Checkmate

Checkmate is an open-source monitoring dashboard for operators who want service checks, infrastructure metrics and PageSpeed tracking in one self-hosted system. It is a strong fit when control and broad monitoring matter more than managed operations; teams that want a hosted service should look elsewhere.

Overview

Checkmate brings uptime checks, server health, web performance and incident communication together. Checks cover HTTP, ping, TCP, gRPC, WebSocket, DNS, SSL and more than 100 game server types, giving operators room to monitor varied services rather than just websites. The breadth is useful, but it also means deployment and ongoing operation sit with the user.

Its Capture agent reports CPU, memory, disk, temperature and network metrics from servers. PageSpeed tracking follows Lighthouse scores and Core Web Vitals over time, while public status pages can show service uptime and incident history with custom branding. Together these make Checkmate relevant to teams that want a common view of service availability, infrastructure and web performance.

The maker says metrics, logs, incidents and user accounts remain in the database configured by the operator, with no phone-home or telemetry pipeline. Checkmate is AGPL-3.0 licensed, and its source can be read, forked and audited. That is meaningful control for privacy-conscious operators and open-source maintainers, but not a substitute for managed hosting.

Key features

• Service monitoring: Support for several protocols, SSL and game servers makes the checks useful across mixed services. Agentless monitoring is supported, though the facts do not define which checks require an agent.
• Infrastructure metrics: Capture reports core server measurements, including temperature. This suits sysadmins and DevOps teams who want host health alongside uptime, rather than a service-only view.
• PageSpeed history: Lighthouse scores and Core Web Vitals are tracked over time, giving web teams a way to follow performance changes as well as availability.
• Status pages and alerts: Public dashboards can present per-service uptime and incident history with custom branding. Alerts can reach email, Slack, Discord, Telegram, Twilio SMS, Pushover, ntfy, Matrix, Rocket.Chat, PagerDuty, Microsoft Teams and webhooks.
• Deployment and API: Docker Compose installation is documented, with Kubernetes/Helm deployment also listed. The image runs on x86, Apple Silicon and Raspberry Pi. A JSON-accepting API supports bulk monitor setup and has a REST reference; these options help operators automate setup, but do not remove deployment work.

Pricing

Free — free. The plan includes all features, no monitor limits, self-hosting and 12 alert channels. VM and service monitoring are included. There is no free trial because the product is free, and no separate paid tier is given. The lack of monitor caps makes it practical for expanding deployments, but the price is exchanged for operator effort rather than managed cloud service.

There is no paid support tier. The maker points users to Discord for the fastest help and GitHub issues for bugs and feature requests, so organizations needing contracted support should factor that into their choice.

Platforms

Checkmate is available for API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows environments. The documented deployment paths include Docker Compose and Kubernetes/Helm, and the image supports x86, Apple Silicon and Raspberry Pi. This range accommodates varied operator environments, though users remain responsible for running the system.

Who it's for

Checkmate suits homelab operators, SaaS founders, agencies, sysadmins and DevOps teams, e-commerce operators, and open-source maintainers who want broad monitoring without per-monitor limits. Its data-control model also appeals to teams that prefer metrics and incident records to stay in their own configured database. It is a poor fit for buyers who want managed cloud monitoring or an imported migration: there is no one-click migration import.

Pros and cons

• Pro: The free plan includes every feature with no monitor limits, so monitoring scale does not trigger a listed plan cap.
• Pro: Checks, server metrics, PageSpeed tracking, status pages and 12 alert channels cover several operational needs in one system.
• Pro: Operator-configured storage and the absence of a phone-home or telemetry pipeline provide direct control over monitoring data.
• Con: Self-hosting means users handle deployment and upkeep instead of relying on managed cloud.
• Con: There is no one-click migration import, which makes switching more manual.
• Con: Support is community-oriented, with no paid support tier for teams that need a contracted option.

Alternatives

• Dotcom-Monitor is a web, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android option with a free plan capped at 25 targets, five-minute minimum frequency, two locations and email alerts. Choose it if those stated limits suit you and you prefer its listed platform range.
• HetrixTools offers a free-for-life plan with 15 uptime monitors, 15 server monitors, one-minute checks and four locations. It is a better match when those caps and locations meet your needs.
• openstatus has a free Hobby plan limited to one monitor, one status page, three components and ten-minute minimum checks, plus a listed $30.00 U plan. Consider it when its plan structure is a closer fit.
• Better Uptime offers a free personal-project plan with 10 monitors and heartbeats, one status page, and Slack and email alerts. Choose it when those limits and its web, iOS and Android platforms suit the project.
• SolidPing lists a free-forever plan with five team members, 10 check executions per minute, 100 monitors and one private-location agent. It may fit teams that need those specific caps and a private-location agent.
• Spectate has a Hobby plan with five monitors or servers and one status page, while its Solo plan is $12 a month, billed $144 billed yearly. Consider it if that smaller plan scale fits your project.
• Statping-ng is another free, open-source, self-hosted option for readers comparing self-managed monitoring tools.
• StatusBot is another alternative to consider.

For category browsing, see Uptime Monitoring Software, Infrastructure Monitoring, DNS Monitoring Software and Container Monitoring.

Verdict

Choose Checkmate if you want a free, unrestricted monitoring dashboard, broad check coverage and control over where monitoring data lives—and are prepared to deploy and maintain it yourself. Its combination of service, server and PageSpeed monitoring is the main reason to choose it; the absence of managed cloud and one-click migration is the clearest reason to look elsewhere.