Free uptime monitoring sounds great until you hit the limits. Here is what actually works in 2026.
The Contenders
- OwlPulse (5 monitors free)
- UptimeRobot (5 monitors free)
- StatusCake (10 monitors free)
- Uptime Kuma (self-hosted, unlimited)
- Pulsetic (varies)
What Matters
- Check interval - Free tiers often limit to 5+ minutes
- Alert channels - Email is not enough
- Commercial use - Many free tiers ban it
- Reliability - Free does not mean reliable
The Verdict
OwlPulse for cloud. 5 free monitors, 1-minute checks, commercial allowed.
Uptime Kuma for self-hosted. Unlimited monitors if you have a server.
What do you use? Drop a comment.
Try OwlPulse at owlpulse.org
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