# What Is Uptime Kuma? Features, Use Cases and How to Host It (2026)

> What is Uptime Kuma? A plain guide to the free self-hosted monitor: monitor types, alerts, status pages, 2.0 changes and how it compares to UptimeRobot.

You find out your site was down from a customer email, not from your own tools, and you go looking for a monitor. So, **what is Uptime Kuma**? It is a free, self-hosted monitoring tool that checks your websites and services around the clock and alerts you the moment one stops responding.

It is one of the most popular open-source monitors, with about **93,000 GitHub stars** as of November 1, 2026. New to the idea? Our guide on [**what uptime is and how to monitor website availability**](/what-is-uptime/) covers the basics first.

This guide covers what Uptime Kuma does, its key features, what changed in version 2.0 and how it compares to UptimeRobot and Better Stack.

## TL;DR: Uptime Kuma in 60 Seconds

Short on time? Here is the whole guide in a few lines:

- **Uptime Kuma** is a free, MIT-licensed monitoring tool you host yourself. It watches websites, ports, DNS records, databases and more.
- **More than 30 monitor types** ship in version 2.5.9, from HTTP and ping to MQTT, SNMP and game servers.
- **Over 90 notification services** are supported, including email, Slack, Discord, Telegram and webhooks.
- **Status pages are built in.** You can run several and map each one to its own domain.
- **Version 2.x is current.** The latest release is 2.5.9 (October 31, 2026). Version 2.0 added MariaDB support and removed JSON backups.
- **The trade-off:** no per-monitor fees, but checks run from one location and you maintain the server.

## What Is Uptime Kuma?

**Uptime Kuma is an open-source, self-hosted monitoring tool that checks whether your websites, servers and services are up, records how fast they respond and alerts you when they fail.** The project's own README calls it "an easy-to-use self-hosted monitoring tool". Developer Louis Lam started it in 2021, and it is developed in the open on [**GitHub**](https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma).

Think of Uptime Kuma as a night guard you hire for your own building. A SaaS monitor is a security company that patrols many buildings from its own office. Your own guard costs less and answers only to you, but if the guard's room loses power, nobody is watching.

A few things worth knowing:

- It is **free software** with no paid tier and no monitor limit.
- There is **no official cloud service**. You run it on a server, a home lab machine or a managed platform.
- Each instance checks from **one place**: wherever you host it.
- It is a **monitor, not a log platform**. It tells you that something broke, not why.

Here are the key facts in one table, verified against the repository on November 1, 2026:

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **License** | MIT |
| **Maintainer** | Louis Lam and community contributors |
| **First release** | 2021 (1.0.0) |
| **Latest stable release** | 2.5.9, published October 31, 2026 |
| **Built with** | Node.js server, Vue web interface |
| **Database** | SQLite by default; MariaDB or MySQL from version 2.0 |
| **Default port** | 3001 |
| **Install options** | Docker, or Node.js 20.4+ with Git |
| **GitHub stars** | About 93,000 (forks: about 8,600) |

## How Uptime Kuma Works

Uptime Kuma is one small application with four parts:

- **The server process.** A Node.js app runs every check, stores the results, sends alerts and serves the dashboard.
- **The dashboard.** A Vue web app that updates live over a WebSocket connection. That is why a reverse proxy in front of Uptime Kuma must allow WebSocket traffic.
- **The database.** SQLite stores everything in one file inside the data folder. From version 2.0 you can choose MariaDB instead, either the one built into the Docker image or your own server.
- **The data folder.** In Docker this is **`/app/data`**. It holds the database and every setting, so it is the one thing you must back up.

Checks are either **active** or **passive**. Active monitors reach out to a target, such as loading a URL or pinging a host. Passive monitors (called **Push**) wait for your own script or backup task to call a unique URL, and alert you when the call stops arriving.

One rule from the official README is easy to miss: network file systems such as **NFS are not supported**. Keep the data folder on local disk, because SQLite needs reliable file locking.

