Better Stack Free for indie founders — when it is enough
Better Stack (formerly Better Uptime) bundles monitoring, status pages, and a wide product surface. The Free tier is generous on monitor count — many teams stay there for years.
StillOnline targets a narrower job: HTTP checks, public status page, and incidents in minutes, RU/EN, MCP on Pro, and Telegram via one StillOnline bot — without navigating a full observability suite. This guide helps you decide when Better Stack Free is enough and when a focused tool saves a weekend.
Full comparison: StillOnline vs Better Stack.
Quick answer
Better Stack Free suits teams already inside their ecosystem who want many monitors. StillOnline Free is narrower: one HTTP check, a hosted public status page, and owner alerts via the StillOnline bot — live in minutes without learning a full observability suite. Pick one owner alert channel per production URL to avoid duplicate noise.
Better Stack Free — good fit when
Better Stack shines when you already pay attention to their broader product, not only uptime.
- You already live in Better Stack for logs or incident management.
- You need many monitors on day one within their free caps.
- You are fine learning their UI breadth over time.
Friction indie founders report
These are common reasons founders look for a slimmer alternative while staying on Better Stack for logs.
- Product is wide — status page is one tab among many.
- Extra status pages or features can push you toward paid tiers faster than expected.
- You wanted only a public status page and external probe, not a platform evaluation.
StillOnline — good fit when
StillOnline optimizes time-to-trust-link, not feature count on day one.
- Time-to-public
/s/...link matters — public status page guide. - You want Google subscribers on the page without extra setup.
- You wire AI agents via MCP on Pro — MCP post.
- You prefer Telegram: link the StillOnline bot in settings — Telegram guide (no webhook URL paste for owners).
Side-by-side (conceptual)
Numbers change on vendor pricing pages — verify before you commit.
| Better Stack Free | StillOnline Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Monitoring platform | Status page + checks |
| Setup goal | Explore product | Public status page same day |
| Owner Telegram | Configure in BS | Official StillOnline bot |
| Compare | — | vs Better Stack |
Pragmatic approach
You do not have to standardize on one vendor — many teams pick one tool for on-call per URL.
- Try StillOnline Free with one production health URL — quickstart.
- Keep Better Stack if you use logs there; avoid duplicating owner alerts on both for the same hostname.
- Pick one owner alert channel per tool — Telegram bot or email.
Roundup: best uptime monitoring indie 2026.
Related guides
FAQ
Can I run Better Stack and StillOnline on the same production URL?
You can, but duplicate owner alerts on one URL create noise. Pick one tool for on-call on that hostname and use the other read-only or for a different service. StillOnline Free is one project, one URL — Pricing.
Is StillOnline a Better Stack alternative for indie SaaS?
For minimal status page plus external HTTP checks, yes: hosted /s/..., incidents, and Telegram via the StillOnline bot. For logs and APM, keep Better Stack or another stack. Compare StillOnline vs Better Stack.
What are StillOnline Free limits vs Better Stack Free?
StillOnline Free: one project, one URL, public status page by default, one owner alert channel (email, Telegram, or Slack). Verify Better Stack caps on their pricing page. Indie path: health check quickstart.
When should I pay for StillOnline Pro instead of staying on Better Stack Free?
Upgrade StillOnline when you need a private status page, more checks, or incident API from CI — REST guide. Compare feature lists on Pricing and Better Stack’s site.
How do StillOnline Telegram alerts compare to Better Stack notifications?
StillOnline links one official StillOnline bot from settings — Telegram guide. Better Stack uses its own notification setup inside their product.
Which tool should own my public status page link for customers?
Pick one canonical /s/... or Better Stack page URL and put it in docs and contracts. Splitting customer-facing links confuses support during incidents — public status page guide.