Hidden costs to check before you pick

Last verified 2026-10-21

SMS and phone alerts. UptimeRobot sells one-time credit packs (100 credits $15); Better Stack includes unlimited phone/SMS per responder license; HetrixTools includes a monthly SMS allowance on some plans.
Seats. UptimeRobot Team/Scale include 3/5 login seats; Better Stack charges per responder license but $0 for other members.
Status-page branding. UptimeRobot white-label is on Team and up; Better Stack white-label is $208/page/month (annual).
Cron/heartbeat monitors. Better Stack: 10 included, then $17 per 10 (annual).
Retention. UptimeRobot keeps 3 months on Free, 12 on Solo, 24 on Team/Scale.
Monthly vs annual. UptimeRobot says about 15% off annual; Better Stack about 2 months off; HetrixTools about 2 months free.

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