Bionic Uptime and Jetpack Monitor: what is actually different
Jetpack's Downtime Monitor is free, built into the Jetpack plugin, and it checks a site from more than one place before it emails. For many site owners it is enough. This page says plainly where we differ, and where Jetpack is the better choice.
| Feature | Jetpack Monitor | Bionic Uptime |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no Jetpack plan needed | 3 websites, checked every 60 seconds, forever, no card. Portfolio: $12 a month, 20 websites |
| How often | Every five minutes | Every 60 seconds |
| Before an outage alert | Checked again from three servers in different locations; if all three fail, it emails | Two locations on two different companies' networks, plus a retry, must agree within 45 seconds |
| Who is told | Email to one address. Jetpack's support page says it goes only to the WordPress.com account that connected Jetpack, and other recipients cannot be added or copied. Phone app notifications too | You, plus up to 3 more people per website, such as the client or a colleague, each confirming by email. Optionally one Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams or Google Chat channel for the whole account |
| Which sites | WordPress sites with a working Jetpack connection | Any website, WordPress or not. Nothing to install on the site |
Jetpack details as described on jetpack.com/support/monitor and its downtime monitoring page on 23 October 2026. Check there for today's.
Choose Jetpack Monitor if
- the site is your own WordPress site and Jetpack is already connected,
- hearing within about five minutes is soon enough, and one email address is all that needs to know.
Choose Bionic Uptime if
- you look after websites for clients, and the alert should reach you and the client, or whoever is on call that week,
- some of the sites are not WordPress, or you would rather not install anything on them,
- you want one plain email per real outage, saying what was seen and from where (see the exact email), which you can forward as it is.
You can run both. Our checks come from outside, so they do not conflict with Jetpack, and our free WordPress plugin is optional.
See it before you sign up
Watch a real website being monitored right now, no sign-up. 3 websites are free, forever, with no card.