Introduction
Real-User Monitoring (RUM) is a website performance monitoring method that tracks and analyzes the experiences of actual users that are using and interacting with a website.
RUM provides valuable data about Core Web Vitals, users' locations, device type, their activity on your site, the browsers they are using, and their level of satisfaction with your website.
SpeedVitals' RUM combines both Real-User Monitoring with Web Analytics, making it a complete tool for both Analytics & Web Performance. With RUM, you also don't have to wait for 28-days for the CrUX Data reported by Google. Moreover, the CrUX data is only from a small subset of your actual website visitors while RUM includes all your website traffic.
Why Real-User Monitoring over Synthetic monitoring?
| Feature | Real-User Monitoring (RUM) | Synthetic Monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Data Source | Real-user interactions | Simulated user behavior based on predefined test environment |
| Purpose | To understand real-world user experience and identify actual performance issues. | To simulate user behavior for debugging and benchmarking. |
| Setup | Requires adding a JavaScript code to Web pages. | Doesn't require adding any code to website |
| Use Cases | Performance optimization, user behavior analysis, web analytics. | Regression testing, monitoring in controlled environments |
| Advantages | Provides real-world insights, accurate data, and reflects true user experience. | Allows testing under controlled conditions, simulates various user environments. |
| Limitations | Dependent on actual user traffic, may not capture niche user behaviors. | May not always reflect real user behavior or real-world conditions. |
While both Synthetic Monitoring and Real-User Monitoring (RUM) are important tools for monitoring website performance, their purpose are different. RUM depends on real traffic, it offers data derived from real user interactions that reflect the real user experience. While Synthetic Monitoring may not accurately represent real-world user behavior, but it can enable proactive testing in controlled settings that mimic different user scenarios.
Combining the two approaches ideally yields a thorough understanding of performance, including proactive testing, benchmarking, and real-world user experiences.
SpeedVitals' RUM is currently under Beta Testing, and we are inviting users to become a part of our journey.
The access to the Beta version will be provided on first come first serve basis. Users can either purchase our Pro Plan for instant access or fill out this survey to get an invite.