If you're a freelancer or run an agency, you know the drill. A potential client slides into your DMs or emails, "Can you take a quick look at my site?" And that "quick look" turns into a two-hour deep-dive, manually checking for broken links, squinting at the source code, and trying to articulate why their CTA button is the color of despair. It's a time-suck. A necessary one, but a time-suck nonetheless.
So when a tool called Roast My Web popped up on my radar—claiming to deliver "polished, professional, and actionable site audits in minutes"—my inner cynic raised an eyebrow. An AI that gives brutally honest feedback? Sounds like a recipe for either genius or disaster. I've seen my fair share of AI tools that promise the world and deliver a pamphlet. But this one, featured on Product Hunt and with some solid testimonials, felt... different. I had to give it a spin.

Visit Roast My Web
So, What Exactly Is a "Website Roast"?
Forget your standard, soulless SEO scan that just spits out a list of missing alt tags. Roast My Web aims to be more like that sharp, incredibly smart colleague who doesn't pull any punches. It’s an AI-powered analysis that gives you the cold, hard truth about your website across several critical areas: design, user experience (UX), conversion optimization, mobile responsiveness, and of course, on-page SEO.
The whole idea is to get an immediate, actionable report that doesn't just list problems but explains why they're problems. Think of it as a diagnostic tool that tells you where the patient is bleeding revenue so you can apply the tourniquet, fast. It's designed to stop you from losing clients to competitors who show up with a slick, data-backed plan from the get-go.
Putting It to the Test: The Core Features
Alright, let's get into the meat and potatoes. What does this thing actually do? I ran a few of my own smaller project sites through it to see what came back.
The Automated Audit: Incredibly Fast
First off, the speed is wild. The claim of getting an audit done in minutes is not an exaggeration. You paste in a URL, and it gets to work. For agencies that need to audit dozens, or even hundreds, of sites for prospecting, this feature alone is a game-changer. It turns a multi-day task into something you can do over a cup of coffee. No more manual drudgery. Seriously.
Actionable Insights or Just AI Fluff?
This was the part I was most skeptical about. But the results were surprisingly nuanced. The report breaks down findings into clear categories with a to-do list vibe. It's not just "Improve SEO." It's stuff like:
The website lacks a clear value proposition above the fold.
- Ouch, but fair.The homepage could feature a hero image to immediately capture attention.
- A classic, but often overlooked point.Careful! This page has a redirect loop...severely affecting your site's performance.
- Now THAT is a critical, money-on-the-table issue.
It also gives you an overall score and checks your Core Web Vitals, which is super handy for a quick performance check. The feedback felt less like a generic checklist and more like a genuine critique. It's not perfect, but it's a hell of a starting point.
From AI Report to Client-Ready PDF
Here’s where I think Roast My Web really shines for professionals. The generated report isn't a locked-down document. It has a Manual Report Editor. This means you can take the AI's foundation, remove anything you disagree with, rephrase suggestions, and add your own human expertise. You can inject your secret sauce.
Then—and this is the best part—you can add your own custom branding. Your logo, your colors. In about 60 seconds, you can transform the AI audit into a polished, professional, client-ready PDF. It makes you look prepared, thorough, and incredibly efficient. This is how you win projects.
Who Is This Tool Actually For?
Based on their pricing and features, it's pretty clear who they're targeting. It’s not for the giant enterprise with a 50-person in-house SEO team. It's for the rest of us.
The Solo Entrepreneur & Freelancer: If you're a one-person show, you're constantly juggling sales, marketing, and actual client work. This is your secret weapon for lead generation. A prospect is on the fence? Offer them a free, branded audit of their site. It’s an insane value-add that costs you pocket change and a few minutes of your time.
The Growing Startup: For startups, speed is everything. You don't have time for a six-week website analysis. You need to know what to fix now to improve conversions. The Startup Growth plan is perfect for iterating on your own site and keeping an eye on the competition.
The Busy Agency: At the agency level, it's all about scale and efficiency. The ability to quickly audit potential clients' sites, provide instant value, and create branded reports is invaluable. It streamlines the top of your sales funnel and lets your team focus on strategy instead of tedious manual checks.
Let's Talk Money: The Pricing
The pricing is refreshingly straightforward. They call it "Straight-Up Pricing," and I'm here for it. It’s based on the number of "roasts" or reports you need.
Plan | Price | Details |
---|---|---|
Solo Entrepreneur | $4 | 3 quick page reviews (~$1.33 per roast) |
Startup Growth | $12 | 12 quick page reviews ($1.00 per roast) |
Agency | $500 | 600 quick page reviews (~$0.83 per roast) |
Frankly, the value proposition is pretty nuts. Being able to generate a detailed, brandable report for a potential client for about a dollar is an easy investment to justify. And they have a 14-day money-back guarantee, so the risk is minimal.
The Not-So-Fine Print: Limitations to Consider
No tool is perfect, and it’s important to be aware of the limitations. The biggest one, and this is true for most AI crawlers, is that it can struggle with sites that have heavy anti-bot measures or captchas. It also can’t access pages that require a login, so it's not going to audit a members-only area.
But the most important thing to remember is this: AI analysis is not a full replacement for human expertise. I would never send one of these reports to a client without reviewing it myself and adding my own strategic insights. Think of Roast My Web as an incredibly smart and fast assistant. It does 80% of the grunt work, freeing you up to do the 20% that requires your experience and strategic brain—the part the clients actually pay you the big bucks for.
Final Verdict: Is Roast My Web a Good Investment?
Yeah, I think so. It's not going to replace a senior SEO strategist, but it was never designed to. It's designed to make your life easier, your proposals stronger, and your workflow more efficient.
For freelancers wanting to look bigger than they are and for agencies needing to scale their prospecting efforts, Roast My Web is an absolute gem. It automates the tedious part of the job and lets you focus on building relationships and closing deals. It's a sharp, affordable tool in an industry that's often filled with bloated, overpriced software. Definitly give it a try.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a "roast"?
A roast is an AI-powered, comprehensive audit of a single webpage. It analyzes design, UX, conversion elements, mobile-friendliness, and SEO to provide actionable, sometimes "brutally honest," feedback for improvement.
How does a roast benefit my website?
It quickly identifies critical issues and low-hanging fruit that could be costing you conversions and traffic. For agencies, it serves as a powerful, data-driven report to impress and win new clients.
How many times should I roast my site?
You can roast it whenever you make significant changes, before a major redesign, or on a quarterly basis to ensure everything is still running smoothly. It's also great for keeping an eye on your competitors' pages.
Can I request a refund?
Yes, according to their site, they offer a 14-day money-back guarantee. It's a good policy that shows they're confident in their product.
What's next for Roast My Web?
The best place for updates is likely their own blog or newsletter. Tech tools like this are always evolving, so I'd expect them to continuously refine their AI models and add new checks based on user feedback.
How can I share ideas or feedback?
Most SaaS companies, especially newer ones, are very open to feedback. Their website likely has a contact form or email. Providing constructive feedback helps them improve the tool for everyone.
Conclusion
In a world overflowing with AI hype, it's refreshing to find a tool that does exactly what it says on the tin. Roast My Web isn't about replacing the human element of SEO and web design; it's about augmenting it. It takes the most repetitive, time-consuming part of a website audit and automates it, leaving you with more time to be brilliant. For the price of a couple of lattes, you can generate reports that can help you land clients worth thousands. And in my book, that's a pretty fantastic return on investment.