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Logging · head to head

Bugsnag vs Healthchecks

Bugsnag logo

Bugsnag

Logging

Application Stability Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Healthchecks logo

Healthchecks

Logging

Simple and effective cron job monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent; Healthchecks free tier limited to 20 jobs, restricting scale for small teams
  • They diverge on capability: Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Healthchecks covers Ping URL monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bugsnag and Healthchecks actually diverge.

Attributes where Bugsnag and Healthchecks differ
AttributeBugsnagHealthchecks
Pricing modelfreemiumPer-job monitoring with fixed tiers
Founded20122015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bugsnag

  • Error tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Release tracking
  • Trend analysis
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Healthchecks

  • Ping URL monitoring
  • Customizable schedules
  • Event logs
  • Status badges
  • Email alerts
  • SMS and phone alerts
  • Multiple integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bugsnag

  • Crash and error reporting for mobile and web applicationsnot Healthchecks
  • Stability scores per releasenot Healthchecks
  • Grouping errors by root cause across deploysnot Healthchecks
  • Alerting when a release regressesnot Healthchecks

Healthchecks

  • Monitoring cron jobs that run on schedulesnot Bugsnag
  • Alerting teams when background tasks failnot Bugsnag
  • Tracking Kubernetes CronJob execution healthnot Bugsnag
  • Monitoring Jenkins builds and deploymentsnot Bugsnag

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bugsnag

  • Owned by SmartBear rather than being independent
  • The free tier covers 7,500 events a month
  • Paid tiers are usage-priced by event volume rather than by seat, so a noisy release raises the bill
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-only

Healthchecks

  • Free tier limited to 20 jobs, restricting scale for small teams
  • Requires explicit ping integration into each job
  • No workflow orchestration or job scheduling capabilities
  • SMS and phone credits consumed separately on paid plans
  • Limited to ping-based detection without deep job introspection

Pricing, plan by plan

Bugsnag

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user
    • Error and performance monitoring
    • 7500 events monthly
  • SelectFree
    • 50000-3 million error monitoring events monthly tiered
    • 1-150 million performance monitoring spans
    • Unlimited users
  • PreferredFree
    • 100000-3 million error monitoring events tiered
    • 1-300 million performance monitoring spans
    • Automatic error prioritization
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • All Preferred features plus
    • Automatic error assignment

Healthchecks

Free
  • HobbyistFree
    • Monitor 20 jobs
    • 100 log entries per job
    • Email alerts
  • Supporter$5/month
    • Monitor 20 jobs
    • 100 log entries per job
    • Support the service financially
  • Business$20/month
    • Monitor 100 jobs
    • 1000 log entries per job
    • 50 SMS and WhatsApp credits
  • Business Plus$80/month
    • Monitor 1000 jobs
    • 1000 log entries per job
    • 500 SMS and WhatsApp credits

Which should you pick?

Choose Bugsnag if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Bugsnag review

Choose Healthchecks if

  • You need ping url monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want customizable schedules.
Healthchecks review

Questions people ask

Is Bugsnag or Healthchecks better?
Neither clearly leads. Bugsnag starts at Free and Healthchecks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Healthchecks?
Bugsnag starts at Free and Healthchecks at Free.
Does Bugsnag or Healthchecks run on more platforms?
Bugsnag runs on Web, Api. Healthchecks runs on Web, API.
Can I use Bugsnag for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bugsnag best used for?
Bugsnag is most often used for crash and error reporting for mobile and web applications, stability scores per release, grouping errors by root cause across deploys, alerting when a release regresses. Of those, crash and error reporting for mobile and web applications and stability scores per release are not what Healthchecks is typically brought in for.
What can Bugsnag do that Healthchecks cannot?
Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Crash reporting, Release tracking, Trend analysis. Healthchecks covers Ping URL monitoring, Customizable schedules, Event logs, Status badges.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bugsnag: Is BugSnag free?

BugSnag Free plan is free and includes 1 user, error and performance monitoring with 7500 events and 1 million spans monthly, 50+ platforms, 30+ integrations, and 7-day data retention for solo developers and passion projects.

Source
Healthchecks: What does the free Hobbyist plan include?

The Hobbyist plan ($0/month) includes monitoring for 20 jobs, 100 log entries per job, and email alerts with no credit card required.

Source
Bugsnag: What are the event and span limits by BugSnag plan?

Free plan: 7500 error events and 1 million spans monthly. Select plan: 50000-3 million error events and 1-150 million spans tiered. Preferred plan: 100000-3 million error events and 1-300 million spans tiered. Enterprise plan: custom limits with pricing on request.

Source
Healthchecks: What is the difference between Business and Business Plus?

Business ($20/month) monitors 100 jobs with 50 SMS credits. Business Plus ($80/month) monitors 1000 jobs with 500 SMS credits and priority support.

Source
Bugsnag: How long does BugSnag retain error data?

BugSnag Free plan retains data for 7 days. Select and Preferred paid plans retain error data for 60 days. Enterprise plans offer custom data retention periods negotiated with sales.

Source
Healthchecks: Do nonprofits and open-source projects get special pricing?

Yes, open-source projects and nonprofits receive the Business plan at no cost.

Source
Bugsnag: What features does BugSnag Preferred plan add?

BugSnag Preferred plan (pricing tiered by volume, not published) adds automatic error prioritization, stability benchmarks, advanced segmentation, custom notifications, SAML SSO, and system metrics monitoring compared to Select plan.

Source
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