Skip to content

HSTS vs Netlify CDN

Based on 2492 and 55 real audits

View HSTS details | View Netlify CDN details
MetricHSTSNetlify CDNWinner
Performance4862Netlify CDN
Accessibility8990Netlify CDN
Best Practices8892Netlify CDN
SEO9195Netlify CDN
Security6969Tie
TTFB357ms352msNetlify CDN
Composite7577Netlify CDN
Performance
HSTS
48
Netlify CDN
62
Accessibility
HSTS
89
Netlify CDN
90
Security
HSTS
69
Netlify CDN
69
SEO
HSTS
91
Netlify CDN
95
Composite
HSTS
75
Netlify CDN
77

Netlify CDN outperforms HSTS in 6 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (77 vs 75). HSTS leads in no categories.

When to choose HSTS

HSTS doesn't clearly lead Netlify CDN in any category on the sampled sites — pick it based on developer experience, ecosystem, or existing team skills rather than the audit scores.

When to choose Netlify CDN

Choose Netlify CDN when your primary concern is performance and 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 2492 audited HSTS sites and 55 audited Netlify CDN 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, HSTS or Netlify CDN?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, Netlify CDN sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (62 vs 48 on average).
Which has better security, HSTS or Netlify CDN?
HSTS sites score higher on security analysis (69 vs 69 on average).
Which has better accessibility, HSTS or Netlify CDN?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Netlify CDN (90 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 Netlify CDN?
Netlify CDN sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (95 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 Netlify CDN?
Netlify CDN sites show lower Time to First Byte (352 ms vs 357 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 Netlify CDN for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. Netlify CDN 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.
Audit your own site

Send Feedback