How MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) Affects Your WordPress Speed
How is this scored?
Our Benchmark Methodology
Every speed score on MakeWPFast is based on real performance measurements, not estimates. We install each plugin on a clean WordPress 6.9 setup (PHP 8.3, MariaDB, GeneratePress theme) and measure the difference in three metrics:
TTFB (Time To First Byte) — how many milliseconds the plugin adds to server response time. This is the most important factor (50% of the score) because it directly affects every page load.
Memory usage — how much additional PHP memory the plugin consumes per request (30% of score). High memory usage can cause crashes on shared hosting.
Database queries — how many extra SQL queries the plugin runs per page load (20% of score). More queries mean more database work on every request.
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| A / A- | Negligible impact. Safe to install on any hosting. |
| B+ / B / B- | Light impact. Adds some overhead but manageable on most setups. |
| C+ / C / C- | Moderate impact. May noticeably slow down budget hosting. |
| D+ / D | Heavy impact. Will affect page load times. Consider alternatives. |
| F | Severe impact. Significant resource usage that hurts performance. |
Plugins marked "Not Yet Tested" have not been benchmarked yet. We do not estimate or guess scores — if there is no measured data, there is no grade.
Note: Benchmarks measure a plugin in isolation on a clean install. Real-world impact varies based on your hosting, other plugins, and how the plugin is configured.
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Performance Analysis
MonsterInsights is a free WordPress plugin that wraps Google Analytics with a dashboard built into your site, letting you see where visitors come from, what pages they view, and how they behave without needing to edit code.
It’s aimed at anyone who wants a simple, non‑technical way to track traffic and understand user flow, so you can make data‑driven improvements without hiring a developer.
Skip it if you already have a solid analytics setup, need ultra‑low impact, or are comfortable with a paid add‑on, because the plugin is popular (used by over two million sites) but adds a few milliseconds to page load, uses negligible memory, and introduces a couple of extra SQL queries.
Maintenance Status
Last updated: 2026-02-10. Requires PHP 7.2+. Trusted by 2.0M+ active installations.
Benchmark data measured in an isolated Docker environment (WordPress 6.8, PHP 8.3, GeneratePress). See our full methodology.
Find slow plugins on your own site
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Alternatives to MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy)
| Plugin | Speed Score | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress | A | 700K+ |
| Header Footer Code Manager | A | 600K+ |
| WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative | A | 600K+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) slow down WordPress?
Is MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) still maintained?
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