The 512KB Club
The internet has become a bloated mess. Massive javascript libraries, countless client-side queries and overly complex frontend frameworks are par for the course these days.
When online newspapers like The Guardian are over 4MB in size, you know there's a problem. Why does an online newspaper need to be over 4MB in size? It's crazy.
But we can make a difference - all it takes is some optimisation. Do you really need that extra piece of JavaScript? Does your WordPress site need a theme that adds lots of functionality you're never going to use? Are those huge custom fonts really needed? Are your images optimised for the web?
The 512KB Club is a collection of performance-focused web pages from across the Internet. The one and only rule for a web page to qualify as a member is...
Your total UNCOMPRESSED web resources must not exceed 512KB.
How to join The 512KB Club
If you're interested in getting your site added to The 512KB Club, all you need to do is follow these instructions:
- Do a GTMetrix scan on your website.
- Once complete, click on the Waterfall tab to make sure the uncompressed size of your site is less than 512KB.
- If your site satisfies this requirement, submit an issue on GitHub with your URL.
- I will then check your site with GT Metrix. If it's qualifies, I will add it to the list below.
Note: I reserve the right to not add sites based on whether I think they're suitable to be added or not.
Once you're in The 512KB Club
If your site qualifies for The 512KB Club, I will add it to one of the following 3 teams:
- The green team is for sites with a total uncompressed size of less than 100KB.
- The orange team is for sites with a total uncompressed size of less than 250KB.
- The blue team is for sites with a total uncompressed size of less than 512KB.
Once you're a proud member of one of the teams, you are free to use one of the banners below on your own website. You can either save the SVG or use the code snippet below (remembering to change the name to whichever team you're in).
<a href="https://512kb.club"><img src="https://512kb.club/images/green-team.svg" /></a>
I've optimised some more, what now?
The 512KB Club appears to have sparked some interest in a lot of website owners and the whole thing has become somewhat of a race to the top.
If you have optimised your website further and want to change your number, please log a new GitHub issue ensuring the title clearly states this is an update.
What's the point of all this?
That's a great question!
I decided to start this project for a couple of reasons:
- Most, if not all, of the sites listed below are personal sites. Many of which are blogs. The 512KB Club is a great way of discovering other blog owners who are also interested in minimalist/efficient web design. Think of it like a modern day webring.
- It's a bit of fun, so why not?
I see a problem / how do I get in touch?
See a problem on this site? Maybe there's a site listed that's not longer live, or no longer qualifies for the club. Or, maybe you just want to get in touch for some reason.
If so, create an issue on GitHub or use the contact page on my main website.