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Wakestack
UptimeRobot

Wakestack vs UptimeRobot: Which Should You Choose?

Both Wakestack and UptimeRobot offer uptime monitoring, but they take different approaches. Here's an honest comparison to help you decide.

WT

Wakestack Team

Engineering Team

7 min read

Quick Comparison

FeatureWakestackUptimeRobot
Uptime MonitoringYesYes
Server MonitoringYes (agent-based)No
Free TierYes (limited)Yes (50 monitors)
Check IntervalFrom 1 minute5 min (free), 1 min (paid)
Status PagesYesYes (basic free, advanced paid)
Multi-locationYesYes
AlertingSlack, email, webhooksMany integrations
Best ForServer + uptime comboPure uptime monitoring

What Each Tool Does

Wakestack

Wakestack is a combined monitoring platform:

  1. Server monitoring: Install an agent, see CPU, memory, disk, network
  2. Uptime monitoring: External checks for availability
  3. Status pages: Public/private pages for incident communication

It's designed to answer both "is it up?" and "why is it slow/down?"

UptimeRobot

UptimeRobot is focused uptime monitoring:

  1. HTTP/HTTPS checks: Verify websites respond
  2. Keyword monitoring: Check for specific content
  3. Port monitoring: TCP port availability
  4. Status pages: Basic public status pages

It's designed to answer "is it up?" and nothing more.

Pricing Comparison

UptimeRobot

Free Tier:

  • 50 monitors
  • 5-minute check intervals
  • Basic status page
  • Email and webhook alerts

Pro ($7/month):

  • 50 monitors (additional tiers available)
  • 1-minute intervals
  • More alert integrations
  • Custom status page domain

Enterprise ($35+/month):

  • More monitors
  • Advanced features
  • Priority support

Wakestack

Free Tier:

  • Limited hosts
  • Basic features
  • Good for getting started

Paid Plans:

  • Scale with number of hosts
  • Full server + uptime monitoring
  • Status pages included
  • No per-monitor charges

Comparison: For pure uptime monitoring, UptimeRobot's free tier is hard to beat. For combined server + uptime, Wakestack's paid plans offer more value.

When to Choose UptimeRobot

You only need uptime monitoring

If your needs are:

  • Know when websites are down
  • Know when APIs are unreachable
  • Simple status page

UptimeRobot does this well, especially on the free tier.

You have zero budget

UptimeRobot's free tier offers:

  • 50 monitors (plenty for most small projects)
  • 5-minute intervals (acceptable for many use cases)
  • Basic alerting

You can't beat free.

You're monitoring third-party services

For checking services you don't control:

  • Payment provider status
  • External API availability
  • Partner integrations

UptimeRobot works great—you don't need server metrics for third-party services.

You want mature, established tooling

UptimeRobot has been around since 2010:

  • Proven reliability
  • Large user base
  • Well-documented
  • Stable feature set

It's a known quantity.

When to Choose Wakestack

You need server monitoring too

If you want to know:

  • Is CPU spiking on my server?
  • Is disk filling up?
  • Is memory running low?

Wakestack provides this alongside uptime. UptimeRobot doesn't.

You want unified visibility

With Wakestack:

  • One dashboard for server health and availability
  • Correlate uptime issues with server metrics
  • Fewer tools to manage

Instead of UptimeRobot + another server monitoring tool, you use one tool.

You want better diagnostics

When an uptime check fails, Wakestack can help you understand why:

  • Server metrics show resource exhaustion
  • Historical data shows patterns
  • Combined view aids troubleshooting

UptimeRobot tells you something is down. You investigate separately.

You're running your own infrastructure

If you manage servers (cloud VMs, bare metal, containers):

  • You need visibility into those servers
  • Uptime alone isn't enough
  • Server metrics prevent problems before they cause downtime

You want more integrated status pages

Wakestack's status pages:

  • Connect directly to monitoring data
  • Update automatically based on checks
  • Part of the unified platform

UptimeRobot's status pages work but are more basic, especially on free tier.

Feature Deep Dive

Uptime Monitoring

CapabilityWakestackUptimeRobot
HTTP/HTTPS checksYesYes
Keyword verificationYesYes
Multi-locationYesYes
1-minute intervalsYesPaid only
SSL expiry alertsYesYes

Verdict: Both are capable. UptimeRobot's free tier offers more monitors; Wakestack includes faster intervals.

