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FireHydrant vs Checkly

FireHydrant logo

FireHydrant

Logging

All-in-one incident management for alerting, on-call, and response

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Checkly logo

Checkly

Logging

Active reliability platform combining uptime monitoring, API testing, and incident response

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FireHydrant free tier has limited functionality with only 2 runbooks; Checkly free tier has limited check allocations per month
  • They diverge on capability: FireHydrant covers Automated runbooks, Checkly covers Uptime monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FireHydrant and Checkly actually diverge.

Attributes where FireHydrant and Checkly differ
AttributeFireHydrantCheckly
PlatformsWeb, Slack, Microsoft Teams, MobileWeb, CLI, API
Founded2018Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 FireHydrant

  • Automated runbooks
  • On-call management
  • Service catalog
  • Incident response collaboration
  • AI incident insights
  • AI retrospectives

Only in Checkly

  • Uptime monitoring
  • Synthetic browser testing
  • API monitoring
  • Heartbeat monitoring
  • Monitoring-as-Code
  • Root cause analysis
  • Global locations

Both cover

  • Status pages

What people use each for

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

FireHydrant

  • Manage incidents directly from Slack or Teamsnot Checkly
  • Automate incident response with runbooksnot Checkly
  • Triage incidents and track ownershipnot Checkly
  • Run post-incident retrospectivesnot Checkly
  • Communicate incidents to customers automaticallynot Checkly

Checkly

  • Monitor API endpoints with custom assertionsnot FireHydrant
  • Test user journeys with browser automationnot FireHydrant
  • Detect performance degradation across regionsnot FireHydrant
  • Verify DNS and TCP connectivitynot FireHydrant
  • Ensure cron jobs and background tasks completenot FireHydrant

Where each one falls short

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

FireHydrant

  • Free tier has limited functionality with only 2 runbooks
  • Pro plan billing is annual-only (no monthly option)
  • AI features concentrated in Enterprise tier
  • Pricing per responder can increase with team size

Checkly

  • Free tier has limited check allocations per month
  • Overage charges can add up with high-volume workloads
  • Status pages require separate paid tier
  • Root cause analysis is separate billing component

Pricing, plan by plan

FireHydrant

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 responders
    • 2 runbooks
    • Slack and Teams chatbot
  • Pro$25/responder-month
    • 5 runbooks
    • Slack and Teams chatbot
    • 1 retrospective template
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Everything in Pro plus
    • Viewer licenses
    • Unlimited runbooks

Checkly

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 10 uptime monitors
    • 1,000 browser checks monthly
    • 10,000 API checks monthly
  • Team$64/month
    • 75 uptime monitors
    • 12,000 browser checks monthly
    • 100,000 API checks monthly
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom monitor quantities
    • All 22 global locations
    • 1-second check frequency

Which should you pick?

Choose FireHydrant if

  • You need automated runbooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mobile.
  • You also want on-call management.
FireHydrant review

Choose Checkly if

  • You need uptime monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, API.
  • You also want synthetic browser testing.
Checkly review

Questions people ask

Is FireHydrant or Checkly better?
Neither clearly leads. FireHydrant starts at Free and Checkly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FireHydrant or Checkly?
FireHydrant starts at Free and Checkly at Free.
Does FireHydrant or Checkly run on more platforms?
FireHydrant runs on Web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mobile. Checkly runs on Web, CLI, API.
Can I use FireHydrant for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FireHydrant best used for?
FireHydrant is most often used for manage incidents directly from slack or teams, automate incident response with runbooks, triage incidents and track ownership, run post-incident retrospectives. Of those, manage incidents directly from slack or teams and automate incident response with runbooks are not what Checkly is typically brought in for.
What can FireHydrant do that Checkly cannot?
FireHydrant covers Automated runbooks, On-call management, Service catalog, Incident response collaboration. Checkly covers Uptime monitoring, Synthetic browser testing, API monitoring, Heartbeat monitoring. Both handle Status pages.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FireHydrant: What is included in the free FireHydrant plan?

The free plan supports up to 10 responders, includes 2 runbooks, Slack and Teams chatbot, 1 public status page, and basic integrations (3).

Source
Checkly: What is included in the free Checkly plan?

The free Hobby plan includes 10 uptime monitors, 1,000 monthly browser checks, 10,000 monthly API checks, 6 monitoring locations, and 2-minute minimum check frequency with email, Slack, and webhook alerts.

Source
FireHydrant: How much does FireHydrant Pro cost?

FireHydrant Pro costs $25 per responder per month, billed annually. This includes 5 runbooks, unlimited status pages, and all core incident management features.

Source
Checkly: Can I write monitoring checks in my preferred language?

Yes, Checkly uses TypeScript/JavaScript for monitoring-as-code, integrated with Playwright for browser testing and supporting REST API testing.

Source
FireHydrant: Can I pay monthly for FireHydrant Pro?

No, the Pro plan requires annual billing to get the $25/responder/month rate. Contact sales for enterprise monthly billing options.

Source
Checkly: How much does status page add to my bill?

Status pages cost between $0-$30/month depending on your plan tier, billed separately from core monitoring.

Source
FireHydrant: What AI features does FireHydrant offer?

FireHydrant AI is available in Enterprise plan and includes automated incident summaries, status page updates, live video transcription from Zoom and Google Meet, and triage assistance.

Source
Checkly: What is the minimum check frequency?

The Hobby and Starter plans support 2-minute and 1-minute minimums respectively. The Team plan supports 30-second intervals, while Enterprise offers 1-second minimum frequency.

Source
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