Uptime vs Oh Dear
Usage-based pricing and framework-agnostic monitoring, compared to per-site pricing tuned for PHP/Laravel apps.
Uptime vs Oh Dear
Oh Dear is well-loved in the PHP/Laravel ecosystem with per-site pricing; Uptime is framework-agnostic and priced by usage instead of site count.
| Category | Uptime | Oh Dear |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Usage-based (pay per ping) | Per-site pricing |
| Framework focus | Framework-agnostic | Strong PHP/Laravel integration |
| DNS monitoring | Included | Included |
| Cron job monitoring | Included | Included (via scheduler pings) |
| TCP monitoring | Included | Not a core feature |
| Status pages | Included | Included |
Why teams switch to Uptime
Framework-agnostic
Works the same for any stack — no PHP/Laravel-specific integration needed.
Usage-based pricing
Cost scales with ping volume, not the number of sites you monitor.
TCP monitoring
Watch raw ports, not just HTTP endpoints.
Signed webhooks
HMAC-signed alerts for any webhook integration.
When Oh Dear might be better
We believe in being transparent. Here's when Oh Dear could be the right choice.
They crawl your whole site for broken links
Oh Dear walks every page looking for dead links and mixed content. Uptime checks the endpoints you point it at and never crawls.
Automated Lighthouse performance audits
Oh Dear scores your pages on a schedule and tracks the trend. Uptime records response time and nothing else about page quality.
The Laravel ecosystem fit is real
Oh Dear is built by Spatie, and if your team already lives in their packages, that integration and shared idiom is worth something Uptime can't match.
Perfect for teams that want flexible pricing
If you'd rather pay for actual usage than for site slots, Uptime's model scales better. Ideal for teams with many monitors at longer intervals or variable monitoring needs.
Real cost comparison
See how much you could save for a typical monitoring setup.
| Use case | Oh Dear | Uptime | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 monitors at 30-min intervals | €15/mo (~$16) | $5/mo | ~$132/year |
| 20 monitors at 60-min intervals | €29/mo (~$31) | $5/mo | ~$312/year |
| 50 monitors at 60-min intervals | €79/mo (~$85) | $5/mo | ~$960/year |
Estimates based on typical usage patterns. Oh Dear pricing can change and your actual cost depends on your setup.
Getting started
Create your monitor
Point Uptime at the URL, DNS record, port, or scheduled job you want to track.
Choose how you're alerted
Connect email, Slack, Discord, or a webhook. Set cooldowns to avoid alert fatigue.
Watch the dashboard
See heatmaps, response times, and uptime history update as checks run automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Laravel app to use Uptime?
No — Uptime is framework-agnostic and monitors any HTTP endpoint, DNS record, TCP port, or cron job.
Switch to Uptime
Create your first monitor in under 2 minutes. No credit card required to start.