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.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

urlwatch

urlwatch

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.

Categories:
web monitoring change-tracking

Urlwatch Features

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

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

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

Distill Web Monitor

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.

Categories:
web monitor change detection tracking notification content update

Distill Web Monitor Features

  1. Monitors changes to any web page
  2. Sends email or SMS notifications when changes occur
  3. Tracks adds, edits, deletes of text and images
  4. Web dashboard to view monitored pages and changes
  5. Browser extensions for easy page monitoring
  6. RSS feeds of changes
  7. PDF reports of changes
  8. Page screenshot comparisons
  9. Change highlights and annotations

Pricing

  • Free
  • Freemium
  • Subscription-Based

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