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HSTS vs Mux

Based on 3096 and 4 real audits

MetricHSTSMuxWinner
Performance5236HSTS
Accessibility8992Mux
Best Practices8995Mux
SEO9298Mux
Security7366HSTS
TTFB397ms141msMux
Composite7773HSTS
Performance
HSTS
52
Mux
36
Accessibility
HSTS
89
Mux
92
Security
HSTS
73
Mux
66
SEO
HSTS
92
Mux
98
Composite
HSTS
77
Mux
73

Mux outperforms HSTS in 4 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (73 vs 77). HSTS leads in performance, security, composite score.

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 Mux

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

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 3096 audited HSTS sites and 4 audited Mux 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 Mux?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, HSTS sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (52 vs 36 on average).
Which has better security, HSTS or Mux?
HSTS sites score higher on security analysis (73 vs 66 on average).
Which has better accessibility, HSTS or Mux?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Mux (92 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 Mux?
Mux sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (98 vs 92 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 Mux?
Mux sites show lower Time to First Byte (141 ms vs 397 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 Mux 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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