Server Monitoring

CapabilityWakestackUptimeRobot
CPU metricsYesNo
Memory metricsYesNo
Disk metricsYesNo
Network metricsYesNo
Process monitoringYesNo

Verdict: Wakestack wins here—UptimeRobot doesn't do server monitoring.

Status Pages

CapabilityWakestackUptimeRobot
Basic status pageYesYes (free)
Custom domainYesPaid
Incident managementYesBasic
Component groupingYesYes

Verdict: Comparable, with slight edge to Wakestack for integration with server data.

Alerting

CapabilityWakestackUptimeRobot
EmailYesYes
SlackYesYes (paid)
WebhooksYesYes
PagerDutyVia webhookYes
Many integrationsLimitedMore options

Verdict: UptimeRobot has more built-in integrations; Wakestack covers common channels.

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Freelancer with 5 client sites

Need: Know when client sites go down

Recommendation: UptimeRobot (free tier)

  • 5 monitors out of 50 free
  • 5-minute intervals are fine
  • No cost

Scenario 2: Startup with 10 servers and a public API

Need: Server health + API availability + public status page

Recommendation: Wakestack

  • Server monitoring shows resource issues
  • Uptime monitoring covers API
  • Status page included
  • Unified view

Scenario 3: Agency monitoring 50 client websites

Need: Many uptime monitors, basic alerting

Recommendation: UptimeRobot Pro

  • Purpose-built for this use case
  • Per-monitor pricing makes sense
  • No server monitoring needed

Scenario 4: Small team with 5 servers hosting a SaaS

Need: Server metrics, uptime, status page for customers

Recommendation: Wakestack

  • Combined monitoring
  • Server insights help debug issues
  • Status page builds customer trust

Migration Considerations

Moving from UptimeRobot to Wakestack

What you'll gain:

  • Server monitoring
  • Unified dashboard
  • Better diagnostic capability

What you might miss:

  • UptimeRobot's specific integrations
  • Familiarity with UptimeRobot's interface
  • Free tier for many monitors

When it makes sense: When you need server visibility, not just uptime.

Keeping Both

Some teams use:

  • UptimeRobot for external uptime monitoring
  • Wakestack for server monitoring

This works but adds complexity. Wakestack's uptime monitoring might make UptimeRobot redundant.

Honest Assessment

Where UptimeRobot Wins

  • Free tier: 50 monitors, no cost—unbeatable for pure uptime
  • Focus: Does uptime monitoring and does it well
  • Integrations: More built-in options
  • Track record: Established, proven, reliable

Where Wakestack Wins

  • Server monitoring: UptimeRobot doesn't have it
  • Combined view: One tool for both uptime and server health
  • Diagnostics: Understanding why, not just that
  • Value for server owners: If you need server metrics anyway, Wakestack bundles uptime

The Bottom Line

UptimeRobot is excellent if you only need uptime monitoring. The free tier is generous, the tool is reliable, and it's been doing this for over a decade.

Wakestack makes sense if you want server monitoring alongside uptime. Instead of UptimeRobot + server monitoring tool, you get one unified platform.

If you're managing servers, Wakestack provides more value. If you're just checking if websites are up, UptimeRobot's free tier is hard to beat.

Summary

Choose UptimeRobot if:

  • You only need uptime monitoring
  • You want a generous free tier
  • You're monitoring sites you don't host
  • You prefer established tooling

Choose Wakestack if:

  • You need server monitoring too
  • You want one tool instead of two
  • You're running your own infrastructure
  • You value unified diagnostics

Both tools are good at what they do. The choice depends on whether you need visibility into servers or just need to know when websites are down.

About the Author

WT

Wakestack Team

Engineering Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wakestack better than UptimeRobot?

It depends on your needs. Wakestack includes server monitoring alongside uptime checks. UptimeRobot focuses purely on uptime with a generous free tier. Choose based on whether you need server visibility.

Should I use UptimeRobot's free tier or pay for Wakestack?

If you only need basic uptime monitoring and have limited budget, UptimeRobot's free tier is great. If you also need server metrics (CPU, memory, disk) or want status pages with more features, Wakestack's paid plans provide more value.

Can I use both Wakestack and UptimeRobot?

Yes, some teams use UptimeRobot for external uptime checks and Wakestack for server monitoring. However, Wakestack includes uptime monitoring, so using both may be redundant.

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