How Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 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
The Yoast SEO plugin adds basic search‑engine analysis and schema markup to each page, giving you feedback and suggestions without requiring you to write markup yourself. It’s aimed at writers and site owners who want a quick SEO checklist without diving into code.
Developers who need deeper control or want to avoid extra memory use should skip it, as the plugin loads extra data structures that can slow heavy sites.
Maintenance Status
Last updated: 2026-02-03. Requires PHP 7.4+. Trusted by 10.0M+ 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 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI
| Plugin | Speed Score | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings | A- | 3M+ |
| All in One SEO – Powerful SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Increase Traffic | B | 3M+ |
| XML Sitemap Generator for Google | A | 1M+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
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