Pondwatch vs cron scripts
A cron script is free and fine for one site you watch yourself. Pondwatch is the better pick once a team needs alerts it can trust and a status page.
| Pondwatch | Cron script | |
|---|---|---|
| Check interval | Every minute, from three regions | What you schedule, from one machine |
| Alerts | Email, Slack and SMS | What you script |
| Status page | Included | None |
| Price | From $12 a month | Free, plus a server |
Best for
Pondwatch: teams who want alerts and a status page without running anything.
Cron scripts: one person watching one site, who is happy to maintain the script.
Updated 6 November 2026