Uptime Kuma vs UptimeRobot

Kuma is what you install when you do not want a SaaS bill. UptimeRobot is what you open when you do not want a Docker host. Both will ping HTTP. Only one is still up if your only server is the one that just died.

Side by side

Topic	Uptime Kuma	UptimeRobot
Best for	People who already self-host, want many monitor types, and accept that the checker is another box they own.	Teams that want a lot of URL checks, keyword monitors, and a familiar status page without a sales call.
Not for	Founders who did not want another container, or who need a status URL that stays up when their VPS does not.	Anyone who needs browser transactions, APM, or a status page that can be overwritten when HTTP is lying.
Hosting	Self-hosted	Hosted
What it checks	HTTP, keyword, TCP, DNS, Docker, push/heartbeats, and more — depending on how you configure it.	HTTP(S), ping, port, keyword, and heartbeat checks. Free tier is 5-minute intervals.
Status page	You can expose a status page from the same instance. It lives where you deployed it.	Hosted public status pages, custom domains on paid plans.
Alerts	Huge list of notification backends if you configure them.	Email, SMS, Slack, Telegram, Discord, webhooks, and more.
Complexity	Simple software, operationally yours.	Simple
Pricing shape	Free software. You pay the VPS, the backups, and the time.	Free tier, then inexpensive paid plans as monitor count grows.

What Uptime Kuma is

The open-source Docker monitor you run yourself. Free, flexible, and yours to keep online. People who already self-host, want many monitor types, and accept that the checker is another box they own. Founders who did not want another container, or who need a status URL that stays up when their VPS does not.

What UptimeRobot is

The default cheap HTTP monitor: many checks, a status page, and a free tier people actually use. Teams that want a lot of URL checks, keyword monitors, and a familiar status page without a sales call. Anyone who needs browser transactions, APM, or a status page that can be overwritten when HTTP is lying.

The actual split

Uptime Kuma is self-hosted. UptimeRobot is hosted. That is the first fork — who owns the checker when your own network is the thing on fire.

Who should pick which

Uptime Kuma: People who already self-host, want many monitor types, and accept that the checker is another box they own.
UptimeRobot: Teams that want a lot of URL checks, keyword monitors, and a familiar status page without a sales call.