Checkly vs exit1.dev
Playwright browser checks with metered runs, vs flat-priced uptime monitoring.
Checkly is a synthetic monitoring platform built around Playwright. You write browser and API checks as code, run them from the CLI, and pay by the number of check runs. exit1.dev does one job: uptime, SSL and API monitoring at a flat price per plan. If you only need to know that your site and API are up, you are paying Checkly for a lot you will not use.
Best known for: Playwright-based synthetic monitoring as code.
The short version
Checkly is the right tool when you need to script real user flows, like logging in and checking out, in a headless browser. For uptime and API checks, exit1.dev gives you far more for the same money: 50 monitors free against Checkly's 10, and 1,000 monitors at 15-second checks on Pro for $24/mo against 50 uptime monitors at 1-minute checks on Checkly Starter.
Free tier
What each gives you for $0.
| Feature | exit1.devFree | ChecklyHobby |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime monitors | 50 | 10 |
| Uptime check interval | 5 min | 2 min |
| API checks | Included in the 50 monitors | 10,000 runs / month |
| Browser checks (Playwright) | 1,000 runs / month | |
| Hosted MCP server |
- Uptime monitors
- 50
- Uptime check interval
- 5 min
- API checks
- Included in the 50 monitors
- Browser checks (Playwright)
- Hosted MCP server
- Uptime monitors
- 10
- Uptime check interval
- 2 min
- API checks
- 10,000 runs / month
- Browser checks (Playwright)
- 1,000 runs / month
- Hosted MCP server
Paid tier
exit1.dev Pro ($24/mo, $20 annual) vs Checkly Starter ($24/mo, billed annually).
| Feature | exit1.devPro, $24/mo | ChecklyStarter, $24/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime monitors | 1,000 | 50 |
| Minimum uptime check interval | 15 sec | 1 min |
| API check runs | Not metered | 25,000 / month |
| Browser checks (Playwright) | 3,000 runs / month | |
| Users | 10 | 3 |
| REST API | ||
| Hosted MCP server |
- Uptime monitors
- 1,000
- Minimum uptime check interval
- 15 sec
- API check runs
- Not metered
- Browser checks (Playwright)
- Users
- 10
- REST API
- Hosted MCP server
- Uptime monitors
- 50
- Minimum uptime check interval
- 1 min
- API check runs
- 25,000 / month
- Browser checks (Playwright)
- 3,000 runs / month
- Users
- 3
- REST API
- Hosted MCP server
Checkly figures from checklyhq.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-14. Checkly's listed prices are for annual billing, and it does not publish which plans include its MCP server.
Where exit1.dev wins
- 50 uptime monitors on the free plan against Checkly's 10.
- 1,000 monitors at 15-second checks on Pro for $24/mo. Checkly Starter gives 50 at 1 minute for the same price.
- Flat pricing. A check that runs every 15 seconds costs the same as one that runs every 5 minutes.
- 10 team members on Pro against 3 users on Starter.
Where Checkly wins
- Playwright browser checks for multi-step user flows. exit1.dev has no browser checks.
- Monitoring as code: checks live in your repo and deploy from the Checkly CLI in CI.
- A faster free interval: 2 minutes against our 5.
- A larger MCP surface: 48 tools against our 14.
Checkly vs exit1.dev — FAQ
Is exit1.dev a cheaper alternative to Checkly?
For uptime and API monitoring, yes. exit1.dev Pro is $24/mo for 1,000 monitors at 15-second checks. Checkly Starter is $24/mo billed annually for 50 uptime monitors at 1-minute checks, plus metered API and browser check runs. If you need Playwright browser checks, Checkly is the one that has them.
Does exit1.dev do browser or Playwright checks?
No. exit1.dev checks HTTP, TCP, UDP, ICMP and WebSocket endpoints and validates status codes, headers, body text and JSON. It does not run a browser. For scripted login or checkout flows, use Checkly.
How do the free plans compare?
Checkly Hobby gives 10 uptime monitors at 2-minute checks, 10,000 API check runs and 1,000 browser check runs a month. exit1.dev Free gives 50 monitors at 5-minute checks with no run metering, plus SSL monitoring, a status page, the REST API and MCP access.
Try exit1.dev free — no credit card
50 monitors, every protocol, SSL monitoring, and instant alerts on the free plan. Scale to 1,000 monitors and 15-second checks on Pro whenever you're ready.