Comparison

UptimeSignal vs Better Uptime

Better Uptime (now Better Stack) bundles monitoring with incident management and on-call scheduling. If you just need monitoring and status pages, UptimeSignal is simpler and costs 90% less for teams.

The short version

Better Uptime is an all-in-one platform for monitoring, incident management, and on-call scheduling. UptimeSignal focuses on monitoring and status pages only.

  • Choose Better Uptime if you need incident management with on-call scheduling and escalation policies
  • Choose UptimeSignal if you need monitoring + status pages without the complexity

Feature Comparison

Feature UptimeSignal Better Uptime
Product focus Monitoring + Status All-in-one platform
Monthly price $15 flat $29/responder
5-person team cost $15/mo $145/mo
Free tier monitors 25 10
Paid monitors Unlimited 50 + add-ons
Check interval (paid) 1 minute 30 seconds
Status pages Unlimited free 1 free, then paid
Custom domain Pro ($15) Paid
Incident management No Yes
On-call scheduling No Yes
Escalation policies No Yes
SMS/phone alerts No (email only) Unlimited
Slack integration Coming soon Yes
API Coming soon Yes

Pricing Breakdown

Better Uptime uses per-responder pricing. A "responder" is any team member who can receive alerts and manage incidents. This adds up quickly for teams.

Solo developer 1 responder
UptimeSignal: $15/mo Better Uptime: $29/mo

Save $14/month with UptimeSignal

Small team 3 responders
UptimeSignal: $15/mo Better Uptime: $87/mo

Save $72/month (83%) with UptimeSignal

Growing team 5 responders
UptimeSignal: $15/mo Better Uptime: $145/mo

Save $130/month (90%) with UptimeSignal

Larger team 10 responders
UptimeSignal: $15/mo Better Uptime: $290/mo

Save $275/month (95%) with UptimeSignal

Note: Better Uptime pricing shown is for annual billing ($29/mo). Monthly billing is $34/responder. Monitor add-ons are extra ($21/mo per 50 monitors).

What Better Uptime Does Well

Better Uptime (now Better Stack) is a well-designed platform. Here's where it shines:

Where UptimeSignal Wins

90% cheaper for teams

Better Uptime's per-responder pricing scales linearly with team size. A 5-person team pays $145/month. UptimeSignal is $15/month flat—no matter how many people need access. You save $1,560/year.

No complexity you don't need

If you already use PagerDuty, Opsgenie, or your own incident tooling, Better Uptime's incident management is redundant. UptimeSignal gives you monitoring + status pages without forcing you into a workflow you won't use.

Unlimited monitors on Pro

Better Uptime includes 50 monitors in the base price, then charges $21/month per additional 50 monitors. UptimeSignal Pro includes unlimited monitors for $15/month total.

Unlimited status pages (even on free)

Better Uptime includes 1 status page on free, additional pages require paid plans. UptimeSignal includes unlimited status pages on every plan, including free.

More generous free tier

UptimeSignal's free tier includes 25 monitors (vs 10) and unlimited status pages (vs 1). Better for validating before committing to a paid plan.

When to Choose Better Uptime

  • You need incident management with on-call scheduling
  • You want phone/SMS alerts for critical incidents
  • You prefer an all-in-one platform over separate tools
  • You need escalation policies and team rotations
  • You need sub-minute check intervals
  • Budget isn't a primary concern

When to Choose UptimeSignal

  • You just need monitoring + status pages
  • You already have PagerDuty, Opsgenie, or similar
  • You want predictable flat-rate pricing
  • You're a solo developer or small team
  • You need unlimited monitors without add-on costs
  • You want to start free and scale when ready

Migrating from Better Uptime

Switching from Better Uptime to UptimeSignal is straightforward. Here's the process:

1

Export your monitor list

In Better Uptime, go to Settings and export your monitors. Note the URLs, expected status codes, and any custom headers.

2

Sign up for UptimeSignal

Create your free account. No credit card required. You get 25 monitors immediately.

3

Add your monitors

Add each endpoint to UptimeSignal. Configure the same URLs, headers, and expected responses.

4

Create your status page

Set up your public status page with the same components. Configure your custom domain if needed.

5

Run in parallel, then switch

Run both services for a week to ensure coverage. Once confident, cancel Better Uptime and update your status page DNS.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does UptimeSignal compare to Better Uptime pricing?

UptimeSignal costs $15/month for unlimited monitors and status pages. Better Uptime charges $29/month per responder, so a 5-person team costs $145/month. UptimeSignal's flat pricing makes it significantly cheaper for teams of any size.

What's the difference between Better Uptime and UptimeSignal?

Better Uptime is an all-in-one platform that bundles monitoring with incident management, on-call scheduling, and escalation policies. UptimeSignal focuses on monitoring and status pages without the incident management complexity. If you already have incident tooling like PagerDuty or Opsgenie, UptimeSignal is simpler and cheaper.

Can I migrate from Better Uptime to UptimeSignal?

Yes. Export your monitor list from Better Uptime, then add them to UptimeSignal. You can run both in parallel during migration to ensure continuity.

Does UptimeSignal have incident management like Better Uptime?

No. UptimeSignal intentionally does not include incident management, on-call scheduling, or escalation policies. This keeps the product simpler and cheaper. If you need those features, Better Uptime or a dedicated tool like PagerDuty may be better suited.

Does UptimeSignal have status pages like Better Uptime?

Yes. UptimeSignal includes unlimited public status pages on the free tier. Status pages automatically reflect your monitor status and support custom domains on Pro. Better Uptime also offers status pages, but they're tied to their responder pricing.

Is Better Uptime the same as Better Stack?

Yes. Better Uptime was rebranded to Better Stack in 2023. The uptime monitoring product is now called "Better Stack Uptime" and is part of the broader Better Stack platform that includes logs, metrics, and incident management.

Try UptimeSignal free

25 monitors, unlimited status pages, no incident management complexity. Just monitoring that works.

Start monitoring free →

No credit card required. Upgrade to Pro for $15/month when you're ready.

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