UpCanary vs UptimeRobot
UptimeRobot has been a popular choice for basic uptime monitoring since 2010. In December 2024, they restricted their free plan to non commercial use only. If you are running a business, you now need a paid plan or a different tool.
The short version
UptimeRobot restricted commercial use on their free plan. Their paid plans start at $7/mo but lack team features, API access, and advanced status pages until the $29+/mo Team plan. UpCanary allows commercial use from day one, includes API access on all plans, and automatically updates your status page when outages are detected.
Feature by feature
| Feature | UptimeRobot | UpCanary |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial use on free plan | No (restricted since Dec 2024) | Yes, from day one |
| Free plan monitors | 50 monitors, 5 min interval | 100K credits, flexible allocation |
| Free plan check interval | 5 minutes | Flexible (credit based) |
| Paid check interval | 60 sec (Solo/Team), 30 sec (Enterprise) | Down to 30 seconds |
| Status pages | 1 basic (free), 3 (Solo), 100 (Team) | 1 (free), 3 (Starter), unlimited (Pro+) |
| Custom domain (status page) | Paid plans ($7+/mo) | Pro plan ($29/mo) |
| Auto status from monitoring | No (manual updates) | Yes, real time |
| Team members | None (free/Solo), 3 (Team), 5 (Enterprise) | 5 (Starter), unlimited (Pro) |
| API access | Team plan and above only | All plans |
| White label status page | Team plan ($29+/mo) | Pro plan ($29/mo) |
| Global monitoring regions | Multiple locations | 6 continents, multi region consensus |
| SMS/Voice alerts | Paid credits on all plans | Included on all plans |
Real cost comparison
UptimeRobot
Tiered plans, free restricted to personal use
- Free: $0/mo (50 monitors, 5 min, personal only)
- Solo: $7 to 10/mo (10 to 50 monitors, 60 sec, no team)
- Team: $29 to 45/mo (100 monitors, 60 sec, 3 seats)
- Enterprise: $54 to 149/mo (200 to 1,000 monitors, 30 sec)
SMS/voice alerts cost extra on all plans ($3 per 10 credits).
UpCanary
Commercial use allowed on all plans
- Free: $0/mo (100K credits, commercial use OK)
- Starter: $9/mo (5 seats, 3 status pages, API)
- Pro: $29/mo (unlimited seats, custom domain, CSS)
- Enterprise: Custom (SSO, audit log, dedicated support)
Automated status pages included. No extra cost for alerts.
Honest pros and cons
Where UptimeRobot is strong
- + Established since 2010 with a large user base and proven reliability
- + 50 monitors on the free plan (personal use) is generous for hobby projects
- + Wide range of monitor types: HTTP, keyword, ping, port, DNS, SSL, cron, UDP
- + Simple and focused UI, easy to get started
Where UpCanary wins
- + Commercial use from day one: no restrictions on the free plan
- + Automated status pages: status reflects real monitoring, no manual toggles
- + API on all plans: UptimeRobot locks API behind the Team plan ($29+/mo)
- + More team seats: 5 on Starter ($9) vs 0 on Solo ($7 to 10)
- + Global multi region consensus: 6 continents with false positive elimination
- + Alerts included: no extra SMS/voice credit purchases needed
Frequently asked questions
Is UptimeRobot still free for businesses?
How much does UptimeRobot cost for a small team?
Why did UptimeRobot restrict the free plan?
Can I migrate from UptimeRobot to UpCanary?
Does UpCanary have a free plan for commercial use?
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