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HSTS vs Netlify CDN

Based on 3294 and 141 real audits

View HSTS details | View Netlify CDN details
MetricHSTSNetlify CDNWinner
Performance5373Netlify CDN
Accessibility9093Netlify CDN
Best Practices8996Netlify CDN
SEO9297Netlify CDN
Security7378Netlify CDN
TTFB403ms341msNetlify CDN
Composite7882Netlify CDN
Performance
HSTS
53
Netlify CDN
73
Accessibility
HSTS
90
Netlify CDN
93
Security
HSTS
73
Netlify CDN
78
SEO
HSTS
92
Netlify CDN
97
Composite
HSTS
78
Netlify CDN
82

Netlify CDN outperforms HSTS in 7 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (82 vs 78). 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 server response time and performance. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 3294 audited HSTS sites and 141 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 (73 vs 53 on average).
Which has better security, HSTS or Netlify CDN?
Netlify CDN sites score higher on security analysis (78 vs 73 on average).
Which has better accessibility, HSTS or Netlify CDN?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Netlify CDN (93 vs 90). 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 (97 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 Netlify CDN?
Netlify CDN sites show lower Time to First Byte (341 ms vs 403 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.
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