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HSTS vs Level Access

Based on 2556 and 4 real audits

View HSTS details | View Level Access details
MetricHSTSLevel AccessWinner
Performance4938HSTS
Accessibility8989Tie
Best Practices8884HSTS
SEO9194Level Access
Security7063HSTS
TTFB364ms205msLevel Access
Composite7572HSTS
Performance
HSTS
49
Level Access
38
Accessibility
HSTS
89
Level Access
89
Security
HSTS
70
Level Access
63
SEO
HSTS
91
Level Access
94
Composite
HSTS
75
Level Access
72

HSTS outperforms Level Access in 4 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (75 vs 72). Level Access leads in SEO, TTFB.

When to choose HSTS

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

When to choose Level Access

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

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 2556 audited HSTS sites and 4 audited Level Access 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 →

Small sample: one or both technologies have fewer than 10 audited sites. Treat these numbers as directional — medians stabilize around 20–30 audits per side.

FAQ

Which is faster, HSTS or Level Access?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, HSTS sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (49 vs 38 on average).
Which has better security, HSTS or Level Access?
HSTS sites score higher on security analysis (70 vs 63 on average).
Which has better accessibility, HSTS or Level Access?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor HSTS (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, HSTS or Level Access?
Level Access sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (94 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), HSTS or Level Access?
Level Access sites show lower Time to First Byte (205 ms vs 364 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 HSTS or Level Access for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. HSTS scores higher on overall composite score while HSTS 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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