What is Better Stack?
Better Stack (formerly Better Uptime) is an incident management platform that combines uptime monitoring, on-call scheduling, and status pages. It's part of a broader suite including logs and infrastructure monitoring.
What is OnlineOrNot?
OnlineOrNot helps software teams monitor their websites, APIs, and cron jobs with 30-second checks from multiple global locations. When something goes wrong, you get alerted via Email, SMS, Slack, Discord, PagerDuty, or webhooks.
Every check runs from multiple locations before alerting, eliminating false positives. You get fast detection without the noise that plagues other monitoring tools.
Status pages are included on all paid plans, letting you keep customers informed during incidents. And when you need help, you email the founder directly - no ticket systems or tiered support.
Here's where OnlineOrNot takes a different approach:
1. Focused on detection over incident management
While Better Stack emphasizes incident response, on-call scheduling, and escalations, OnlineOrNot focuses on catching issues before they become incidents. Faster detection means fewer incidents to manage.
2. Simpler, more predictable pricing
OnlineOrNot uses simple per-check pricing at $2/check/month. No tiers to navigate, no feature gates. Compare the total cost for your specific monitor count to see which works better.
3. Bootstrapped and indie
Better Stack has taken VC funding and is building a broader platform. OnlineOrNot is bootstrapped, focused specifically on uptime monitoring, and will stay that way.
Compare Better Stack vs OnlineOrNot
| Feature | Better Stack | OnlineOrNot |
|---|---|---|
| Check frequency | 30 seconds (higher tiers) | 30 seconds on all plans |
| Pricing model | Per-monitor tiers | $2/check/month |
| False-alarm prevention | Multi-location | Multi-location |
| Cron job monitoring | Heartbeats included | Heartbeats included |
| Status pages | Included | Included |
| On-call scheduling | Built-in | Integrates with PagerDuty/Opsgenie |
| Log aggregation | Separate product | Not included (use specialized tools) |
| Company type | VC-backed startup | Bootstrapped, indie |
| Support | Team support | Direct founder access |
How OnlineOrNot improves reliability
Built for speed
30-second checks mean you catch issues 2x faster than tools with 60-second minimums. Multi-location verification eliminates false positives while maintaining fast detection. You get instant notifications via Slack, Discord, PagerDuty, SMS, or email.
Complete monitoring in one place
Monitor websites, APIs, cron jobs, and heartbeats from one dashboard. No need to piece together multiple tools or pay for features separately. SSL certificate expiry tracking is included on every check.
Status pages included
Keep your customers informed with beautiful, customizable status pages. Hosted on your domain with your branding, included on all paid plans. Subscribers get automatic notifications when incidents are created or resolved.
Direct founder support
When you need help, you email the founder directly. No ticket systems, no tiered support levels, no waiting days for a response. Most questions get answered within hours.
The migration process
Here's a proven process for successfully migrating to OnlineOrNot:
1. Sign up for free
Create your OnlineOrNot account with a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. Explore the dashboard and see how it works.
2. Add your critical monitors
Start with your most important endpoints. Add a handful of uptime checks for your core URLs, APIs, and any cron jobs you need to track.
3. Run in parallel
Run OnlineOrNot alongside your current tool for 1-2 weeks. Compare alert quality, response times, and overall experience.
4. Migrate fully
Once you're confident, move all your monitors to OnlineOrNot. Our team offers white-glove migration support - just email the founder directly.
5. Decommission the old tool
Cancel your old monitoring subscription. You'll likely save money while getting faster, more reliable monitoring.
Need to pitch OnlineOrNot to your bosses?
Here are the key points to help you get stakeholder buy-in:
"We'll catch issues before customers report them"
30-second monitoring means we detect outages 2x faster than most alternatives. Multi-location verification ensures we only get real alerts, not false positives.
"We're going to save money"
OnlineOrNot's transparent per-check pricing is often cheaper than per-monitor or tiered pricing models. No surprise overages or hidden fees.
"We get everything we need in one tool"
Uptime monitoring, cron job tracking, API monitoring, and status pages all in one place. No need to manage multiple subscriptions or piece together different tools.
"We can actually get support when we need it"
Direct access to the founder via email. No ticket systems, no tiered support, no waiting days for a response.