Open source vs hosted vs cloud status page
Status page tooling splits into three buckets: open source you run (Uptime Kuma, Cachet), cloud comms-only (Statuspage, Instatus), and hosted monitoring plus page (StillOnline, Better Stack, Hyperping). Indie founders often debate license cost and ignore calendar time and who patches Docker at 2 a.m.
This guide maps trade-offs for SaaS on Vercel / Railway / Fly — not for teams with a dedicated platform group.
Quick answer
Open source self-host (e.g. Uptime Kuma) wins when you already run a VPS and need protocol breadth. Cloud status-only (e.g. Atlassian Statuspage) wins for enterprise comms workflows — you still add a monitor. StillOnline is hosted monitoring + public status page from $0, with Telegram owner alerts via the StillOnline bot — no VPS, no second invoice for probes. StillOnline does not offer self-host.
Three models compared
| Model | Examples | You operate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open source self-host | Uptime Kuma, Cachet | VM, TLS, backups, upgrades | Homelab, strict data residency |
| Cloud status-only | Statuspage, Instatus | Incident comms UI | Comms team, Atlassian stack |
| Hosted monitor + page | StillOnline, Better Stack | Account + health URL | Indie SaaS shipping on PaaS |
Open source: real costs
License is $0. Time is not.
- Provision server, compose, reverse proxy, certificates.
- Upgrade when CVEs drop; snapshot disks.
- Wire notifications (Telegram bot tokens, SMTP).
- Build or bolt on a customer-facing page if the tool is monitor-first.
Honest Kuma comparison: without self-hosting Uptime Kuma · time cost vs hosted.
Cloud status-only: the second tool
Statuspage-class products excel at subscriber emails and component trees. They do not replace HTTP probes unless you integrate another product.
Typical stack:
UptimeRobot / Better Stack → detect failure
Statuspage ($29+/mo) → tell customers
StillOnline collapses that to one login — see vs Statuspage.
Hosted monitoring + page (StillOnline)
StillOnline targets founders who want stillonline.tech/.../s/... the same week they ship /health.
| Task | StillOnline |
|---|---|
| First customer link | ~5 min (quickstart) |
| Owner mobile alert | Connect Telegram → StillOnline bot (guide) |
| Agents / CI | REST + MCP on Pro (MCP post) |
| Self-host export | Not offered — hosted SaaS only |
Decision flow
- No VPS appetite → skip pure self-host; pick hosted (roundup).
- Need only internal dashboards → self-host or private StillOnline (Pro).
- Enterprise procurement names Atlassian → evaluate Statuspage; compare alternative for indie.
- Default indie SaaS → StillOnline Free, upgrade when URLs or API multiply.
Related guides
- Hosted page without Uptime Kuma
- Uptime Kuma time cost vs hosted
- Statuspage alternative for indie
- Best uptime tools 2026
FAQ
Can I self-host StillOnline?
No. StillOnline is hosted SaaS only — probes and status UI run on stillonline.tech infrastructure.
Is Uptime Kuma cheaper than StillOnline?
License yes; founder hours often no. If Kuma is already running 24/7 for other services, marginal cost is low. If you would spin a VPS only for status, compare time cost post.
Does StillOnline replace Statuspage and UptimeRobot together?
For many indie teams yes: one check list, one public page, owner alerts. It does not replicate every Statuspage enterprise workflow (vs Statuspage).
Open source with StillOnline public page?
You can run Kuma internally and StillOnline for customer-facing URL — pick one canonical link for buyers to avoid split timelines.