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GDPR Compliant Website Monitor for Free

5 min read•
Morten PradsgaardBy Morten Pradsgaard

Get a free website monitor that respects GDPR by default—no cookie popups, no data hoarding, just fast uptime alerts.

Free Website Monitoring Without Violating GDPR

Most "free" monitors treat privacy like an afterthought. They scoop user data, ship it overseas, then spam you into paid plans. Exit1.dev doesn't play that game. It's built in Europe, engineered for compliance, and still costs nothing.

Bottom line: You can run serious uptime monitoring, stay on the right side of GDPR, and skip the enterprise price tag. Here's the blueprint.

What GDPR Compliance Actually Means for Monitoring

GDPR isn't just some legal checkbox. It dictates where data lives, who can access it, and how you justify every log you keep.

  • Data minimization: Collect only what's required to detect downtime.
  • Storage transparency: Know exactly which region holds your health checks.
  • User rights: Be ready to delete or export data when the lawyers come calling.
  • Audit trails: Track who touched what, without hoarding personal info.

Any monitor that shrugs at these basics is a ticking liability. Don't bolt compliance on later—pick a platform that bakes it in.

Why Exit1.dev Checks Every GDPR Box

Exit1.dev was built with European compliance first, not bolted on after growth. That means:

Data Residency in the EU

Checks run from EU data centers, alerts stay on EU-owned infrastructure, and storage sits in GDPR-friendly regions. No transatlantic mystery pipes.

No Personal Data Harvesting

The service monitors endpoints, not users. No cookies, no session tracking, no "optional" analytics packages. You get clean uptime logs without personal identifiers.

Full Transparency

All retention rules are documented. You know how long logs live, how to nuke them, and who can access them. There's an API for automating wipe requests too.

Because Exit1.dev doesn't drop cookies or track visitors, you don't owe anyone another cookie banner. Monitoring happens server-to-server, no browser shenanigans.

The Setup: GDPR-Safe Monitoring Stack

You don't need a compliance department to pull this off. Stick to this workflow and you're golden.

  1. Create an Exit1.dev account — no credit card, no data fishing.
  2. Add your website endpoint — choose simple HTTPS or advanced probes, all stored in the EU.
  3. Configure 1-minute checks — faster detection without hoarding payloads.
  4. Pipe alerts to compliant channels — email, SMS, Slack, or webhook endpoints you control.
  5. Enable status pages — show uptime without leaking customer info.
  6. Schedule data pruning — use the API to purge logs on your terms.

That's it. No marketing drip campaigns, no "just one more field" forms. You get monitoring, not surveillance.

Tool GDPR Stance Data Residency Personal Data Collected Free Tier Limits
Exit1.dev EU-first, transparent EU regions only None beyond uptime metadata Unlimited monitors, 1-min checks
UptimeRobot Claims compliance, vague docs Mixed EU/US Emails, team data, IP logs 50 monitors, 5-min checks
Pingdom Compliance add-on Primarily US Extensive user analytics 1 monitor, 1-min checks
StatusCake Optional EU zones EU & US mix Team + visitor data 10 monitors, 5-min checks
DIY scripts Your responsibility Wherever you deploy Depends on your logging Maintenance headache

If the vendor can't tell you exactly where data sits or how to delete it, you already lost.

Automate Data Control

Use Exit1.dev's API to rotate tokens, purge logs, and document every action. Compliance should be scriptable, not a quarterly panic.

Lock Down Integrations

If you forward alerts to Slack, Teams, or SMS providers, make sure those accounts follow the same GDPR hygiene. The weakest link ruins the chain.

Document Everything Once

Generate a simple monitoring DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment). List endpoints, data flow, retention policy, and deletion process. Done. No need for a 40-page novella.

Future-Proof Monitoring

Regulations will tighten. Competitors will upsell compliance as a premium feature. Skip the ransom. Exit1.dev's free tier already includes:

  • Unlimited monitors with EU-based probes
  • 1-minute heartbeat checks by default
  • SSL expiry monitoring and performance baselines
  • Webhooks for your own automation, not theirs
  • Status pages without third-party trackers

If another vendor wants to charge you for basic transparency, they're not a partner—they're a risk.

Final Take

GDPR compliance shouldn't be a bolt-on tax. Pick tools that respect privacy out of the box, keep your data in-region, and let you delete whatever you want without filing a support ticket. Exit1.dev does that today, for free. Stop subsidizing platforms that treat compliance like a premium feature.

FAQs

No. Server-to-server monitoring doesn't touch visitors, so there's nothing to disclose.

How fast can I delete monitoring data?

Instantly. Use the dashboard or API to wipe logs, then carry on like nothing happened.

What happens if regulators ask for evidence?

You export your uptime logs, show the retention policy, and go back to building. That's the whole point.

Morten Pradsgaard is the founder of exit1.dev — the free uptime monitor for people who actually ship. He writes no-bullshit guides on monitoring, reliability, and building software that doesn't crumble under pressure.