Checkly
Developer-first API and E2E monitoring with Playwright and monitoring-as-code
The Verdict
Checkly is built for modern engineering teams who want to write their monitoring as code. Using Playwright and JavaScript, teams define E2E browser tests and API checks that run on a schedule — making it a natural fit for DevOps workflows. What makes Checkly unique is its monitoring-as-code philosop...
Pros
- Monitoring as code with Git integration
- Playwright-based E2E testing
- Generous free tier (50K runs/month)
Cons
- - Requires JavaScript/Playwright knowledge
- - Not ideal for non-technical users
- - Status pages are basic
Our Rating
About Checkly
Checkly is built for modern engineering teams who want to write their monitoring as code. Using Playwright and JavaScript, teams define E2E browser tests and API checks that run on a schedule — making it a natural fit for DevOps workflows. What makes Checkly unique is its monitoring-as-code philosophy: checks are stored in Git alongside your application code, tested in CI/CD pipelines, and deployed automatically. Checkly also offers a generous free tier with 50,000 check runs per month.
Key Features
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Monitoring as code with Git integration
- Playwright-based E2E testing
- Generous free tier (50K runs/month)
- CLI and Terraform support
Cons
- Requires JavaScript/Playwright knowledge
- Not ideal for non-technical users
- Status pages are basic
Best For
Not Recommended For
FAQ
Is Checkly free?
Checkly has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20/month.
How much does Checkly cost?
Checkly starts at $20 per month on its entry paid plan, on a freemium model. A free plan is available below that tier. See the pricing section on this page for what each tier includes.
What is Checkly best for?
Checkly is developer-first API and E2E monitoring with Playwright and monitoring-as-code. It scores 8.9/10 overall in our uptime monitoring testing, and stands out for engineering teams, devOps-mature organizations and teams using IaC workflows.
What are the downsides of Checkly?
The main limitations we found are non-technical users and teams wanting no-code setup. Whether those matter depends on your team size and requirements — the alternatives page lists uptime monitoring tools that trade off differently.
Where can I compare Checkly with alternatives?
Our Checkly alternatives page ranks the other uptime monitoring tools we have tested side by side, with scores for ease of use, features, value and support. The Uptime Monitoring category page compares the full set in one table.
Is Checkly worth it in 2026?
Checkly scores 8.9/10 in our uptime monitoring review for 2026. At $20/month it is worth it for teams that need monitoring as code with Git integration and playwright-based E2E testing. The trade-off to weigh is requires JavaScript/Playwright knowledge.