Pulsy vs Uptime Kuma
Open-source uptime monitoring, self-hosted or fully managed
Uptime Kuma is an excellent open-source monitor, and if you are happy running a server it may be all you need. Pulsy is open source too — AGPL-3.0, free forever to self-host — but it adds per-user isolation instead of a single shared admin login, and it offers Pulsy Cloud if you would rather not operate the server at all. Same licence freedoms, one more deployment option.
Where Pulsy differs from Uptime Kuma
- Also open source (AGPL-3.0) and free forever to self-host — you are not trading your freedom for convenience.
- Multiple user accounts with per-user monitor isolation, not one shared admin login.
- Pulsy Cloud runs the identical code if you would rather not patch, back up, and babysit a server.
- Localized dashboard in five languages with full right-to-left support.
Uptime Kuma vs Pulsy, side by side
| Feature | Pulsy (self-hosted) | Pulsy Cloud | Uptime Kuma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free forever — you run it (AGPL-3.0) | Free tier, paid plans from $12/mo | Free forever — you run it (MIT) |
| Source code | Open source, AGPL-3.0 | The same AGPL-3.0 code, managed for you | Open source, MIT |
| Where your data lives | Your own infrastructure | Hosted by Pulsy, exportable any time | Your own infrastructure |
| Setup | docker compose up | Sign up and go — nothing to run | docker run or docker compose |
| User accounts | Multiple accounts, per-user isolation | Multiple accounts, per-user isolation | Single admin login |
| Check types | HTTP GET/HEAD/POST, keyword, TLS | HTTP GET/HEAD/POST, keyword, TLS | HTTP, TCP, ping, DNS, push, and more |
| Status pages | Included, custom domains | Included, custom domains | Included |
| Dashboard | Localized (5 languages, RTL) | Localized (5 languages, RTL) | English-first, community translations |
Switching from Uptime Kuma is painless
Both tools run HTTP checks against your URLs, so moving is quick either way. Self-hosting Pulsy? Bring up the stack with docker compose, re-create each monitor with the same URL, method, interval, and failure threshold, and reconnect your notification channels. Prefer to stop running a server entirely? Do the same on Pulsy Cloud. Either way, run Pulsy alongside Kuma until you are confident before you switch over.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Pulsy open source like Uptime Kuma?
- Yes. Pulsy is licensed AGPL-3.0-or-later and the full source is on GitHub. You can self-host it for free forever, with every capability on and no tiers. Uptime Kuma is MIT-licensed — both are genuinely open source; the licences differ in what they require of anyone who redistributes a modified version.
- What does Pulsy add over Uptime Kuma?
- Multiple user accounts with per-user isolation of monitors, incidents, and status pages, instead of one shared admin login; a dashboard localized into five languages with full RTL support; and Pulsy Cloud as a managed option running the same code. Uptime Kuma covers more check protocols (TCP, ping, DNS, push) and has a larger integration catalogue.
- Do I have to use Pulsy Cloud?
- No. Self-hosted Pulsy is the full product — every feature on, unlimited monitors, no licence key, no phone-home. Pulsy Cloud exists only for teams who would rather not operate a server; it never removes anything from the open-source project.
- Which should I choose?
- Stay on Uptime Kuma if you need TCP, ping, or DNS checks and a single admin login is fine. Choose Pulsy if you want per-user isolation, a localized RTL dashboard, or the option to hand the hosting to someone else without giving up open source.
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