BoxWatch vs Gatus
Gatus is an open-source, developer-oriented health dashboard that runs synthetic checks (HTTP, TCP, ICMP, DNS) against your endpoints and publishes a status page. BoxWatch is a Linux server-monitoring SaaS that installs a small push agent to collect host metrics (CPU, memory, disk, network), watch processes, and run synthetic checks from inside your own infrastructure. Both tools can surface endpoint health and send alerts to Slack, Discord, or PagerDuty. They diverge sharply on deployment model and scope: Gatus is agentless synthetic monitoring you self-host, while BoxWatch is a fully managed SaaS focused on what is happening inside your servers.
Quick verdict
Choose Gatus if you want a free, self-hosted status page and synthetic endpoint checker, you are comfortable managing your own infrastructure, and you do not need host-level metrics (CPU, memory, disk trends). Choose BoxWatch if you want a managed SaaS that covers host metrics, process monitoring, cron heartbeats, disk-full prediction, and scheduled reports with zero infrastructure to maintain. BoxWatch also wins on team-friendly features like TV dashboard mode, server comparison views, and flat per-plan pricing that does not grow with the number of endpoints you check.
Pricing
| Plan | Gatus | BoxWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free (self-host, unlimited endpoints) | Hobby: $0 (5 servers, 24h retention) |
| Entry paid | ~$5/mo cloud (per endpoint) | Pro: $13/mo (25 servers) |
| Mid tier | ~$20/mo cloud (per endpoint) | Team: $29/mo (100 servers) |
| Scale | Self-host (no limit) | Scale: $79/mo (unlimited servers) |
| Pricing model | Per-endpoint (cloud) or free (self-host) | Flat per plan, not per server |
| Infrastructure cost | You pay for your own hosting | Included in SaaS price |
Feature comparison
When Gatus is the better choice
Gatus is the right call when you want a fully open-source tool with no vendor dependency. It is free to self-host with no endpoint limits, making it ideal for large fleets of services where per-check pricing would be expensive. Gatus also supports a wider range of synthetic check protocols out of the box (ICMP, DNS, gRPC, SSH, WebSocket) and can run entirely air-gapped in a private network. If all you need is a public status page and endpoint health checks, Gatus delivers that at zero cost.
When BoxWatch is the better choice
- Gatus has no host metrics at all. BoxWatch collects CPU, memory, disk, and network data so you can see what is happening inside a server, not just whether a port is open.
- Gatus has no disk-full prediction, no process monitoring, and no scheduled email reports. BoxWatch covers all three out of the box.
- BoxWatch is fully managed. There is no server to provision, update, or back up. You install a one-line bash agent per server and the SaaS handles everything else.
- BoxWatch flat pricing means adding servers does not change your bill (within plan limits), unlike Gatus cloud where each new endpoint adds to the cost.
- BoxWatch includes TV/wall dashboard mode, server comparison charts, and uptime SLA tracking with badges, which Gatus does not offer.
FAQ
Does Gatus monitor server resources like CPU or memory?
No. Gatus is a synthetic health checker. It polls endpoints over HTTP, TCP, ICMP, DNS, and similar protocols, but it does not install an agent and has no visibility into CPU load, memory usage, disk space, or running processes on a server. If you need host-level metrics, you need a separate tool such as BoxWatch, Prometheus with node_exporter, or a traditional APM product.
Can Gatus monitor cron jobs or scheduled tasks?
Yes, through its push-based external endpoints feature. Your cron job sends an HTTP POST to Gatus after each run, and Gatus raises an alert if it does not hear from the job within the configured heartbeat interval. BoxWatch has a dedicated cron/heartbeat monitoring section with the same dead-man's-switch pattern and a cleaner UI for managing many jobs.
Is Gatus free?
The self-hosted version is completely free under the Apache 2.0 license with no endpoint or user limits. Gatus also offers a managed cloud version with a free trial, priced per endpoint starting around $5 per month. BoxWatch has a free Hobby tier (up to 5 servers) and paid plans starting at $13/mo that cover entire server fleets under a flat fee.