Instatus is $20/mo (Starter). Paddock is a self-hosted alternative at $0.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.
| Paddock | Instatus | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, your infra | Managed SaaS (cloud only) |
| Data location | Your server, your disk | Instatus's cloud |
| Free tier | 3 components | Paid only |
| Pro pricing | $0.99/mo | $20/mo (Starter) |
| Dependencies | None (single binary + SQLite) | N/A (managed) |
| Setup time | ~30 seconds | Account signup |
| Dashboard | Built-in at /ui | Cloud dashboard |
| License | BSL 1.1 | Proprietary SaaS |
Paddock is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.
curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/paddock/install.sh | sh
The decision between Paddock and Instatus usually comes down to one question: do you need the breadth of features that Instatus offers, or would a focused tool that stays out of your way be a better fit? Instatus has spent years building an ecosystem around public status page. Paddock does one thing well and gives you complete control of the underlying data.
The operational difference is significant. Instatus requires you to trust their infrastructure, their security practices, and their business continuity. Paddock requires you to run a process and keep the data directory backed up. If your server dies, restore the binary and the SQLite file to a new server. The entire recovery procedure fits in a single paragraph because there is nothing else involved.
Switching from Instatus to Paddock is straightforward for most teams. Export your data from Instatus (most services offer CSV or JSON export), then POST each record to Paddock's API. A migration script that reads the export and writes to /api/ endpoints typically takes less than 50 lines of code. The reverse migration is equally simple — Paddock's SQLite database is a standard file you can query with any SQLite client.
Single binary. Free to start. $0.99/mo for Pro.