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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDistill’s Free plan is best understood as two kinds of monitors with different limits: up to 25 local monitors and 5 cloud monitors, with cloud checks limited to a six-hour minimum interval and 1,000 checks per month. Local checks can run as often as every five seconds and are unlimited, but they depend on your computer and browser or app being active. Free also includes 2 devices, 30 email alerts, and 100 browser push notifications per month. Distill’s pricing table displays “25” in its monitor row alongside “(5 in cloud),” so distinguish the local and cloud allocations rather than reading 25 as an unqualified total. Distill’s current pricing page is the source of the plan figures; limits can change.
Distill Free plan limits at a glance
| Free-plan resource | Limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Local monitors | 25 | Checks run through your browser or computer; local checks do not use the cloud-check allowance. |
| Cloud monitors | 5 | Checks run on Distill’s servers. The pricing table shows 25 in its monitor row with “(5 in cloud),” while Distill’s summaries describe the allocation as 25 local plus 5 cloud. |
| Minimum cloud interval | 6 hours | Free cloud monitors cannot be scheduled more frequently than once every six hours. |
| Cloud checks | 1,000 per month | Only cloud checks count against this allowance. A check taking up to 10 seconds counts as one; a check taking over 10 but under 20 seconds counts as two. |
| Devices | 2 | Distill’s pricing comparison counts local and dedicated cloud devices as devices. |
| Email alerts | 30 per month | Email actions from both cloud monitors and browser extensions count, so using local checks does not make email alerts unlimited. |
| Browser push notifications | 100 per month | This is a separate monthly notification limit. |
These figures are listed on Distill’s pricing page. Its homepage and features page describe the monitor allocation as 25 local monitors plus 5 cloud monitors. A 2024 Distill support forum answer also confirmed the 25-local-monitor cap at that time; check the pricing page for current limits.
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Local versus cloud monitoring: which should you use?
Choose local monitors for faster checks when your device can stay active
Local monitors check through your browser or computer. Distill documents intervals as short as five seconds and says local checks are unlimited. They are useful when you need faster checks and can keep the relevant device and browser or app active. If that device is asleep, off, or the required app is not running, local checks cannot run. See Distill’s local and cloud monitor comparison and Chrome extension guide for operating details.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Choose cloud monitors for checks while your device is off
Cloud monitors run on Distill’s servers, so they can check while your device is off. On Free, however, their interval cannot be shorter than six hours, and their checks draw from the monthly 1,000-check allowance. A cloud monitor is therefore the fit for unattended monitoring when that cadence and quota are sufficient.
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How Distill counts cloud checks
Distill’s pricing FAQ says a check is counted each time it checks a monitor for changes in cloud. The amount charged to the allowance depends on check duration: a check of up to 10 seconds counts as one, and a check over 10 but under 20 seconds counts as two. Longer checks therefore use the quota faster than one unit per scheduled run. Distill says local checks through its browser extensions or desktop app are unlimited and do not count against cloud checks. See its cloud/local documentation for this distinction.
Do not assume unused resources roll over. Distill says they expire at the end of the current billing period; that is not necessarily a calendar-month reset date for every account. The pricing page is the place to confirm how the current plan is described.
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When Free may not be enough
Check the live Distill pricing comparison if you need more capacity. Its paid tiers vary across these same practical limits:
- Number of monitors and how many can be cloud monitors
- Minimum cloud-check interval
- Monthly cloud-check allowance
- Number of devices
- Monthly email-alert and browser-push limits
Compare the allowance that is actually constraining your setup. For example, switching a monitor from cloud to local may avoid cloud-check usage, but it does not remove the device-availability requirement or the email-alert cap.
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ScreenshotNeo: an alternative for capturing a page, not a change-monitoring replacement
Distill monitors pages for changes; a screenshot API captures a page when requested. If what you need is a visual snapshot rather than recurring change alerts, ScreenshotNeo is an alternative to try first: it removes cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets before capture, and bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are not billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. A one-call example is below; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and setup.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpThe Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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