## 7 Uptime Kuma Features That Matter

### 1. More Than 30 Monitor Types

The monitor picker in version 2.5.9 lists more than 30 types. The everyday ones are **HTTP(S)**, **HTTP(S) keyword**, **JSON query**, **TCP port**, **ping** and **DNS**. Beyond those, you can check databases (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MongoDB, Redis and Oracle), MQTT, RabbitMQ, SNMP, SMTP, gRPC and Steam game servers.

A **browser engine** monitor loads the page in Chromium, catching pages that break only when JavaScript runs. A **Docker container** monitor also exists, but it needs access to the server's Docker control socket, which many hosts leave out for security.

### 2. Notifications Through 90+ Services

The README lists **90+ notification services**, and the 2.5.9 code includes more than 100. Common picks are email (SMTP), Slack, Discord, Telegram, Microsoft Teams and webhooks. Set up a channel once, then attach it to any monitor.

### 3. Built-In Status Pages

You can create **multiple status pages**, choose which monitors each one shows and post incident notes. Each page can be **mapped to its own domain**, such as status.example.com.

### 4. Short Check Intervals

The README advertises **20-second intervals**. Since version 2.1.0, you can set even shorter ones, and the dashboard warns that anything under 20 seconds may slow the app down. Short intervals catch brief outages that a 5-minute check never sees.

### 5. Certificate Expiry Alerts

HTTPS monitors read the TLS certificate and warn you days before it expires, long before visitors see a browser warning.

### 6. Maintenance Windows

**Maintenance windows** pause alerts for chosen monitors, once or on a repeating schedule. Status pages show the maintenance, so visitors know the downtime is planned.

### 7. Security and Integration Extras

Version 2.x includes **two-factor authentication**, **API keys**, **proxy support**, tags and monitor groups. It also offers embeddable **status badges** and a **Prometheus metrics** endpoint for Grafana dashboards.

## What Changed in Uptime Kuma 2.0

Version 2.0.0 shipped on October 20, 2025, after a long beta. Regular 2.x releases followed, up to 2.5.9 on October 31, 2026. Work on version 3 has started, but no 3.x release exists yet.

These are the changes that matter most. They come from the official [**v1 to v2 migration guide**](https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma/wiki/Migration-From-v1-To-v2) and the release notes.

| Area | Uptime Kuma 1.x | Uptime Kuma 2.x |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Database** | SQLite only | SQLite, built-in MariaDB (Docker) or your own MariaDB/MySQL |
| **Docker images** | Standard and Alpine | Standard, slim and rootless; Alpine dropped |
| **Node.js (non-Docker)** | 14, 16, 18 or 20.4+ | 20.4 or newer |
| **Backup** | JSON export and import | Copy the data folder (JSON backup removed) |
| **Default retries** | 1 | 0 on new monitors |
| **Email templates** | Older template engine | LiquidJS (variable names are case-sensitive) |
| **Shortest interval** | 20 seconds | Below 20 seconds allowed from 2.1.0, with a warning |
| **New in 2.0** | n/a | SNMP and RabbitMQ monitors, DNS conditions and remote browsers, among others |

Here is the part that trips people up: **the first start on 2.x rewrites your old check history.** The migration guide reports about 7 minutes for 20 monitors with 90 days of data, and hours on slow hardware. Do not interrupt it, and back up the data folder before you start.

The second catch is the database choice. There is **no supported path from SQLite to MariaDB** later, so pick MariaDB at setup if you expect hundreds of monitors.

## What Is Uptime Kuma Used For? Who Should Run It

### Agencies Watching Client Sites

An agency can watch every client homepage, login page and certificate from one dashboard. Each client gets its own status page on its own domain, with no per-monitor bill.

### Developers and SaaS Teams

Check your API and database, watch scheduled tasks with Push monitors and route alerts to the team chat.

