UptimeWire vs Uptime Kuma

Uptime Kuma and UptimeWire both tell you when a website stops working. The real difference is who runs the monitor.

Uptime Kuma is open-source software. You install it on a server you control, and you look after it. UptimeWire is a hosted service. You sign in, add a website, and the monitoring runs on our side.

This page is written by UptimeWire, so read it with that in mind. For many technical teams, running their own monitor is a good choice, and we say where.

Quick comparison

Who is responsible for what

This is the heart of the choice.

With Uptime Kuma, you are responsible for:

• The server. Its install guide describes running it in Docker or with Node.js 20.4 or later. It stores data in a database, SQLite by default, or MariaDB in version 2.
• Updates. The update guide describes pulling a new image or fetching a new version and restarting. We found no automatic update in the documentation. Its security policy tells you to run the latest version, and fixes arrive as new releases.
• Backups. The documentation says to stop the program and copy its data folder. If the disk is lost and you have no copy, your monitors and history go with it.
• Access and encryption. If you want to reach it over https or put it behind a login or a firewall, you set that up.
• Watching the watcher. If the server that runs Uptime Kuma goes down, it cannot tell you. We found no official guidance on this. Teams usually add a second, independent check for the monitor itself.

With UptimeWire, we are responsible for running the monitoring, applying updates, and keeping the service available. You are responsible for the websites you add and the people you choose to alert.

What each one checks

UptimeWire adds one website at a time. A website is one exact address, such as https://example.com/. Each website gets four checks:

1. Uptime: an HTTP request to the address on a schedule.
2. SSL certificate: whether the certificate is valid and when it expires.
3. Domain expiration: when the domain registration ends, where the registry publishes it.
4. DNS resolution: whether the name resolves to a public address.

You do not choose the checks, and you cannot add other kinds. See what the checks do.

Uptime Kuma is a toolbox. Its README lists HTTP(S), keyword, JSON query, TCP, ping, DNS record, push (a heartbeat your own job sends), Docker container, and other monitor types. It can warn you before a TLS certificate expires, with the number of days set in its settings. It can also warn before a domain expires. Its release notes say this works for domain endings whose registry supports a lookup standard called RDAP, so check yours.

If you want to watch a cron job, a database port, or a container, Uptime Kuma does that and UptimeWire does not.

Intervals and false alerts

Uptime Kuma lets you set the check interval and the number of retries before a monitor is marked down. Its interface warns that intervals under 20 seconds may cause poor performance. We did not find a fixed shortest interval in its documentation.

UptimeWire's shortest interval is 1 minute on Business and Agency, 3 minutes on Starter, and 5 minutes on Free. An incident opens after three failed checks in a row, 20 seconds apart.

Where a check runs from matters. A regular Uptime Kuma monitor checks from the machine that hosts it, and we found no multi-location option for regular monitors in the documentation. That is our reading of the documentation, not a statement from the project. If your server and your website share a network, a network problem can hide the same failure from both. UptimeWire's paid plans check from several locations (2 on Starter, 3 on Business, 5 on Agency), and you cannot pick them. See why alerts turn out to be false.

Alerts

Uptime Kuma's README says it supports 90+ notification services, including Telegram, Discord, Slack, Pushover, and email through your own mail server. You supply the keys and the mail server.

UptimeWire sends email and Telegram on every plan. Webhook and Discord start on Starter. Slack and Microsoft Teams start on Business. Email and Telegram carry outage, recovery, certificate, domain, and DNS alerts. The other channels carry outage and recovery only. SMS and push are not available yet.

Status pages

Uptime Kuma supports more than one status page, a custom domain for each, and maintenance windows that pause alerts and show a notice. UptimeWire has no status page on Free and 2, 5, or 25 on the paid plans. It does not support incident posts or subscribers. If your status page needs are simple and you want to run everything yourself, Uptime Kuma is a fair match.

Cost

The software is free. The rest depends on your choices, so we give no totals.

• Self-hosting: a server or a share of one, a domain name if you want one, backup storage, and the hours you spend setting up, updating, and fixing it. A small existing server may cost you little. A new server bought only for monitoring is a real line in the budget.
• UptimeWire: the plan price. The Free plan covers one website. Starter is $19 a month or $190 a year for 10 websites. See the pricing page.

We did not find an official hosted version of Uptime Kuma. Some outside companies offer hosting for it. They are not part of the project and we have not reviewed them.

When UptimeWire is a good fit

• You want to add a website and get on with your work, without a server to look after.
• You want certificate, domain, and DNS checks on every website without choosing monitor types.
• Nobody on your team wants to own another service.
• You monitor client websites and want a ready-made report and status page on paid plans.

When Uptime Kuma may be the better fit

• You are comfortable running Docker and want full control of the data and where it lives.
• You need monitor types UptimeWire does not have: ports, containers, heartbeats from your own jobs, JSON checks.
• You already run a server that has room for it, so the extra cost is small.
• You want a long list of notification services and no limits set by a plan.
• You want to change the software, or to watch internal systems that an outside service cannot reach.

Final assessment

Neither choice is better for everyone.

Choose Uptime Kuma if you want control and breadth and you are willing to run it, patch it, back it up, and check on it.

Choose UptimeWire if you want a managed service for websites, with four checks on each one, and you accept a narrower product.

A common middle path is to use both. Run Uptime Kuma for internal systems and UptimeWire for the public websites.

Frequently asked questions

Is Uptime Kuma really free?

The software is free and open source under the MIT license. Running it is not free. It needs a server and your time for updates and backups.

Can UptimeWire replace Uptime Kuma?

For public websites, often yes. For ports, containers, heartbeats, and internal services, no. UptimeWire watches websites only.

What happens if my Uptime Kuma server goes down?

It stops monitoring, and it cannot warn you. Many people add a second, independent check on the monitor itself.

Does Uptime Kuma have a hosted version?

We did not find an official one. Third parties offer hosting. They are not part of the project.

Does UptimeWire need anything installed?

No. You add a website in your browser. Nothing runs on your side.