Uptime Kuma
Self-hosted, open-source monitoring tool with a modern web dashboard. Tracks uptime, latency, and outages for HTTP(S), TCP, DNS, ICMP, and more, with 90+ notification integrations and built-in status pages.
Use Cases
Free Tier
100% free and open-source — no cloud service, no account, no limits, no trials.
How to Maximize the Free Tier
Since it’s self-hosted, there are no vendor limits. Deploy on a free-tier VM (Oracle Cloud Free Tier, Google Cloud e2-micro, or a Raspberry Pi) to keep costs at zero. Monitor unlimited endpoints, configure status pages for public sharing, and set up alerts via Telegram, Discord, email, or Slack. Keep monitoring intervals above 60 seconds to stay within free CPU quotas. For reliability, run a second instance on a different provider and cross-check results.
Getting Started
1) Install Node.js 18+ and Git. 2) Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma.git && cd uptime-kuma && npm install. 3) Run npm start — the web UI opens on port 3001. 4) Create an admin account. 5) Click Add New Monitor, choose HTTP(s), enter your URL, set check interval. 6) Save and view the live dashboard. 7) Optionally set up a status page under Status Pages and configure notifications under Settings.
Pros
- Zero cost: Fully open-source (MIT license), no paid tiers, no feature gates — everything free forever.
- Self-hosted privacy: All monitoring data stays on your server; no third-party cloud processing or data sharing.
- Feature-rich: Includes status pages, SSL checks, HTTP keyword validation, and 90+ notification integrations.
Cons
- Maintenance burden: You must update the software, handle server security, and ensure uptime yourself — no managed SLA.
- Requires infrastructure: Needs a server or always-on device; if your host goes down, monitoring goes down with it.
- Steeper setup: More technical to install than SaaS tools — requires command-line familiarity and server management.