Both are excellent monitoring solutions. Uptime Kuma excels for self-hosters who want full control. UptimeKarma is built for teams who want monitoring that just works, without the infrastructure hassle.
| Feature | UptimeKarma | Uptime Kuma |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Cloud-based (managed) | Self-hosted (you manage) |
| Setup Time | 30 seconds | 30-60 minutes (server setup) |
| Infrastructure Management | None (we handle it) | Full responsibility |
| Automatic Updates | ✓ Automatic | Manual updates required |
| Security Scanning | ✓ Built-in (API keys, headers, DNS) | Not included |
| Uptime Monitoring | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SSL Certificate Monitoring | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Status Pages | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Multi-user Teams | ✓ Built-in | Limited (login sharing) |
| Scalability | Unlimited (auto-scaling) | Limited by your server |
| Maintenance | Zero (we handle it) | Regular server maintenance |
| Backup & Disaster Recovery | ✓ Automatic | You must configure |
| Cost (5 monitors) | Free | $5-20/month (VPS costs) |
| Best For | Teams, businesses, hassle-free monitoring | Self-hosters, full control, privacy-focused |
No hidden costs. No server management. No maintenance time.
Plus ongoing server maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting time.
We make it easy to switch. Import your monitors in minutes.
Use Uptime Kuma's built-in backup feature to export your monitors as JSON.
Create your free account in 30 seconds.
Copy your monitor URLs and settings. Our simple UI makes it quick to recreate them.
Run both systems in parallel for a few days to ensure everything works perfectly.
Absolutely! Many users run Uptime Kuma for internal monitoring and UptimeKarma for external monitoring and security scanning. They complement each other well.
Yes. We encrypt all data in transit and at rest, use secure databases, and follow industry best practices. However, if you need data to never leave your infrastructure, Uptime Kuma is the better choice.
UptimeKarma includes automated security scanning (exposed API keys, security headers, DNS configuration, email deliverability), managed infrastructure, automatic backups, and built-in team collaboration features.
Not currently. UptimeKarma is cloud-based only. If self-hosting is a requirement, Uptime Kuma is your best option.
UptimeKarma: 30 seconds to start monitoring. Uptime Kuma: 30-60 minutes (provision server, install Docker, configure Uptime Kuma, set up reverse proxy, SSL, etc.)
Start monitoring in 30 seconds. No credit card required.
Get Started FreeFree plan includes 5 monitors. Upgrade anytime.