A page-load test and a technical site crawl produce different evidence.
THE ATN TAKE · EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT
Use GTmetrix when a particular page loads poorly and you need to inspect the loading sequence. Use SEO Spider when the task is finding technical issues across pages. They can complement each other; a performance score is not a complete site audit, and a crawl report is not a measurement of every visitor’s experience. [1][2]
GTmetrixPage-load diagnosis with Lighthouse-based reports, request waterfalls and CrUX real-user information where available. [1]
Screaming FrogA site crawler for technical SEO checks. [2]
Free access
GTmetrixFree Basic account documented; exact current free test quota was not established. [1][3]
Screaming FrogUp to 500 URLs in each free crawl; advanced features restricted. [2]
Paid option
GTmetrixLite: US$4.99/month equivalent billed yearly. It is not the verified month-to-month price; confirm the annual charge and tax. [4]
Screaming Frog£199 per user/year in the GBP price view; checkout determines any applicable tax. [5]
Where it runs
GTmetrixWeb service running configured page-performance tests, with location/device options depending on plan. [1][4]
Screaming FrogDesktop software for Windows, macOS and Linux. [2]
Setup requirement
GTmetrixAccount for testing and monitoring. Third-party sign-in shares basic account data; target eligibility for an adult-business workflow remains unverified. [3][6]
Screaming FrogDownload the desktop app. Free mode needs no sign-up. [2]
Main limitation
GTmetrixLite: 50 monthly on-demand tests, one monitored slot, one-month retention and no hourly monitoring or team seats. Pricing promises a 14-day refund; terms instead make requests case by case. Confirm this conflict. [4][3]
Screaming FrogFree mode cannot save crawls or render JavaScript. [2]
Affiliate or partner status
GTmetrixNo official customer-referral commission was verified. GTmetrix’s own affiliate disclosures for recommended products do not establish a program paying ATN. [1][4]
Screaming FrogOfficial FAQ says there is no affiliate program for SEO Spider at this time. [7]
Consider it forATN assessment
GTmetrixDiagnosing an important slow page and repeating tests under comparable conditions; monitoring capacity should match the pages and scenarios you need. [1][4]
Screaming FrogFinding technical issues across pages; use with Search Console for Google’s reports. [2][8]
These tools answer different questions: Google Search visibility, technical page issues, or page-load behavior. They can complement each other. This is a documented workflow comparison, not a benchmark, a security audit, guaranteed ranking gains or adult-business approval.
GTmetrix allocates tests and monitored slots; SEO Spider’s free limit counts URLs in a crawl. One monitored scenario is not equivalent to one discovered URL. Define a few important pages and the audit coverage needed before selecting a paid allowance. [4][2]
Compare the billing commitments
GTmetrix’s displayed Lite amount is an annual-billing equivalent. SEO Spider sells annual per-user licences. Compare the full term, necessary users and included capacity; do not present either as a verified monthly-payment offer. [4][5]
Keep evaluation and refund terms separate
GTmetrix’s pricing page promises a 14-day guarantee, but its terms describe case-by-case requests. That conflict remains open. Begin with free access and resolve the applicable refund wording before paying; neither product has been performance-tested by ATN. [4][3][2]
Research based · No hands-on testing or numeric scores · Direct links, no affiliate tracking. Our editorial standards