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GOV.UK Template vs Varnish

Based on 10 and 441 real audits

View GOV.UK Template details | View Varnish details
MetricGOV.UK TemplateVarnishWinner
Performance8044GOV.UK Template
Accessibility9989GOV.UK Template
Best Practices10089GOV.UK Template
SEO9891GOV.UK Template
Security8165GOV.UK Template
TTFB207ms202msVarnish
Composite8674GOV.UK Template
Performance
GOV.UK Template
80
Varnish
44
Accessibility
GOV.UK Template
99
Varnish
89
Security
GOV.UK Template
81
Varnish
65
SEO
GOV.UK Template
98
Varnish
91
Composite
GOV.UK Template
86
Varnish
74

GOV.UK Template outperforms Varnish in 6 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (86 vs 74). Varnish leads in TTFB.

When to choose GOV.UK Template

Choose GOV.UK Template when your primary concern is performance and security. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose Varnish

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

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 10 audited GOV.UK Template sites and 441 audited Varnish 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, GOV.UK Template or Varnish?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, GOV.UK Template sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (80 vs 44 on average).
Which has better security, GOV.UK Template or Varnish?
GOV.UK Template sites score higher on security analysis (81 vs 65 on average).
Which has better accessibility, GOV.UK Template or Varnish?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor GOV.UK Template (99 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, GOV.UK Template or Varnish?
GOV.UK Template sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (98 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), GOV.UK Template or Varnish?
Varnish sites show lower Time to First Byte (202 ms vs 207 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 GOV.UK Template or Varnish for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. GOV.UK Template scores higher on overall composite score while GOV.UK Template 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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