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HSTS vs X-Clacks-Overhead

Based on 2844 and 19 real audits

View HSTS details | View X-Clacks-Overhead details
MetricHSTSX-Clacks-OverheadWinner
Performance5048HSTS
Accessibility8988HSTS
Best Practices8885HSTS
SEO9188HSTS
Security7171Tie
TTFB369ms322msX-Clacks-Overhead
Composite7676Tie
Performance
HSTS
50
X-Clacks-Overhead
48
Accessibility
HSTS
89
X-Clacks-Overhead
88
Security
HSTS
71
X-Clacks-Overhead
71
SEO
HSTS
91
X-Clacks-Overhead
88
Composite
HSTS
76
X-Clacks-Overhead
76

HSTS outperforms X-Clacks-Overhead in 4 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (76 vs 76). X-Clacks-Overhead leads in TTFB.

When to choose HSTS

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

When to choose X-Clacks-Overhead

Choose X-Clacks-Overhead 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 2844 audited HSTS sites and 19 audited X-Clacks-Overhead 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 X-Clacks-Overhead?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, HSTS sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (50 vs 48 on average).
Which has better security, HSTS or X-Clacks-Overhead?
HSTS sites score higher on security analysis (71 vs 71 on average).
Which has better accessibility, HSTS or X-Clacks-Overhead?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor HSTS (89 vs 88). 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 X-Clacks-Overhead?
HSTS sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (91 vs 88 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 X-Clacks-Overhead?
X-Clacks-Overhead sites show lower Time to First Byte (322 ms vs 369 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 X-Clacks-Overhead 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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