Both monitor user flows. One requires coding, one doesn't. Here's everything you need to know.
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Two philosophies for the same goal
Code-First Approach
const { test } = require('@playwright/test');
test('checkout flow', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('https://shop.com');
await page.click('[data-test="add-to-cart"]');
await page.fill('#email', 'test@test.com');
await page.fill('#card', '4242424242424242');
await page.click('button[type="submit"]');
await page.waitForSelector('.success');
// ... 50 more lines
});Write Playwright scripts, version control them, run in CI/CD
Visual-First Approach
Recording clicks...
Click through your site once, we record it automatically
Side-by-side breakdown
| Feature | PerkyDash | Checkly |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & Learning | ||
| Coding required | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Playwright) |
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 1-2 hours |
| Learning curve | Low | Medium-High |
| Monitoring Types | ||
| Process/flow monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Uptime monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| API monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Visual diff monitoring | ✅ | ❌ |
| SSL monitoring | ✅ | ❌ |
| Heartbeat/cron monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Status Pages | ||
| Built-in status pages | ✅ | ✅ |
| Emergency status page tool | ✅ | ❌ |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | $9.99/mo | $0 (limited) |
| Pro equivalent | $9.99/mo | $24/mo |
| Team/Agency | $39.99/mo | $64/mo |
| Pricing model | Flat | Per-check runs |
| Browser check runs | Unlimited | Limited by plan |
| Advanced | ||
| CI/CD integration | Basic | Advanced |
| Monitoring as code | ❌ | ✅ |
| Private locations | ❌ | ✅ |
| Playwright scripting | ❌ | ✅ |
| Best For | ||
| Non-technical users | ✅ | ❌ |
| Developer teams | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ |
| Agencies | ✅ | ⚠️ |
| Enterprise DevOps | ❌ | ✅ |
Understanding the cost models
Pro: $9.99/mo
Agency: $39.99/mo
No surprises. No overage charges. Pay one price, check as often as needed.
Free Tier
Starter: $24/mo
Team: $64/mo
Usage-based. Need more checks? Pay for additional runs.
If you run checks frequently (every 5 minutes across multiple flows), Checkly costs can add up with overage charges. PerkyDash flat pricing means predictable bills — no surprises at month-end.
Real scenarios, honest recommendations
"I'm a solo founder with an e-commerce site"
Winner: PerkyDash
No coding needed. Monitor checkout in 5 minutes. Status page included. Focus on your business, not learning Playwright.
"I'm a developer who wants monitoring in my GitHub workflow"
Winner: Checkly
Monitoring-as-code, Playwright native, CI/CD integration. Version control your checks alongside your code.
"I run an agency managing 20+ client sites"
Winner: PerkyDash
Visual recorder scales better than writing 20 different scripts. White-label status pages included. Client views for easy reporting.
"I'm a DevOps engineer at a startup"
Winner: Depends
Checkly if you want code control and CI/CD integration. PerkyDash if non-technical team members (PMs, marketing) need monitoring access.
Being honest about trade-offs
Checkly's Playwright integration is best-in-class for developers. Full access to the Playwright API means you can script complex scenarios with precision.
If your team uses CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code, Checkly fits naturally. Version control your monitors, run them in pull requests, and manage everything from your repo.
Need to monitor internal services behind a firewall? Checkly offers private locations. PerkyDash currently only supports public-facing sites.
Complex authentication flows, dynamic data extraction, custom assertions — if you need this level of control, Checkly's scripting gives you that power.
Bottom line: If you're a developer who wants maximum control and loves writing code, Checkly is excellent. PerkyDash is for everyone else who just wants monitoring that works without the scripting overhead.
If you've realized scripting is too much overhead, PerkyDash makes it easy to recreate your monitors visually. Most users migrate in an afternoon — just click through your flows once and you're done.
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