### Home Labs and Self-Hosters

If you run Nextcloud, Jellyfin or a game server at home, Uptime Kuma tells you which service fell over. It runs well on modest hardware.

## Uptime Kuma vs UptimeRobot vs Better Stack

**UptimeRobot** and **Better Stack** are well-known hosted services that have earned their reputation for fast setup and multi-region checks. Here is how they compare (free tiers checked November 2026):

| | **Uptime Kuma** | **UptimeRobot** | **Better Stack** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Type** | Self-hosted, open source | Hosted service | Hosted service |
| **Cost** | Free software; you pay for a server | Free tier, paid plans per month | Free tier, paid plans per month |
| **Free tier** | Unlimited monitors | 50 monitors at 5-minute checks, non-commercial use | 10 monitors and 1 status page |
| **Check locations** | One per instance | Several regions | Several regions |
| **Status pages** | Unlimited, custom domains | Included, limits depend on plan | 1 on free, more on paid plans |
| **Incident response tools** | Alerts only | Focus on simple monitoring and alerts | On-call scheduling and incident management |
| **Your data** | Stays on your server | Stored by the vendor | Stored by the vendor |
| **Maintenance** | You update and back it up | None | None |

That is not a weaker design so much as a different philosophy. SaaS monitors win on reach and zero upkeep. Uptime Kuma wins on cost at scale and privacy.

Rule of thumb: if you need multi-region checks and on-call rotations today, start with a hosted service. If you want unlimited monitors and branded status pages for a flat server cost, choose Uptime Kuma. Many teams run both: Uptime Kuma for detail and one SaaS check watching Uptime Kuma itself.

## Uptime Kuma Requirements and Ways to Run It

Uptime Kuma publishes no official minimum hardware spec. It is light, but memory and disk grow with monitor count, check frequency and history length.

You have three practical ways to run it:

1. **Docker on your own server.** The official README installs it with one Docker Compose file. If Compose is new to you, read our explainer on [**what Docker Compose is**](/what-is-docker-compose/).
2. **Node.js without Docker.** Clone the repository and run it with Node.js 20.4 or newer and PM2.
3. **A managed one-click deploy.** A platform sets up the app, domain and HTTPS. Our list of the [**best Uptime Kuma hosting providers**](/best-uptime-kuma-hosting-providers/) compares the options.

The catch worth knowing: the install is the easy part. **Your time is the hidden cost.** You still need a domain, SSL, a reverse proxy that passes WebSockets, updates and backups, or you get the occasional 3 a.m. surprise.

One more rule never changes: **host your monitor on a different server from the sites it watches.** Otherwise, one outage silences both the site and the alarm.

## Uptime Kuma Pros and Cons

| Pros | Cons |
| --- | --- |
| ✅ Free and MIT-licensed, including commercial use | ❌ Checks run from one location per instance |
| ✅ Unlimited monitors and status pages | ❌ You handle updates, backups and server security |
| ✅ More than 30 monitor types | ❌ No on-call scheduling or escalation rotations |
| ✅ 90+ notification services | ❌ JSON backup removed in 2.0; backups mean copying the data folder |
| ✅ Monitoring data stays on your server | ❌ The 1.x to 2.x upgrade can take hours on large histories |
| ✅ Clean, live-updating dashboard | ❌ No NFS or network storage for the data folder |

## Deploy Uptime Kuma in One Click With xCloud

If you want Uptime Kuma without assembling the container, domain and certificate yourself, [**Uptime Kuma hosting on xCloud**](/uptime-kuma-hosting/) does that part for you. xCloud runs the official Uptime Kuma 2.5.0 image (pinned until a newer template is adopted) and keeps the data folder on a persistent volume. Your monitor history, status pages and notification settings survive a redeploy.

