changedetection.io vs Distill.io
The two technical favorites, compared honestly.
By the URL Love It team · Updated July 3, 2026
Ask a developer how to watch a web page and you'll hear these two names. changedetection.io is the open-source route: self-host it with Docker and monitor unlimited pages for free, or use the inexpensive hosted version. Distill.io is the precision route: element-level tracking with CSS/XPath selectors, checks that can run locally in your own browser, and alerts by email, SMS, and push.
Both are excellent for technical users, and they fail in different places. Here's the honest breakdown, plus a third option if the pages you're watching belong to a business rather than a hobby.
About changedetection.io
Open-source change detection you can self-host (unlimited, free) or use hosted, with CSS/XPath filtering, browser-rendered checks, and a very long list of notification integrations.
About Distill.io
A precision change monitor for technical users: element-level tracking via CSS/XPath selectors, cloud or local in-browser monitoring, and alerts by email, SMS, and push.
Key differences
| changedetection.io | Distill.io | |
|---|---|---|
|
Hosting model
|
Self-hosted or hosted | Cloud + local browser extension |
|
Cost of entry
|
Free (self-hosted) | Free local tier; cheap paid plans |
|
Open source
|
||
|
Element-level selectors
|
||
|
Runs without your own server
|
Hosted plan only | |
|
Behind-login monitoring
|
Possible with setup | Local mode, straightforward |
|
Alert channels
|
Very broad (integrations) | Email, SMS, push |
|
Maintenance burden
|
Server + filters | Selectors |
What changedetection.io is best for
-
Self-hosters who want unlimited monitoring at zero software cost -
Full data ownership and an auditable open-source stack -
Piping alerts into almost any notification service -
Tinkering: filters, browser steps, and community extensions
What Distill.io is best for
-
Watching one exact element: a price, a number, a table cell -
Monitoring pages behind logins via local, in-browser checks -
Fast setup without running any infrastructure -
Mobile push and SMS alerting out of the box
Which should you choose?
Choose changedetection.io if you're comfortable operating software: Docker on a small server buys you unlimited monitors, total data ownership, and an open-source stack you can bend however you like.
Choose Distill.io if you want precision without infrastructure: define exactly which element to watch, run checks locally when a login is involved, and get pinged on your phone. You'll pay a little, and you'll own the selectors.
A fair rule of thumb: changedetection.io if you'd enjoy running it, Distill if you'd rather configure than operate.
Limitations of both tools
-
Both put you in the maintenance seat: self-hosted servers and CSS/XPath selectors all break silently over time, especially when sites redesign. -
Both deliver raw diffs: neither says whether a change matters, so triage stays a human job. -
Noise is handled manually in both: filters, thresholds, and selector scoping that you write and tune per page. -
Neither is organized for competitive work: no per-brand timelines, no automatic discovery of the pages tied to your business.
A third option
If you're watching business pages, consider URL Love It
changedetection.io and Distill are built for people who like configuring monitoring. URL Love It is built for teams who just need the outcome: know when a page tied to revenue changes, without running servers or maintaining selectors.
It captures full-page snapshots as often as every 15 minutes, detects visual, text, and CTA changes, scores each Critical / High / Medium with AI, filters noise like cookie banners and A/B flicker automatically, auto-discovers your ad landing pages from Meta, and organizes everything into per-brand timelines.
-
Nothing to host, no selectors to maintain -
AI severity scoring and automatic noise filtering -
Meta Ads auto-discovery of your landing pages -
Per-brand competitor timelines with email and Slack alerts
Bottom line
changedetection.io and Distill.io are the two best technical answers in the category: one optimizes for ownership, the other for precision. If you're a developer watching pages you care about personally, you'll be happy with either. If the watching is for a business, be honest about who maintains the server, the filters, and the selectors in six months. If the answer is "nobody wants to," that's what URL Love It is for.
Frequently asked questions
Is changedetection.io really free?
The software is open source and free to self-host with unlimited monitors; you provide the server and upkeep. A paid hosted version exists if you'd rather not run it.
Which is better for monitoring pages behind a login?
Distill.io's local, in-browser monitoring is the more straightforward path for authenticated pages. changedetection.io can be configured for logins too, but it takes more setup.
Which is easier for a non-technical person?
Honestly, neither is aimed at non-technical users: changedetection.io assumes you can run software, and Distill assumes you can write selectors. For a no-setup experience, look at Visualping for casual use or URL Love It for business monitoring.
Do selectors and filters really break?
Yes, silently: when a site's markup changes, a selector can keep "working" while watching nothing. It's the classic failure mode of element-based monitoring in both tools, and the reason full-page approaches exist.
What does URL Love It add over both?
The judgment layer and the zero-ops model: AI-scored severity, automatic noise filtering, Meta Ads page discovery, and per-brand timelines, with nothing to host or maintain. Join the waitlist for early access.
More comparisons