In the mid-2010s, the mobile web faced a significant crisis. Bloated scripts, heavy images, and slow loading times were frustrating users and stifling the growth of the mobile ecosystem. Google’s response was Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)—a framework designed to make mobile pages load near-instantaneously by stripping them down to their bare essentials. For years, it was an industry mandate; if you wanted to appear in Google’s prestigious “Top Stories” carousel, you needed AMP.
However, as we navigate through 2025, the digital landscape is vastly different. High-speed 5G networks are now the global standard, mobile hardware is more powerful than ever, and Google’s own ranking algorithms have undergone a fundamental shift. Today, webmasters and business owners are increasingly asking: Do we really need Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)?
This article explores the current state of AMP, the transition to Core Web Vitals, and why your 2025 strategy might be more effective without it.
The Rise and Fall of the AMP Mandate
To understand why the industry is questioning the necessity of AMP, we must look at why it was adopted in the first place. Initially, Google provided a massive “carrot” for AMP adoption: exclusive access to the mobile “Top Stories” carousel and the iconic “lightning bolt” icon in search results. This signaled to users that a page would load instantly.
The turning point occurred when Google officially integrated Core Web Vitals (CWV) into its ranking algorithm. This update leveled the playing field by announcing that AMP would no longer be a requirement for the Top Stories section. Any page, regardless of the technology used, could now rank there as long as it met specific performance thresholds for speed, responsiveness, and visual stability.
In 2025, the decision to use or skip AMP is based purely on performance and technical preference, not on an arbitrary search engine requirement.
The Case Against AMP in 2025
For many modern businesses, the restrictions of AMP now outweigh its benefits. Here are the primary reasons why the answer to “Do we really need Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)?” is often a resounding “no.”
- Limited Design and Functionality
AMP is built on a restricted subset of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While this ensures speed, it also limits creativity. Complex interactive elements, custom lead-capture forms, and sophisticated animations are difficult—if not impossible—to implement within the AMP framework. In 2025, where “brand experience” is a key differentiator, many companies find the “cookie-cutter” look of AMP pages to be a liability.
- The Maintenance Burden of a Dual Codebase
Using AMP typically means maintaining two versions of every page: the standard responsive version and the AMP version. This doubles the workload for developers. Every time you update a tracking pixel, change a CTA, or update your brand colors, you have to do it twice. For small to mid-sized teams, this is a significant drain on resources that could be better spent on other growth areas.
- Analytics and Tracking Discrepancies
One of the most persistent headaches with AMP is data fragmentation. Because AMP pages are often served from Google’s cache (using a Google URL), it can be difficult to accurately track user sessions as they move from an AMP page to your main site. This leads to “inflated” bounce rates and skewed conversion data in Google Analytics 4, making it harder to calculate true ROI.
The Modern Alternative: Core Web Vitals and PWAs
If the answer to “Do we really need Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)?” is no, then how do we satisfy the modern user’s demand for speed? The answer lies in modern web standards and optimization.
- Prioritizing Core Web Vitals (CWV)
Instead of relying on a third-party framework, developers are now focusing on the three pillars of CWV:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measuring loading performance.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Measuring responsiveness.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measuring visual stability.
By using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, you can identify specific bottlenecks on your standard responsive site. Fixing image dimensions, minifying CSS, and utilizing server-side rendering (SSR) can result in a site that is just as fast as AMP but without the restrictions.
- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
In 2025, many brands are opting for Progressive Web Apps. PWAs offer the best of both worlds: the reach of a website and the speed of an app. They can work offline, send push notifications, and load nearly instantly. Unlike AMP, a PWA provides a full, uncompromised brand experience while easily meeting Google’s speed requirements.
When Should You Still Consider AMP?
Despite its decline, AMP isn’t entirely obsolete. There are still a few niche cases where it might be beneficial:
- Low Technical Resources: If you have a legacy site that is incredibly slow and you don’t have the budget for a full rebuild, an AMP plugin can serve as a “quick fix” to provide a better mobile experience.
- Static Content Publishers: For news sites that primarily publish text and images with very little interactivity, AMP remains a reliable way to ensure that users on slow 4G connections can still access content quickly.
Conclusion: Performance is the Destination, Not the Framework
So, do we really need Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)? For the vast majority of websites in 2025, the answer is no. The web has grown up. We now have the tools, the infrastructure, and the knowledge to build lightning-fast mobile experiences using standard web technologies.
Google no longer cares how you make your site fast; they only care that it is fast. By focusing on Core Web Vitals and maintaining a single, high-performance responsive codebase, you regain control over your brand, your data, and your revenue.
For those looking to transition away from AMP, it is recommended to follow the Google Search Central Guide on AMP Migration. The future of the mobile web is open, flexible, and fast—without the lightning bolt. Focus on your users, optimize your core metrics, and your rankings will follow.
