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CloudWatch vs StatusCake

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Logging

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit CloudWatchFull review
StatusCake logo

StatusCake

Logging

Website monitoring that just works

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit StatusCakeFull review

The short version

  • CloudWatch is free; StatusCake starts at $20.41/mo.
  • Where CloudWatch falls short: the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB.
  • Where StatusCake falls short: free plan is limited to a 5 minute check interval and only 10 uptime monitors, 1 page speed monitor and 1 SSL monitor.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and StatusCake actually diverge.

Attributes where CloudWatch and StatusCake differ
AttributeCloudWatchStatusCake
Pricing modelUsage-basedFreemium
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), category (Logging).

Not yet recorded: founded for StatusCake.

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 CloudWatch

  • Metrics collection
  • Log aggregation
  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in StatusCake

Nothing recorded that CloudWatch does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

CloudWatch

  • Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot StatusCake
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot StatusCake
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot StatusCake
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot StatusCake
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot StatusCake

StatusCake

  • Website uptime monitoring and alert managementnot CloudWatch
  • SSL certificate expiration trackingnot CloudWatch
  • Domain expiration alerts and monitoringnot CloudWatch
  • Page performance analysis and reportingnot CloudWatch
  • Server health monitoring and incidentsnot CloudWatch
  • Team-based incident response coordinationnot CloudWatch

Where each one falls short

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

CloudWatch

  • The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
  • Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
  • Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
  • Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
  • Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge

StatusCake

  • Free plan is limited to a 5 minute check interval and only 10 uptime monitors, 1 page speed monitor and 1 SSL monitor
  • Sub-minute checking (30 seconds) requires the Business plan at $66.66/month billed annually, or $79.99/month billed monthly
  • Enterprise, the only tier with unlimited monitors, has no published price and requires a custom quote

Pricing, plan by plan

CloudWatch

Free
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Logs ingestion: $0.50/GB (first 5GB free), down to $0.05/GB at scale
    • Logs storage: $0.03/GB/month
    • Live Tail: $0.01/minute after 1,800 free minutes
  • Free tierFree
    • 5GB logs ingestion per month
    • 10 custom metrics
    • 3 custom dashboards

StatusCake

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 uptime tests
    • 5 min test intervals
    • 1 page speed test
  • Superior$20.41/mo
    • 100 uptime tests
    • 1 min test intervals
    • 15 page speed tests
  • Business$66.66/mo
    • 300 uptime tests
    • 30 sec test intervals
    • 30 page speed tests
  • EnterpriseOn request

Which should you pick?

Choose CloudWatch if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want log aggregation.
CloudWatch review

Choose StatusCake if

  • You want to start without paying.
StatusCake review

Questions people ask

Is CloudWatch or StatusCake better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and StatusCake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or StatusCake?
CloudWatch starts at Free and StatusCake at Free.
Does CloudWatch or StatusCake run on more platforms?
CloudWatch runs on Web, API. StatusCake runs on Web.
Can I use CloudWatch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CloudWatch best used for?
CloudWatch is most often used for metrics and log collection for aws workloads, alarming on thresholds across aws services, querying logs with logs insights, live tailing logs during an incident. Of those, metrics and log collection for aws workloads and alarming on thresholds across aws services are not what StatusCake is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that StatusCake cannot?
CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CloudWatch: How much does Amazon CloudWatch cost?

CloudWatch uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no upfront commitment. Logs ingestion costs $0.50/GB (first 5GB free), logs storage is $0.03/GB/month, custom metrics cost $0.30/metric/month (first 10,000), custom dashboards are $3/month, and standard alarms are $0.10/metric/month.

Source
StatusCake: How much does StatusCake cost?

StatusCake offers a free plan at $0/month, with paid plans starting at $20.41/month (annual) for the Superior tier, $66.66/month (annual) for Business, and custom pricing for Enterprise.

Source
CloudWatch: Does CloudWatch offer a free tier?

Yes, CloudWatch free tier includes 5GB logs ingestion, 10 custom metrics, 3 custom dashboards, and 10 alarm metrics per month at no charge. Usage beyond these limits incurs pay-as-you-go fees.

Source
StatusCake: Is there a free version of StatusCake?

Yes, StatusCake offers a free plan with 10 uptime tests, 5 minute test intervals, 1 page speed test, 1 SSL monitor, and 1 domain monitor. A 7-day free trial of all plans is available with no credit card required.

Source
CloudWatch: What are CloudWatch's pricing tiers for high-volume usage?

CloudWatch offers tiered pricing with volume discounts: logs ingestion starts at $0.50/GB and decreases to $0.05/GB at higher volumes; custom metrics start at $0.30/metric/month and decline to $0.05 at higher volumes; Application Signals cost $1.50 per million traces initially, declining to $0.30.

Source
StatusCake: What billing and payment options does StatusCake offer?

StatusCake accepts payment via credit card on all tiers and invoices on Business Yearly and higher plans. Multi-year discounts are available: 12.5% for 2-year, 25% for 3-year, and 40% for 5-year commitments. Currencies supported include USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, NZD, SGD, and CAD.

Source
StatusCake: What is the minimum test interval for uptime monitoring?

The Free plan allows 5-minute test intervals minimum. Superior plan allows 1-minute intervals, and Business plan allows 30-second intervals.

Source
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