Uptime Kuma time cost vs hosted StillOnline (calendar math)
Uptime Kuma is $0 in license and not free in evenings. Docker, TLS, upgrades, disk alerts, and “why is the monitor down?” when the monitor host reboots all eat founder hours.
StillOnline is hosted: you pay Pro when you need more URLs, not a second VPS. Compare feature lists in hosted vs Kuma; this article is time accounting only.
Quick answer
Self-hosting Kuma often costs 4–12+ founder hours upfront plus 1–3 h/month maintenance before you have a customer-safe link. StillOnline hosted path: ~15 minutes to health URL + check + public stillonline.tech/.../s/... on Free, then optional Telegram. StillOnline does not offer self-host. Choose Kuma when you already run 24/7 infra and need non-HTTP protocols.
Upfront hours (realistic ranges)
| Task | Self-host Kuma | StillOnline hosted |
|---|---|---|
| VM or home server ready | 1–4 h (if new) | 0 |
| Docker compose + persistence | 1–3 h | 0 |
| TLS + reverse proxy | 1–4 h | 0 |
| First public status URL for customers | 0.5–2 h | ~5 min (quickstart) |
| Mobile alert channel | 0.5–1 h | ~5 min (StillOnline bot) |
Teams without ops habit often spend a weekend before sharing a link in docs.
Recurring monthly cost
| Chore | Kuma (self) | StillOnline |
|---|---|---|
| Security updates / image bump | 0.5–2 h | 0 (vendor) |
| Backup restore test | 0.5 h | 0 |
| Disk full / cert expiry fire drill | 0–3 h | Rare on your app only |
| Adding second product URL | Config edit | Pro plan / UI |
At $50/h founder time, 2 h/month = $100/month—more than Pro $9 before counting VPS rent.
When Kuma still wins on time
- You already patch Docker weekly for other services.
- You need SNMP, ping, game ports—not just HTTP.
- Compliance demands data on your metal.
Otherwise HTTP-only SaaS on PaaS usually wins calendar time with hosted checks.
Migration without a big bang
- Stand up StillOnline parallel (checklist).
- Put the hosted link in customer docs.
- Keep Kuma internal until confidence is high.
- Decommission the monitor VM when alerts are quiet a month.
Compare vendors: StillOnline vs Uptime Kuma.
Related guides
- Hosted status page without self-hosting Kuma
- Health URL quickstart
- Public status page guide
- Best uptime monitoring indie 2026
FAQ
Is StillOnline cheaper than free Kuma?
License vs time + VPS. Kuma can be right if ops time is already sunk. For founders without a server habit, hosted usually saves calendar days.
Can I self-host StillOnline to save money?
No. StillOnline is hosted only at stillonline.tech. Use Kuma self-hosted or StillOnline hosted—do not wait for a self-host SKU.
How fast is the hosted path on StillOnline Free?
One project, one URL, 5-minute probes, public page—enough to validate before Pro. Quickstart.
Does StillOnline eliminate all ops time?
You still own app uptime and health URL design. StillOnline removes monitoring stack ops. Health endpoint design.
Telegram alerts on both stacks?
Kuma: roll your own bot token. StillOnline: official bot (guide), no BotFather.
What about Page Speed monitoring time?
Neither Kuma nor basic uptime covers PSI. StillOnline PageSpeed tab on Pro is separate: uptime vs page speed.