---
title: "Peekivo vs changedetection.io: When to Use Each"
description: "changedetection.io and Peekivo compared from the project's own pages: open-source self-hosting, the hosted plan and notifications, and when to pick it."
canonical_url: https://peekivo.com/en/compare/changedetection-io
language: en
last_updated: 2026-10-01
---

# Peekivo and changedetection.io: how they differ

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

**changedetection.io facts from its own website and code repository, fetched 1 October 2026**

| | |
|---|---|
| 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 and Peekivo, documented facts**

| | 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.

> This describes how Peekivo is built. It has not been tested side by side with changedetection.io, so nothing here says either tool is faster or more accurate.

## 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](https://peekivo.com/en/compare)
- [Peekivo and Distill](https://peekivo.com/en/compare/distill)
- [Peekivo and Visualping](https://peekivo.com/en/compare/visualping)
- [How to track changes on a website](https://peekivo.com/en/guides/how-to-track-changes-on-a-website)
- [Proposed Peekivo plans](https://peekivo.com/en/pricing)
- [About Peekivo](https://peekivo.com/en/about)

## Sources

- [changedetection.io code repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io), fetched 2026-10-01
- [changedetection.io homepage](https://changedetection.io/), fetched 2026-10-01