Head to head
UptimeRobot vs StatusCake: which free-tier veteran wins in 2026?
UptimeRobot and StatusCake are the two names everyone meets first when searching for free website monitoring. They look interchangeable from a distance; up close they gate very different things. Here is the honest referee’s view.
The referee’s verdict
UptimeRobot or StatusCake?
UptimeRobot and StatusCake plan details verified on their official pricing and product pages on August 21, 2026. Both can change their plans at any time.
- Pick UptimeRobot when
- You want the maximum number of free basic checks. Fifty free monitors is still the market’s largest count, and the paid ladder is simple if you outgrow it.
- Pick StatusCake when
- You want a broader website-monitoring surface from one veteran brand — uptime plus page speed, domain, SSL, and server monitoring — and you are comfortable on a smaller free plan with paid tiers for volume.
- Where PageLantern fits
- PageLantern’s free tier includes types both vendors limit or paywall — SSL expiry, domain expiry, heartbeat/cron, and API checks with assertions — on 15 monitors, and its $9/month Starter adds 50 monitors at 1-minute checks, DNS checks, browser checks, and 50 SMS at a lower price than either vendor’s comparable paid tier.
Criteria by criteria
UptimeRobot vs StatusCake compared
| Criterion | UptimeRobot | StatusCake |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 50 monitors at 5-minute checks; SSL, domain, DNS, heartbeat, and API monitoring are excluded. | 10 uptime monitors at 5-minute checks, 1 SSL check, 1 domain check, and a basic 7-day public status display. |
| Check types | HTTP(S), keyword, ping, and port on Free; SSL, domain, DNS, heartbeat/cron, and API monitoring on paid plans. | Uptime, page speed, domain, SSL, and server monitoring across the paid suite. |
| Alerting | Email free; broader chat integrations from Solo ($10/mo); webhooks and PagerDuty from Team ($41/mo). | Integration alerts on Free; SMS allowances and team tooling in paid monitoring tiers. |
| Status pages | Free page carries UptimeRobot branding. | Basic 7-day public display available; subscribable branded Pages is a separately priced product. |
| Distinct strengths | Raw free volume, huge installed base, simple upgrade path. | Page-speed and server monitoring in the same product, long-running UK-based brand. |
| Best for | Solo builders and small teams maximizing free basic checks. | Small businesses that want one broad website-monitoring suite and will pay for coverage. |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is UptimeRobot or StatusCake better for free monitoring?
For raw free volume, UptimeRobot: 50 basic monitors versus StatusCake’s 10. For breadth, StatusCake Free also includes one SSL and one domain check plus a basic 7-day public status display, while UptimeRobot paywalls SSL, domain, DNS, heartbeat, and API monitoring. Decide whether you need count or wider website coverage.
What do UptimeRobot and StatusCake both charge for that others include?
SSL and domain-expiry monitoring on meaningful limits, DNS checks, and API monitoring with assertions all sit behind paid tiers at both vendors. PageLantern includes SSL, domain-expiry, and API-assertion checks on its free tier (15 monitors) and DNS checks from its $9/month Starter, which is the main reason to consider it as the third option.
Can I run a status page on both?
Yes. UptimeRobot’s free page keeps UptimeRobot branding. StatusCake offers a basic public display with 7 days of uptime, while subscribable, branded StatusCake Pages is separately priced. PageLantern status pages update from API assertions and heartbeat monitors too, with 1 page free and 3 on Starter.