StillOnline?

Which uptime monitoring tools have transparent pricing without hidden limits?

You open a pricing page that says "free forever" and pay $40 two months later because SMS credits, a second status page, and commercial-use rules were buried in the help center. Transparent uptime monitoring pricing means you can predict the all-in monthly bill before you add a client site or a stakeholder status page. After this guide you will compare six tools on real limits, run a fine-print audit, and pick a $0 to $30/mo plan without surprise overages.

Quick answer

Transparent pricing is not the lowest headline dollar — it is predictable all-in cost for monitoring plus status pages plus commercial use. UptimeRobot Free offers 50 monitors but bans revenue sites since Dec 2024. StillOnline ($0/$9/$29), Pulsetic Solo ($9), and StatusCake Free allow commercial use on entry tiers. Better Stack pricing lists +$12–15/mo per extra status page and $42–50/mo for password gates — headline $0 stacks fast. Use the comparison table and 12-point checklist below before annual billing.

Uptime monitoring pings your URL on a schedule; a status page shows that health history to customers. Transparent pricing means you know what counts (monitors vs projects vs URLs), whether free tiers allow revenue sites, and what status pages cost before the first upgrade.

What transparent pricing means for indie teams

Headline $/mo is marketing. All-in price covers prod URL, status page, commercial clients, and check interval.

Do: list what you monitor (one SaaS prod, freelance portfolio, or 5–10 client URLs) and whether each site earns revenue. Do not: compare by free monitor count alone — UptimeRobot's 50 monitors skip paying startups on Free.

Vendors count differently: monitors (one URL check), projects (URLs plus status page — StillOnline model), or status pages sold as add-ons.

All-in formula: base plan → status page add-on → SMS → extra monitors/seats → 12-month forecast.

Comparison: UptimeRobot, StatusCake, Better Stack, OnlineOrNot, Pulsetic, StillOnline

Vendor pricing pages, June 2026. Confirm before procurement.

ToolFree tier (headline)Commercial use on free?Entry paid (uptime + status)What grows when you add a clientFine-print flag
UptimeRobot50 monitors, 5 min, 1 basic status pageNo — personal, OSS, edu, nonprofit onlySolo $9/mo (10 monitors, 60s)Monitor countFree non-commercial; SMS extra
StatusCake10 monitors, 5 minYesSuperior from €16.66/mo annual (100 monitors, 1 min)Monitor count1-min needs paid tier
Better Stack10 monitors + 1 status pageYes (verify ToS for your case)Responder $29/mo annual+$12–15/page; +$21–25/50 monitorsPassword page $42–50/mo add-on
OnlineOrNot3 monitors, 3 min, 2 usersYesFrom $15/mo (10 monitors)+$10 per 25 extra monitorsHobby tier too small for portfolios
Pulsetic10 monitors, 5 min, 3 status pagesYesSolo $9/mo flat+$0.20/monitorSMS add-ons apply
StillOnline1 project, 1 URL, 5 min, public status page, 24h historyYes — B2B public status allowedPro $9/mo (10 projects, 10 URLs, private status, API/MCP)Project/URL capsNot 50 monitors; Ultimate $29 for scale

Verdict: StillOnline Pro or Pulsetic Solo at $9/mo for bundled status without add-on math. StatusCake/Pulsetic Free for commercial sites under 10 monitors. UptimeRobot Solo only after accepting non-commercial Free rules. Do not trust Better Stack's $0 headline for multiple status pages — Better Stack pricing lists page and monitor add-ons separately.

Hidden limits that break "transparent" pricing

These clauses turn a $9 headline into $50+ when SMS, seats, or a second status page were not in the hero copy.

Do: walk this list before annual billing. Do not: treat "unlimited monitors" as unlimited everything.

