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GitHub Pages vs HSTS

Based on 29 and 2490 real audits

View GitHub Pages details | View HSTS details
MetricGitHub PagesHSTSWinner
Performance7648GitHub Pages
Accessibility8989Tie
Best Practices9588GitHub Pages
SEO9691GitHub Pages
Security6469HSTS
TTFB158ms355msGitHub Pages
Composite7875GitHub Pages
Performance
GitHub Pages
76
HSTS
48
Accessibility
GitHub Pages
89
HSTS
89
Security
GitHub Pages
64
HSTS
69
SEO
GitHub Pages
96
HSTS
91
Composite
GitHub Pages
78
HSTS
75

GitHub Pages outperforms HSTS in 5 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (78 vs 75). HSTS leads in security.

When to choose GitHub Pages

Choose GitHub Pages when your primary concern is server response time and performance. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose HSTS

Choose HSTS when your primary concern is security. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 29 audited GitHub Pages sites and 2490 audited HSTS sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, GitHub Pages or HSTS?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, GitHub Pages sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (76 vs 48 on average).
Which has better security, GitHub Pages or HSTS?
HSTS sites score higher on security analysis (69 vs 64 on average).
Which has better accessibility, GitHub Pages or HSTS?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor GitHub Pages (89 vs 89). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, GitHub Pages or HSTS?
GitHub Pages sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (96 vs 91 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), GitHub Pages or HSTS?
GitHub Pages sites show lower Time to First Byte (158 ms vs 355 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose GitHub Pages or HSTS for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. GitHub Pages scores higher on overall composite score while GitHub Pages may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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