Looking for an Updown.io alternative?
Updown.io is a beloved indie monitoring tool with a pay-per-check pricing model and a hacker-aesthetic UI. SitePulse takes the opposite approach — flat $9 pricing, modern dashboard, and a free plan. Here's how they actually compare in 2026.
TL;DR
- Pick Updown.io if you have a small handful of monitors, want pay-per-check pricing, and love a spartan, tinkerable UI.
- Pick SitePulse if you want predictable flat pricing, a modern dashboard, and a free plan to start with.
- Honest gaps in SitePulse today: no multi-region or public API today. Updown wins on volume flexibility and battle-tested maturity; SitePulse wins on predictable cost and UI polish.
Pricing comparison
SitePulse
- Free — 5 monitors · 5-min$0
- Pro — 25 monitors · 1-min · 90-day history$9 / mo
- Business — 150 monitors · 1-min · 1-yr history$29 / mo
Flat pricing. No per-seat. No add-ons.
Updown.io
- Free credits — 100k checks free to try$0
- Top-up — ~$0.001 per check, scales with frequencyPay-per-check
- Typical 5 monitors @ 5-min — Very cheap at low volume~$5 / 4-5 months
- Typical 15 monitors @ 1-min — Crosses SitePulse Pro at this point~$15+ / mo
Pay-per-check pricing — bill scales with check volume. Pricing as of early 2026.
Feature-by-feature
Free plan monitors
Pricing model
Cheapest paid usage
1-minute checks
30-second checks
Public status page
Custom domain on status page
Email alerts
Slack / webhooks
Where probes run from
UI / DX
Predictable monthly cost
Built by
Updown.io pricing and features as of early 2026 — check their pricing page for the latest.
When Updown.io is the right call
- You only check a handful of sites at low frequency (every 5-15 min).
- You love Updown's spartan, tinkerable interface.
- You need a documented public API for monitor management.
- Multi-region probes matter for your audience.
When SitePulse is the right call
- You want predictable, flat monthly pricing — no surprise bills from check volume.
- A modern, polished dashboard matters more than maximum configurability.
- You're running 10+ monitors and the math has tipped past pay-per-check.
- A free plan with 5 monitors is the right starting point for your project.
- Your audience is in Asia/Pacific and Tokyo probes are an asset.
Try SitePulse free
5 monitors, 5-minute checks, email alerts, public status page — free forever. No credit card.
Frequently asked questions
Why would I switch from Updown.io to SitePulse?+
Two real reasons: (1) Predictable monthly cost. Updown's pay-per-check model is cheap if you check infrequently but the bill scales with check volume — SitePulse is a flat $9 (or $29) regardless. (2) Modern UI. Updown's interface is famously spartan; SitePulse looks like the year you're actually living in. If you love Updown's tinkerable, hacker-aesthetic vibe and don't mind topping up credits, there's no reason to switch.
Is SitePulse cheaper than Updown.io?+
Depends on volume. Updown's pay-per-check model can be incredibly cheap if you only check a handful of sites every 5-15 minutes. SitePulse is cheaper as soon as you have ~10+ monitors at 1-min checks, because $9/mo flat beats burning credits at high check rates. For a typical 5-monitor indie setup, Updown is cheaper; for 15+ monitors at high frequency, SitePulse wins.
Does SitePulse have a free plan?+
Yes — 5 monitors, 5-minute checks, free public status page, no credit card. Updown gives free trial credits but isn't a permanent free tier. If you want a 'never pay anything' starting point, SitePulse is the right call.
What does Updown.io do that SitePulse doesn't?+
Multi-region probes, an actual public API for monitor management, more granular check-interval options (15-sec to 1-hour), and Apdex scoring. Updown has been around since 2014 and the feature set reflects that maturity. If you need any of those, Updown is the better fit.
Where do you run the checks from?+
Tokyo (ap-northeast-1). Multi-region voting is on the roadmap. Updown probes from multiple regions globally, which catches more types of regional outages and reduces false positives from local network blips.
I love Updown's hacker aesthetic. Why would I use SitePulse?+
Honestly, you might not. Updown is great. The reason to use SitePulse instead is if you want a modern dashboard you can show a non-technical co-founder, or you're building toward a polished status page on a custom domain. If those don't matter and you love tweaking config in a spartan UI, stay on Updown.