Here is a list of 5 free websites to check loading speed of websites. You can run a test for checking how long does a website takes to load, by pasting the link of that website in the provided space.
Website speed is a very important factor in determining the search engine ranking of a website. A website that loads quickly naturally attracts more users, which in turn improves its viewership. A page that loads quickly has a better chance of converting visitors into customers. On the other hand, a page with slow loading speed proves to be detrimental as it turns away your potential customers, loosing its place in the rankings. Thus, it becomes important to have a website that loads quickly.
The 5 websites reviewed in this list are Tool Spot, Web Tool Hub, pingdom, WebPageTest, and GTmetrix.
Tool Spot:
The first website in this list to check loading speed of websites is Tool Spot. This is a free web application that can be used for checking the performance of your website. The website allows you to do many things like checking who followed you on Twitter, Checking your IP, Page rank, and website speed, among other things. Just visit the link above and choose the option to check loading speed of the website.
Once you choose the option, paste the website URL in the provided bar and hit the check button. The tool will show you the load time, along with the size of the page.
Compared to other websites, this website may not provide you a detailed analysis. However, it still serves to be a reliable platform as you can trust the results.
To read more about it click here.
Web Tool Hub:
Web Tool Hub is the second website in this list to check loading speed of websites. There is no registration required to check the speed of various websites. The test conducted on the website generates a detailed report, which includes the loading speed of a website at a particular internet speed. There is also an option to show advanced information in your report; it will show the link and size of all the hosts to whom the request was sent to upload a particular website.
Testing any particular website is very simple. Just paste the link of the website and hit the test button against it. The generated report will be visible on the same page. I just wish that there was an option to download or share this report with others.
pingdom:
pingdom is another reliable platform to check loading speed of websites. You will be able to see a very detailed report that includes stats like load time, requests made, page size, and grade on a scale of 100. The list of all the links to which request is sent to open a website is also provided. Once you have tested the website, its report can be downloaded by you, emailed to others, tweeted, and posted on your Facebook timeline.
In the settings tab available to you on this website, option to make the report public or not, and the option to select a place from where you wish to conduct the test is provided to every user.
WebPageTest:
WebPageTest is another website that lets you check loading speed of websites for free, and provides very detailed reports, that include pie charts, graphs, and other details. This is the only website I found that takes the help of charts to explain the performance of your website. Just enter the URL and wait for some time. All the details will be generated in a matter of seconds and everything is explained clearly in them. As far as the reliability factor is concerned, this website predicted almost the same loading time for a particular website as predicted by others. This proves that you can rely on these reports.
GTmetrix:
Another website that you can visit and check loading speed of websites for free is GTmetrix. It has a good-looking interface and gives grades for every aspect of your website. The overall results are shown on top of the page. Below these results, you will find all the parameters and how much your website scores on these parameters. These reports can also be shared on platforms like Facebook, Twitter.
One very interesting tool on this website is the comparison tool. You can compare the results of up to 4 different websites, with your website. The option is given on the left hand side. Just select the option, enter the URL and let the website generate results for you. No registration is required for all this.
Try out all these above mentioned websites and let you know what you think about them. Our personal favorite tool is Pingdom Website Speed Test.
P.S.: One very popular tool for website speed optimization is Google PageSpeed. However, I have not included that here as it does not shows how fast the site loads; instead, it shows if the website meets the common practices that make a website fast.
Also read our post on 10 Websites to Test Internet Speed.
