Instatus vs Uptime Kuma: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Instatus and Uptime Kuma? Both are popular status pages & uptime tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
Both Instatus and Uptime Kuma are strong status pages & uptime choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences. In our catalog, Uptime Kuma rates slightly higher (4.7 vs 4.5 out of 5).
Instatus vs Uptime Kuma — Side by Side
| Instatus | Uptime Kuma | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Status Pages & Uptime | Status Pages & Uptime |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $20/mo | Free |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Best for | Status Pages & Uptime — status-page, uptime | Status Pages & Uptime — uptime, monitoring |
Pros & Cons
- Status page and uptime monitoring in one bill
- A branded page on your domain for $20
- Fast, clean pages out of the box
- 15× price jump from Pro to Business
- Private pages and SSO only on the $300 tier
- Smaller integration catalogue than Statuspage
- Free and unlimited, with no per-monitor pricing
- Runs on the smallest VPS you can buy
- Polished UI for a self-hosted tool
- You own its uptime, which is the one thing a monitor must have
- Checks from one location only unless you run several instances
- No subscriber email notifications like a hosted status page
Key Features Compared
Instatus
- Custom domain
- 50 monitors, 30-second checks
- 5,000 subscribers
- 50 team members
Uptime Kuma
- Unlimited monitors, 20-second minimum interval
- Multiple status pages on custom domains
- 90+ notification integrations
- Single Docker container
Choose Instatus if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Status page and uptime monitoring in one bill
- A branded page on your domain for $20
- Fast, clean pages out of the box
Choose Uptime Kuma if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Free and unlimited, with no per-monitor pricing
- Runs on the smallest VPS you can buy
- Polished UI for a self-hosted tool
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Instatus better than Uptime Kuma?⌄
Both Instatus and Uptime Kuma are strong status pages & uptime choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences. In our catalog, Uptime Kuma rates slightly higher (4.7 vs 4.5 out of 5).
What is the difference between Instatus and Uptime Kuma?⌄
Instatus — A fast, affordable Statuspage alternative with monitoring included. It costs $20/month for a custom domain, but the next tier up is $300. Uptime Kuma — Self-hosted uptime monitoring and status pages. It is MIT-licensed, has about 92k GitHub stars and supports 90+ notification channels. Both are status pages & uptime tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Instatus vs Uptime Kuma: which is cheaper?⌄
Instatus pricing: Free · paid from $20/mo. Uptime Kuma pricing: Free. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Instatus or Uptime Kuma?⌄
In our catalog, Instatus rates 4.5 out of 5 and Uptime Kuma rates 4.7 out of 5, so Uptime Kuma has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best status pages & uptime tools for startups.
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