PageSpeed Exporter vs Google PageSpeed Insights: What's the Difference?
PageSpeed Exporter and Google PageSpeed Insights run the same underlying Lighthouse engine. The difference is what they do with the results: Google PSI shows a visual dashboard; PageSpeed Exporter exports structured JSON built for AI agents.
PageSpeed Exporter
PageSpeed Exporter is a wrapper around the same Google PSI API v5. It takes the raw API response — which can be 500KB to 2MB — strips out binary data (screenshots, filmstrips) and structures it into a compact AIReport under 50KB that retains every actionable finding. It adds AI prompt templates, a before/after comparison feature, cloud report history, and an MCP server for Claude Desktop.
Google PageSpeed Insights
Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) is Google's free web UI for running Lighthouse audits. It displays a visual report with coloured gauges, expandable audit sections, and a Core Web Vitals summary. It is the most widely used performance tool in the world. However, it has no structured data export, no AI integration, and no way to run mobile and desktop in a single click.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | PageSpeed Exporter | Google PageSpeed Insights |
|---|---|---|
| AI-ready JSON export | Yes — compact AIReport <50KB | No export |
| AI prompt templates | Yes — 4 built-in templates | No |
| Mobile + Desktop + Both in one run | Yes (Starter plan) | No — manual tab switch only |
| Before/after comparison | Yes (Starter plan) | No |
| Report history | Browser-local (free) / cloud (paid) | No history — runs are ephemeral |
| CrUX field data in export | Yes — included in JSON | Displayed only, no export |
| Stack-specific hints (StackPacks) | Yes — in JSON export | Displayed only, no export |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes — Claude Desktop, LangChain | No |
| Batch export (ZIP) | Yes (Pro plan) | No |
| Bring your own API key | Yes | N/A |
| Runs Lighthouse | Yes — Google PSI API v5 | Yes — same API |
| Free to use | Yes | Yes |
When to use PageSpeed Exporter
- ✓You want to export the complete Lighthouse JSON to use with ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any AI agent
- ✓You want mobile and desktop analysis in one click without switching between tabs
- ✓You want a history of past audits and before/after comparison to measure improvement
- ✓You are an agency exporting multiple reports as a batch ZIP
- ✓You want built-in AI prompts that tell the model exactly how to analyze the data
When to use Google PageSpeed Insights
- ✓You just want a quick visual check of a single URL with no account or setup
- ✓You want the definitive, authoritative source — Google's own tool
- ✓You are checking the result once and do not need to save or export it
The Bottom Line
PageSpeed Exporter runs the same Lighthouse engine as Google PageSpeed Insights — but outputs the data in a format that is actually useful for fixing problems with AI. If you are pasting results into ChatGPT or Claude, you cannot paste a screenshot of the PSI dashboard. You need the structured JSON, and that is what PageSpeed Exporter gives you.
Try PageSpeed Exporter — free
No account required. Run your first Lighthouse audit and export the complete JSON in under 30 seconds.
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Loading...Frequently Asked Questions
Does PageSpeed Exporter use the same data as Google PageSpeed Insights?
Yes. PageSpeed Exporter calls the Google PageSpeed Insights API v5, the same API that powers pagespeed.web.dev. The results are identical — PageSpeed Exporter simply structures and exports the data differently.
Is Google PageSpeed Insights free?
Yes, the web UI is completely free. The underlying API has a free quota (25,000 requests/day per key). PageSpeed Exporter is also free for up to 5 reports/month.
Can I export data from Google PageSpeed Insights?
The standard Google PSI web UI has no export button. To get the raw JSON, you would need to call the API directly. PageSpeed Exporter does this for you and structures the output for AI agents.
What is the difference between Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights?
Lighthouse is the open-source auditing engine. PageSpeed Insights is Google's web interface that runs Lighthouse and also overlays real-user CrUX field data from the Chrome User Experience Report. PageSpeed Exporter uses PageSpeed Insights, so you get both Lighthouse lab data and CrUX real-user data in the same export.