This article explains what speed score means. For fixing performance (Core Web Vitals) and site speed issues, see our full guide here.
The PageSpeed Insights Score ranges from 0 to 100 points. A higher score is better, and a score of 85 or above indicates that the page is performing well.
What is a good store speed on Shopify?
Your Shopify speed score is how fast your store performs in a test environment using Google Lighthouse performance metrics. A good Shopify speed score is over 50, in fact, speed scores over 70 are considered to be awesome!
Why is my Shopify speed score so low?
There could be a few things that could be slowing your site down:
Shopify has noted that the Speed Score depends primarily on apps, custom code, and certain “heavy” features in some shops. An example is the Dynamic Checkout Button, which is notorious for causing the Speed Score to plummet 20-30 points on its own. Another example is Google Analytics, which is an absolute must for most websites, but apparently causes the Speed Score to drop significantly.
But this logic is flawed: Apps, custom code, and heavy features are what make Shopify such a go-to ecommerce platform to begin with. If you, as the store owner, start prioritising incremental speed improvements over important apps and features, then you’re doing your customers a disservice.
Improving your site speed by a quarter-second may not be more beneficial than an app that enables your customer to split payments or join a referral program. So it’s about weighing up the pros and cons of each feature on your site to see where you can improve the score along with improving your customer’s experience.
Which is the fastest Shopify theme?
In 2026, the landscape of Shopify themes has evolved from earlier years when basic themes like Turbo, and then Dawn, led the pack for speed.
Today, Shopify's Horizon theme is considered Shopify's flagship free theme foundation. It's built with modern, component-driven architecture, optimised asset loading, and greater flexibility out-of-the-box. Real-world performance comparisons often show Horizon slightly ahead of Dawn in key metrics like Largest Contentful Paint and other Core Web Vitals, making it a strong choice for new stores focused on speed and user experience.
That said, both Dawn and Horizon are optimised for speed and can perform well when images are compressed, scripts are deferred, and layouts are streamlined. Premium themes from reputable developers (such as highly optimised paid options) may still outperform free defaults depending on your specific use case.
Quick Takeaways:
- Horizon: Shopify's modern, speed-focused free theme foundation in 2026
- Dawn: Still very fast and stable, and a solid choice if you already use it
- Premium Themes: Some paid themes are engineered for even faster real-world performance at the cost of license fees.
A Note on Custom Code, Theme Updates, and Long-Term Performance
When choosing a Shopify theme, speed is only part of the decision, especially if you plan to add custom code or heavily tailor the store over time.
Many premium Shopify themes offer automatic updates, which can be convenient for merchants who don’t plan to customise beyond theme settings. However, these updates can introduce risk once custom code has been added directly to theme files. In some cases, updates may overwrite, conflict with, or break customisations if they’re not managed carefully.
For stores planning ongoing CRO work, performance optimisation, or custom development, a highly customisable foundation theme is often the safer long-term choice. Themes like Shopify’s Horizon (and previously Dawn) are designed to be extended and customised without relying heavily on theme-level feature logic that changes with updates.
In practice, this means:
- You have greater control over performance-critical code
- Custom features can be built cleanly without fighting theme constraints
- Updates are handled intentionally, rather than automatically overwriting changes
- Site speed improvements are easier to maintain over time
This doesn’t mean premium themes are “bad”, but it does mean they’re best suited to stores that plan to stay largely within the theme’s native functionality. If ongoing custom development is part of your roadmap, choosing a flexible base theme can reduce technical debt and performance issues later on.
How do I test my Shopify Internet speed?
There are several ways to test Shopify site speed, but one of the most useful starting points is Shopify's own Analytics dashboard, which now includes Core Web Vitals (CWV) reporting.
This data is based on real user behaviour making it a valuable complement to tools like Lighthouse or GTMetrix.
How to Access Site Speed and Core Web Vitals in Shopify Analytics
You can view performance metrics directly from your Shopify Admin:
Step 1: Go to your Shopify Admin
Step 2: In the left-hand navigation, select Analytics
Step 3: Open Dashboard
Step 4: Click Edit, in the top right (the pen icon)
Step 5: From the menu on the left, add Core Web Vital cards (such as LCP and CLS) to your Dashboard
Step 6: Save. You can also move the cards around to position them in a way that works for you.
Once added, these reports allow you to monitor real-world performance over time, broken down by page type and URL.
This is particularly useful for:
- Identifying layout shift issues (CLS)
- Tracking Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) across templates
- Spotting performance regressions after releases or campaigns
- Comparing performance trends over time, not just point-in-time scores
Where Shopify Analytics Fit (and Where It Doesn't)
Shopify Analytics is best used to:
- Monitor ongoing performance trends
- Validate whether changes improved real-user experience
- Identify which page types are underperforming
However, it should not replace:
- Lighthouse (for diagnostic recommendations)
- GTmetrix (for load behaviour and waterfalls)
Think of Shopify Analytics as your performance monitoring layer, not your troubleshooting tool.
Why This Matters for CRO
Metrics like LCP and CLS directly influence how stable and usable your site feels during load. Even small regressions can introduce friction that affects engagement, Add to Cart behaviour, and checkout confidence.
Monitoring Core Web Vitals inside Shopify Analytics makes it easier to catch issues early and ensure performance improvements are maintained over time, especially as apps, campaigns, and new features are introduced.
Site speed improvements don't need to be dramatic to be effective. Small, well-considered changes compound over time, making every page more stable, every interaction smoother, and every CRO initiative more reliable.
Treated as an ongoing discipline rather than a one-off fix, site speed becomes one of the most sustainable ways to support long-term growth on Shopify.
