urlwatch vs Distill Web Monitor

Struggling to choose between urlwatch and Distill Web Monitor? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

urlwatch is a Online Services solution with tags like web, monitoring, change-tracking.

It boasts features such as Monitors web pages for changes, Sends notifications when changes are detected, Open source and cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows), Command line interface, Supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and file URLs, Can track changes in content, HTTP status codes, SSL certificates, Highly customizable checks and notifications, Support for hooks to run custom scripts, Built-in support for slack, mail, pushover and other notifications and pros including Free and open source, Lightweight and easy to use, Very customizable and extensible, Cross-platform support, Can integrate with many notification services, Active development and community support.

On the other hand, Distill Web Monitor is a Online Services product tagged with web, monitor, change, detection, tracking, notification, content, update.

Its standout features include Monitors changes to any web page, Sends email or SMS notifications when changes occur, Tracks adds, edits, deletes of text and images, Web dashboard to view monitored pages and changes, Browser extensions for easy page monitoring, RSS feeds of changes, PDF reports of changes, Page screenshot comparisons, Change highlights and annotations, and it shines with pros like Automates web page monitoring, Saves time checking pages manually, Alerts you to important updates quickly, Tracks granular changes, not just whole page changes, Easy to set up and use.

Feature	urlwatch	Distill Web Monitor
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Online Services	Online Services

Product Overview

urlwatch

Description: urlwatch is an open source tool for monitoring web pages for updates. It works by regularly checking URLs and highlighting changes between versions. It can track content changes, response codes, SSL certificate changes and more. It is useful for monitoring websites or APIs for changes.

Distill Web Monitor

Description: Distill Web Monitor is a web page change detection and monitoring tool. It tracks changes to web pages and sends notifications when content is updated, added or removed. Useful for monitoring prices, article updates, job listings etc.

Key Features Comparison

urlwatch Features

• Monitors web pages for changes
• Sends notifications when changes are detected
• Open source and cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows)
• Command line interface
• Supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and file URLs
• Can track changes in content, HTTP status codes, SSL certificates
• Highly customizable checks and notifications
• Support for hooks to run custom scripts
• Built-in support for slack, mail, pushover and other notifications

Distill Web Monitor Features

• Monitors changes to any web page
• Sends email or SMS notifications when changes occur
• Tracks adds, edits, deletes of text and images
• Web dashboard to view monitored pages and changes
• Browser extensions for easy page monitoring
• RSS feeds of changes
• PDF reports of changes
• Page screenshot comparisons
• Change highlights and annotations

Pros & Cons Analysis

urlwatch

Pros

• Free and open source
• Lightweight and easy to use
• Very customizable and extensible
• Cross-platform support
• Can integrate with many notification services
• Active development and community support

Cons

• Primarily designed for command line usage
• Lacks a graphical user interface
• Steeper learning curve than GUI alternatives
• Notifications can be complex to configure
• Not ideal for non-technical users

Distill Web Monitor

Pros

• Automates web page monitoring
• Saves time checking pages manually
• Alerts you to important updates quickly
• Tracks granular changes, not just whole page changes
• Easy to set up and use

Cons

• May miss some minor changes to pages
• Notifications can become noisy if overused
• PDF reports cost extra
• Browser extension only for Chrome

Pricing Comparison

urlwatch

• Open Source
• Free

Distill Web Monitor

• Free
• Freemium
• Subscription-Based