How Much Does Site Kit by Google Slow Down WordPress? We Measured It

Site Kit by Google is a WordPress plugin used on 5M+ sites. Site Kit is a one-stop solution for WordPress users to use everything Google has to offer to make. Our 3-context benchmark shows it barely registers (+1ms TTFB on activation).
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 two key metrics:
PHP Memory Usage — how much additional memory the plugin consumes per request. Each doubling of memory overhead costs 10 points. High memory usage can cause crashes on shared hosting and limits how many plugins you can safely run together.
Database Queries — how many extra SQL queries the plugin runs per page load. Each 10x increase in query overhead costs 25 points. More queries mean more database work, slower pages, and harder scaling.
The score uses a logarithmic scale — the first few extra queries or megabytes matter more than going from 100 to 110 queries. This reflects real-world impact: the jump from 4 to 14 queries is far more noticeable than 100 to 110.
| Grade | Score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100 | Negligible impact. Safe to install on any hosting. |
| A- | 80–89 | Very light impact. Minimal overhead on any setup. |
| B+ / B / B- | 65–79 | Light impact. Adds some overhead but manageable on most setups. |
| C+ / C / C- | 50–64 | Moderate impact. May noticeably slow down budget hosting. |
| D+ / D | 35–49 | Heavy impact. Will affect page load times. Consider alternatives. |
| F | 0–34 | 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.
| Context | TTFB | Memory | Queries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activation | +1 ms | +2 MB | +13 |
| Homepage | +17 ms | +2 MB | +3 |
| WP Admin | +2 ms | +2 MB | +6 |
Performance Analysis
Site Kit by Google is a WordPress plugin that bundles Google’s analytics, adsense, pagespeed insights, and search console into one installer. It’s aimed at developers and site owners who want a quick way to enable all these services without manual configuration.
It adds a few milliseconds to page load, a small memory bump, and a handful of extra SQL queries, so it’s fine for most sites but not ideal for high‑performance critical pages.
Maintenance Status
Last updated: 2026-02-09. Requires PHP 7.4+. Trusted by 5.0M+ active installations.
Benchmark data measured in an isolated Docker environment (WordPress 6.8, PHP 8.3, GeneratePress). See our full methodology.
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Alternatives to Site Kit by Google
| Plugin | Speed Score | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| LiteSpeed Cache | B+ | 7M+ |
| Jetpack | B | 3M+ |
| WP Super Cache | A | 1M+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the actual cost of running Site Kit by Google?
Is Site Kit by Google a good fit for high-traffic WordPress sites?
Does Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed slow down WordPress?
Is Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed still maintained?
What are the best alternatives to Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed?
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