What is Checkly?
Checkly is a developer-focused API and browser monitoring SaaS, founded around 2018, that lets teams write checks as code (JavaScript/TypeScript with Playwright for browser checks). It runs scheduled API uptime checks, browser-based end-to-end checks, and emits alerts via Slack, PagerDuty, email, and webhooks. Pricing scales by check count + run frequency.
Checkly is well-regarded by engineering teams who like the "monitoring as code" model: checks live in your repo, get reviewed in PRs, and deploy through CI. The product is actively developed, modern, and integrates well with Vercel, Netlify, and other JAMstack stacks.
When Checkly is the right tool
Checkly fits these workflows well:
- Modern monitoring-as-code workflows. If your team wants checks defined in JavaScript/TypeScript, version-controlled, and PR-reviewed, Checkly's model is purpose-built.
- Playwright-based browser checks. Real Chromium browser end-to-end checks with screenshots, traces, and timing breakdowns.
- API uptime + assertion monitoring. HTTP/REST endpoint checks with response-body assertions, scheduled at intervals down to ~1 minute.
- Engineering-team integrations. Vercel, Netlify, GitHub, Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty.
Where Checkly stops being enough
Checkly is excellent at what it does, but it's narrowly focused on uptime/availability monitoring. Several gaps show up when you need broader performance testing:
- No load testing. Checkly measures whether your API responds correctly under normal conditions. It cannot simulate concurrent users hitting your API or pages under load.
- No native page speed monitoring. Browser checks measure end-to-end timing but aren't a replacement for dedicated CWV/Lighthouse monitoring with budgets and trend graphs.
- Pricing scales with check count. Teams with many endpoints + multiple regions can see costs grow linearly.
- No JMX/k6 script execution. Modern engineering teams often have existing JMeter or k6 scripts. Checkly doesn't run those formats.
LoadFocus vs Checkly: feature comparison
The table below compares LoadFocus against Checkly's standard team plan. Pricing accurate as of June 2026.
| Feature | LoadFocus | Checkly |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free tier; Starter $19/mo ($15.80/mo billed yearly); Professional $40/mo ($33.30/mo billed yearly) | Free Hobby tier; Starter $24/mo, Team $64/mo |
| API check runs included | 25,000/mo on Starter; 100,000/mo on Professional | 25,000/mo on Starter; 100,000/mo on Team |
| Overage price | $1 per extra 10,000 checks | $1.80 to $2.60 per extra 10,000 checks |
| Raw result retention | 12 months | 7 days on Hobby and Starter, 30 days on Team |
| API monitoring | Yes | Yes (specialty) |
| SSL certificate expiry monitoring | Yes, every plan including free (warnings at 14, 7 and 3 days before expiry) | Yes |
| Browser/E2E monitoring | Yes | Yes (Playwright-based) |
| Page speed monitoring (CWV) | Yes | Limited (via browser checks) |
| Load testing | Yes (up to 12,500 VUs) | No |
| JMeter (.jmx) script support | Yes (native) | No |
| k6 (.js) script support | Yes (native) | No |
| Test locations | 25+ globally, on every plan including free | 22 on Team and Enterprise; 6 on Hobby and Starter |
| Check-as-code (JavaScript) | Limited | Yes (specialty) |
| Slack/PagerDuty alerts | Yes | Yes |
| CI/CD integration | Yes (CLI + GitHub Action) | Yes (CLI + GitHub Action) |
| AI-generated analysis | Yes (all plans) | No |
| Combined platform (monitoring + load testing) | Yes | Monitoring only |
When LoadFocus is the right upgrade from Checkly
Checkly and LoadFocus solve overlapping but different problems. The decision depends on whether you need monitoring alone or monitoring plus load testing.
You need load testing alongside monitoring
Checkly tells you whether your API responds correctly under normal traffic. It can't tell you what happens when 1,000 users hit it simultaneously. LoadFocus combines both: same dashboard, same alerts, same account.
You want dedicated page speed monitoring with CWV budgets
Checkly's browser checks measure E2E timing but aren't a Lighthouse-based CWV monitor with budgets and trend graphs. LoadFocus's page speed monitoring is purpose-built for that.
You have existing JMeter or k6 scripts
Checkly doesn't run .jmx or .js k6 scripts. LoadFocus runs both natively, which matters if your team has invested in those formats.
You want consolidated billing
Many teams using Checkly also pay for k6 Cloud or BlazeMeter for load testing. LoadFocus consolidates monitoring + load testing on one platform with one subscription.
You want AI-assisted analysis
LoadFocus includes AI-generated waterfall analysis on all plans: paste in a slow trace and get prioritized optimization suggestions. Checkly presents the data; LoadFocus interprets it.
Migration from Checkly
- Sign up at loadfocus.com/signup.
- Add the API endpoints you currently monitor in Checkly to LoadFocus's API monitoring.
- Replicate your Checkly schedule (LoadFocus supports schedules down to every minute on any paid plan).
- Configure response-body assertions to match what you assert in Checkly.
- Optionally extend with load testing or page speed monitoring on the same account.
Many teams keep Checkly for their browser-as-code E2E flows and add LoadFocus for load testing, and the two coexist well.
FAQ: LoadFocus vs Checkly
Can LoadFocus replace Checkly's API monitoring?
Yes. LoadFocus supports HTTP/REST endpoint monitoring with assertions, scheduled at intervals down to every minute on any paid plan, with alerts via Slack, email, and webhooks.
Does LoadFocus support Playwright-style browser checks?
LoadFocus's page speed monitoring uses real Chromium for measurement. For complex multi-step E2E flows defined as code, Checkly's Playwright-based model is more flexible, and many teams use both.
How does pricing compare?
Checkly's Starter plan is $24/month with 25,000 API check runs; the Team plan is $64/month with 100,000. LoadFocus Starter undercuts it at $19/month (or $15.80/month billed yearly) with the same 25,000 checks at 1-minute frequency, and Professional includes 100,000 API checks for $40/month ($33.30/month billed yearly). Overage costs $1 per 10,000 checks versus $1.80 to $2.60 at Checkly. The total-cost comparison depends on how many monitoring categories you need (Checkly is monitoring-only; LoadFocus adds load testing).
Can I use both tools in parallel?
Yes. Many teams use Checkly for sophisticated browser-as-code E2E flows and LoadFocus for load testing + page speed monitoring + simpler API checks. The two coexist well.
Does LoadFocus support monitoring-as-code?
LoadFocus's primary check definition is via web UI rather than code. For teams who need version-controlled check definitions, Checkly's model remains better-suited; LoadFocus is moving toward broader Terraform/CLI configuration over time.
Try LoadFocus free
If you're using Checkly for monitoring and looking to add load testing without spinning up another vendor, LoadFocus consolidates the toolchain. Sign up for a free tier at loadfocus.com/signup, no credit card needed, and run your first cloud load test alongside your existing Checkly setup.
