SignalWatch
Distill.io alternative
Cloud monitors for public pages. The alert is a diff, delivered where your team already is.
Distill is a capable, extension-first product: it can watch tabs you are logged into and pick elements visually. SignalWatch trades that for a smaller, sharper scope: public URLs, checked from our servers on a schedule, with the text diff delivered by email, Slack, Discord or a signed webhook — on every plan, including free.
| Need | SignalWatch | Distill.io |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Our servers, on a schedule, always | Cloud monitors on paid tiers; browser extension for local/logged-in pages |
| Logged-in pages | No | Yes, via the extension |
| Selecting the region | CSS selector (type it) + ignore regex + minimum-change filter | Visual picker in the extension |
| Alerts on free tier | Email, Slack, Discord, signed JSON webhook | Email/push; Slack, webhooks and API on higher tiers |
| Diff in the alert | Unified text diff + changed % | Text/visual diff in app and email |
| Automation | REST API, per-monitor event history, HMAC-signed webhooks with retries | Webhooks and API on paid plans |
| Price | Free · Pro $12/mo or $79/yr · Business $29/mo or $199/yr | Free (local only) then tiered by monthly checks |
Choose SignalWatch when
- The page is public and you want it watched whether or not your browser is open.
- The alert needs to go somewhere: a Slack channel, a Discord server, n8n, a ticket queue, your own service.
- You create monitors from code — dozens of competitor pages, a list of vendor status URLs, every changelog you depend on.
- You want Slack and webhooks on day one without picking a tier for them.
Stay on Distill when
- You need to watch pages behind your own login, or on your intranet.
- You prefer pointing and clicking at the element instead of writing
#pricing .plan-price. - You want visual (screenshot) diffs rather than text diffs.
Moving a watch list over
For each Distill monitor you keep, note the URL and (if you used one) the CSS selector. Create the equivalents with the API or curl, tick “Email me” and/or paste a Slack webhook, and press Send test alert to confirm delivery. Free covers 3; Pro covers 50 with 5-minute checks.
FAQ
Is SignalWatch a Distill.io alternative?
For cloud monitoring of public pages, yes. Distill's extension watches logged-in and local tabs; SignalWatch is cloud-only and public-URL-only, with an API and signed webhooks.
Does SignalWatch have a Chrome extension?
No. Monitors run on our servers regardless of whether your browser is open. Create them in the dashboard or with the REST API.
How does pricing compare?
SignalWatch Free includes 3 cloud monitors with email and webhooks. Pro is $12/month or $79/year for 50 monitors at 5 minutes. Distill's cloud plans are priced by check volume with Slack and API on higher tiers.