  1. Free tier allows commercial use for client or revenue sites?
  2. Headline price includes a status page or is it an add-on?
  3. Check interval on your plan meets SLA (5 min vs 1 min)?
  4. Vendor counts monitors or projects/URLs when you onboard a new client?
  5. SMS/phone included or per-credit (UptimeRobot, Pulsetic)?
  6. Notify seats vs login seats — do you pay per person who gets alerts?
  7. Cost of a second status page (Better Stack ~$15, UptimeRobot tier jump)?
  8. Private or password status included or expensive add-on (Better Stack $42–50/page)?
  9. Per-monitor overage (OnlineOrNot +$10/25, Pulsetic +$0.20)?
  10. Annual vs monthly — is the discount locked for year one only?
  11. Data retention on free (StillOnline 24h vs UptimeRobot 3 months)?
  12. API/MCP behind paywall (StillOnline Pro+)?

Freelance portfolio math (5 client sites)

Five commercial client sites that each need checks plus a status page:

Scenario: 5 commercial client sitesRealistic monthly all-inNotes
UptimeRobot FreeNot allowedNeed Solo $9+
StatusCake Free$010 monitors, 5-min only
Pulsetic Free$010 monitors, 3 pages
StillOnline Pro$910 projects, bundled status
OnlineOrNot paid$15+10 monitors; +$10/25 extra
Better Stack Responder$29++$12–15 per extra page

Do: charge clients a monitoring line item once you exceed free caps. Do not: run revenue URLs on UptimeRobot Free since the Dec 2024 ToS change.

When flat Pro beats usage-based pricing

Usage-based tools (per monitor, per SMS) work at tiny scale but punish growth. Do: pick flat tiers (StillOnline Pro, Pulsetic Solo at $9) for one invoice covering status plus checks. Do not: choose Better Stack or OnlineOrNot on headline price if you need multiple status pages or 1-minute checks everywhere.

StillOnline trades monitor volume for predictable project pricing — honest weakness vs UptimeRobot's 50-free headline. Ultimate ($29) scales to 100 projects and 25 URLs. See which StillOnline plan fits when you outgrow one URL.

Pick a plan without surprise overages

Workflow before you enter a card number:

  1. Inventory URLs — prod, staging, each commercial client site.
  2. Check commercial ToS on vendor help, not only the pricing hero.
  3. Define SLA interval — 5 min vs 1 min for prod.
  4. Count status pages — public, per-client, or private stakeholder.
  5. Fill the comparison table with your highlights.
  6. Run the 12-point checklist — flag "no" answers for finance.
  7. Forecast 12 months with SMS, seats, add-ons.
  8. Document the choice in onboarding and alert channels.

Start StillOnline Free for one commercial prod URL. Upgrade at Pro $9/mo for more URLs or private status. Map projects in the dashboard before migrating clients.

Do: re-run the checklist at client #6. Do not: promise custom status domains — StillOnline hosts the URL on stillonline.tech/{locale}/s/{id} in v1.

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FAQ

Can I use StillOnline Free for a commercial SaaS or freelance client site?

Yes for one prod URL with a public status page. B2B commercial use is allowed on Free. Upgrade to Pro ($9/mo) for more URLs, private status, or API/MCP access.

Is UptimeRobot Free still OK for my startup?

Only for non-commercial sites (personal, OSS, edu, nonprofit). Revenue products need Solo ($9/mo)+ since Dec 2024. See official Help before relying on 50 free monitors.

StillOnline Pro vs Ultimate — when should I upgrade?

Pro until you exceed 10 projects/10 URLs or need sub-5-minute checks. Ultimate ($29/mo) gives 100 projects and 25 URLs. Details in pricing guide.

Which tool has the most transparent bundled status page pricing?

StillOnline Pro and Pulsetic Solo at $9/mo flat. Better Stack needs Responder ($29/mo) plus page add-ons per their pricing page.

Does StatusCake free work for agency client monitoring?

Yes for 10 commercial monitors at 5 min. Superior (from €16.66/mo) for 1-min or 100 monitors.

What hidden cost bites freelancers most?

UptimeRobot Free bans revenue sites — you pay Solo/Team or switch to StatusCake, Pulsetic, or StillOnline. Read UptimeRobot commercial alternatives.

Does StillOnline include custom domains on status pages?

No. StillOnline hosts status URLs on stillonline.tech/{locale}/s/{id}. Disclose early in security reviews; compare Pulsetic or StatusCake if a custom subdomain is mandatory.

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