

“These checks ensure your page complies with basic search engine optimization recommendations. There are many additional factors that Lighthouse does not score here that may affect your search ranking, including performance on Core Web Vitals.”

SEO Scores in Descending Order:

• GoDaddy 91
• Bluehost 88
• WP Engine 88
• HostGator 88
• IONOS 88
• SiteGround 88

Lighthouse Best Practice Score

The last score is interesting because it measures whether hosted sites are built with web development best practices. HTTPArchive does not currently disclose what these best practices are.

Here is the explanation of this score:

“This ensures that your page is built using the best practices of modern web development.”

Best App Scores in Descending Order

• Bluehost 79
• HostGator 79
• SiteGround 79
• WP Engine 77
• GoDaddy 77
• IONOS 77
• take away

HTTPArchive extends what it measures. The performance dashboard is still in Beta and under development; This means it may contain bugs but is ready for public preview. It’s interesting to see a managed WordPress host rise to the top. Scores will be more meaningful when there are more managed web hosts that can be compared to each other, which can provide a more meaningful comparison. Still, it’s a good start.

Visit the new dashboard Here and provide your feedback to make it better.

Featured Image from Shutterstock/TierneyMJ