SignalWatch 3 min read

SignalWatch vs Distill

Distill splits local and cloud monitors; SignalWatch is cloud-only text monitoring with faster free checks and a lower paid start at $12/month.

Pick SignalWatch when you want cloud checks that keep running with your laptop closed, a text diff, and Slack or Discord without a browser extension. Pick Distill when you want unlimited local checks in a browser or desktop app, or you already live in their extension. Distill prices below are from distill.io/pricing; they change. Litework figures are from SignalWatch.

Two products, one question

Did this public page's content move since last time?

Both answer that. How the check runs is the fork.

Cloud vs local

SignalWatch fetches public HTTP(S) URLs on its servers. Your machine does not need to stay on. Free: 3 monitors every 15 minutes, 45-day history, no card. Pro ($12/month or $79/year): 50 monitors every 5 minutes. Business ($29/month or $199/year): 500 monitors every 2 minutes. Alerts: email, Slack, Discord, or an HMAC-signed JSON webhook, with a unified diff. Optional CSS selector, ignore regex, and minimum change. The same monitor covers downtime and TLS expiry (14 days, again at 3 days).

Distill offers cloud monitors (run on their servers) and local monitors (run in your browser or desktop app). Local checks need the device on; cloud checks do not. Their free plan lists 25 monitors of which 5 can be cloud, 1,000 cloud checks/month, and a 6-hour minimum cloud interval. Email alerts on free are capped (30/month on their pricing table). Starter is $15/month with a 10-minute cloud minimum; Professional is $35/month with a 5-minute cloud minimum.

If "the check must run while I sleep" is the requirement, compare SignalWatch's free 15-minute cloud interval to Distill's free 6-hour cloud interval — not Distill's local unlimited checks.

Side by side

  • Runs without your PC. SignalWatch: yes. Distill: cloud monitors yes; local monitors no.
  • Free cloud frequency. SignalWatch: every 15 minutes. Distill: every 6 hours.
  • Free cloud monitors. SignalWatch: 3. Distill: 5 (of 25 total, rest local).
  • Paid entry for faster cloud. SignalWatch Pro $12/mo (5 min). Distill Starter $15/mo (10 min).
  • Slack / Discord. SignalWatch includes them with its alert channels. Distill's free tier emphasises email and push; check their current plan matrix for Slack.
  • Macros / login flows. Distill documents macros and captcha solving on higher plans. SignalWatch watches public pages; it does not log in for you.

When to choose SignalWatch

  • A few public URLs, checked often, from the cloud.
  • You want a diff plus downtime and certificate alerts on one monitor.
  • You prefer a webhook or Slack without installing an extension.
  • Price for cloud frequency matters more than local unlimited checks.

When Distill may fit better

  • You are happy running monitors in a browser extension with the machine awake.
  • You need more than three free monitors and can accept a 6-hour cloud interval, or you will pay for Distill's cloud tiers.
  • You need macros, captcha handling, or PDF/feed monitor types Distill documents and SignalWatch does not offer.

A small way to decide

  1. Will the page stay public without a login? If yes, either tool can watch it in the cloud.
  2. Must checks run with every laptop shut? Prefer cloud-only (SignalWatch, or Distill cloud).
  3. Is "every 15 minutes on free" more valuable than "five cloud monitors every 6 hours"? That is the usual SignalWatch win on the free tier.

Visual comparison and AI summaries are a different competitor shape — see SignalWatch vs Visualping. For a cost-first walkthrough, use the cheapest way to monitor a web page for changes.