Here is how the setup works:

1. **Sign up and pick Uptime Kuma** from the One Click Apps catalog. There are no app-specific fields, only a site title, a server and a domain.
2. **Choose Go Live or Demo Site.** A demo site gets a temporary subdomain for testing, and you can add your own domain later.
3. **Let xCloud deploy it.** The app is published over HTTPS on your domain. It is only reachable through your domain, not by server IP and port.
4. **Create your admin account straight away** in Uptime Kuma's first-run setup. xCloud creates no app login for you.
5. **Add a first HTTP monitor**, then connect your own notification channels with your own credentials.
6. **Optionally map a status page** to its own domain by adding it as an **Additional Domain** in xCloud.

👉 Follow the full step-by-step guide to [**deploy Uptime Kuma with xCloud**](/docs/deploy-uptime-kuma-with-xcloud/).

Now the honest part. The template needs at least 512 MB of RAM, 1 CPU core and 2 GB of disk.

Managed Cloud VPS plans start at **$24.99 a month** for 6 GB of RAM, 4 vCPU cores and 100 GB of NVMe storage. That is far more than the app needs alone, so if you already have a VPS, [**self-managed hosting**](/self-managed-hosting/) lets you connect it for a per-server fee.

xCloud does not upgrade Uptime Kuma or back up its data folder on its own. Plan copies of the data volume with [**backups in xCloud**](/docs/backups-in-xcloud/) and keep one off the server.

Docker container monitoring is left out of the xCloud template on purpose, so use HTTP, TCP or Push checks instead. Locked out later? Here is how to [**reset your Uptime Kuma password**](/docs/how-to-reset-uptime-kuma-password/).

Prefer a different tool? xCloud also offers one-click [**Healthchecks**](/healthchecks-hosting/) for heartbeat checks and [**Gatus**](/gatus-hosting/) for service-health checks with status pages.

**Ready to own your monitoring?** [**Deploy Uptime Kuma on xCloud**](/uptime-kuma-hosting/) **and add your first check today.**

## Set Up Your First Uptime Kuma Monitor This Week

Uptime Kuma answers one question well: is everything up, and who needs to know when it is not? It is free and flexible, and the price is that you own the server and its upkeep.

This week, deploy it on a server separate from your sites. Add HTTP and certificate monitors for your key pages, connect one alert channel and set retries to 1 or 2. Next month, review the history and decide whether you also want a check from a second region.

If you have found this blog helpful, feel free to [**subscribe to our blogs**](/blog/) for valuable tutorials, guides, knowledge and tips on web hosting and server management. You can also join our [**Facebook community**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/xcloud.community) to share insights and engage in discussions.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Uptime Kuma used for?

Uptime Kuma checks that websites, servers and services are online. It keeps response-time history and alerts you when something fails. Many teams also use it for a public status page.

### Is Uptime Kuma free?

Yes. Uptime Kuma is open source under the MIT license, so you can use it for personal and commercial projects at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on.

### What is the latest version of Uptime Kuma?

As of November 1, 2026, the latest stable release is 2.5.9, published on October 31, 2026. Work on version 3 has started, but no 3.x release has shipped yet.

### What changed in Uptime Kuma 2.0?

Version 2.0 added MariaDB support, dropped the Alpine Docker images and removed JSON backups. It also requires Node.js 20.4 or newer. The first start after upgrading rewrites old check data, so back up the data folder first.

### Uptime Kuma vs UptimeRobot: which should I choose?

Choose UptimeRobot for multi-region checks with nothing to maintain. Choose Uptime Kuma for unlimited monitors and full control of your data. Many teams run both.

### Can Uptime Kuma monitor from more than one location?

Not by default. Each Uptime Kuma instance runs its checks from the server it lives on. To add locations, run a second instance in another region or use the Globalping monitor type that version 2 includes.

### I just installed Uptime Kuma. What should I set up first?

Create the admin account right away, because until then anyone who opens the URL can claim it. Then add an HTTP monitor, connect an alert channel and set retries to 1 or 2 to avoid false alarms.