How to choose an uptime monitor: 8 things to look for
Updated 29 October 2026 · Læs på dansk
Uptime monitoring tools look alike on the front page but differ where it matters. Here are eight questions to ask before you choose.
1. From how many places does it measure?
If the tool measures from only one place, a network problem there can cause a false alarm. Ask whether downtime requires several measuring points to see the failure.
2. How fast can it measure?
Every 5 minutes is too slow for a business site. Every minute is normal; 30 or 15 seconds finds problems faster. Also check how many failures in a row it takes before an alert is sent.
3. What can it measure?
Websites are the basis. If you have mail, DNS, SFTP or other ports, the tool must support them. Can you require a certain word on the page and a certain status code? Does it follow redirects?
4. How are you notified?
E-mail is enough for many. Do you need SMS, phone, Slack or Teams? Are alerts combined, so you do not get 30 identical mails when ten systems go down at once?
5. Does it have a status page?
See the guide to status pages. Can you use your own domain, hide internal systems and enter planned maintenance?
6. How is uptime calculated?
Can you get uptime both with and without planned maintenance? Can you pull reports for management? See uptime percentage.
7. How long is the history kept?
If you must document a month or a year back, ask how long the history is on the plan you choose.
8. Where does your data live, and what does it really cost?
If GDPR applies to you, ask about a data processing agreement and where data is stored. Also ask what the price becomes when you add users, status pages and faster checks. Some tools look cheap but get expensive once you add what you actually need.
And Tegra Uptime?
Tegra Uptime measures from several measuring points and requires a majority for downtime, has a status page and two uptime figures, and is run in Denmark with a data processing agreement. You can start for free (beta). We still lack SMS and phone alerts, your own domain on the status page and an API. See the plans on the front page. Also read what uptime monitoring is.