Peekivo and changedetection.io: how they differ
Last reviewed
changedetection.io is the better choice if you want a free, open-source change monitor you run on your own server with full control, or a low-cost hosted plan from the project's official provider. Peekivo is a hosted service in early access with a waitlist; it has no self-hosted version and no free monitoring plan.
What changedetection.io documents
| Licence | Open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. |
|---|---|
| Self-hosting | Runs with Docker (docker compose up -d) or as a Python package (pip3 install changedetection.io). |
| Hosted subscription | $8.99 a month from the official provider, with up to 5,000 URL watches and nothing to install. |
| Hosted re-check times | From about 5 minutes per runner, with one real Chrome browser included for JavaScript sites. |
| Notifications | Over 85 notification types, including Discord, Slack, Telegram and email. |
| Browser Steps | Steps such as searching, logging in with a username and password or adding to cart before a check. |
| Restock and price alerts | Alerts when an out-of-stock product is back in stock or a price changes. |
Side by side
changedetection.io cells repeat what the project's own pages say. Peekivo cells describe what you can use today, and Peekivo is not open for sign-up yet.
| changedetection.io (from its pages) | Peekivo today | |
|---|---|---|
| Can you start using it today? | Yes, self-hosted or hosted | not yet |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 | no |
| Run it on your own server | Yes, with Docker or pip | no |
| Log in before a check | Yes, with Browser Steps | not yet |
| Hosted plan price | $8.99 a month | not yet |
| Approve the page, rule and an earlier example before watching | not measured yet | not yet |
Where Peekivo is different
- Peekivo is hosted: there is no server, browser or proxy for you to run.
- You describe what you want to hear about in your own words, and Peekivo answers with one approval card: the page, the rule and an earlier example of a match. Nothing is watched until you approve it.
- Each watch keeps its last attempt and its last successful read apart, so a page that could not be read never looks like a page that did not change.
- Peekivo reads public pages only and does not get around logins, CAPTCHAs or bot walls. When a read is blocked, the watch says so.
Questions people ask
What is a free tool for detecting website changes?
changedetection.io is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence, so you can run it on your own server without a licence fee; you provide and maintain the server. Some hosted monitors also offer limited free plans; the comparison pages linked below list them with their sources.
What is the best free website monitoring tool?
It depends on what you need to watch and whether you want to run a server. If you are comfortable self-hosting, changedetection.io costs nothing to license. Peekivo has no free monitoring plan: the proposed plans are paid, and Peekivo is not open for sign-up yet.
Does changedetection.io have a hosted version?
Yes. Its website offers a hosted subscription at $8.99 a month with up to 5,000 URL watches, run by the project's official provider (accessed 1 October 2026).
Switching from changedetection.io
Peekivo cannot import watches from changedetection.io yet. If you join the waitlist, you would set up each page again once Peekivo opens.
Method and limits
Every changedetection.io fact on this page comes from the project's website and code repository, fetched on 1 October 2026. Check them again before you decide. A cell marked not measured yet means we have not checked it, not that changedetection.io lacks it.
Related pages
- All comparisons
- Peekivo and Distill
- Peekivo and Visualping
- How to track changes on a website
- Proposed Peekivo plans
- About Peekivo
Sources
- changedetection.io code repository (GitHub), fetched
- changedetection.io homepage, fetched
Want to be told when a page changes?
Join the waitlist