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Upstat vs ilert

Move from alert routing to complete incident operations—monitoring, response, and dashboards included.

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Executive Snapshot

ilert routes alerts. Upstat powers the entire incident workflow.

ilert excels at aggregating alerts from 100+ monitoring sources with AI-powered routing, but teams still need separate tools for monitoring, operational dashboards, runbooks, and status communication. Upstat consolidates all of these into one platform.

Fewer integrations mean faster incident detection, reduced context-switching during response, and predictable budgets without layering on additional subscriptions.

More than alert routing

Upstat replaces ilert plus the surrounding stack—native monitoring, entity dashboards, runbooks, and integrated status pages. Responders get complete operational context without switching tools.

Capability comparison

Platform focus

Upstat

Integrated monitoring, incident coordination, automations, runbooks, and operational dashboards.

ilert

Alert aggregation and on-call management with AI-powered routing; relies on external monitoring sources.

Monitoring

Upstat

Native uptime and API checks powering automations and incident creation.

ilert

No built-in monitoring—aggregates alerts from 100+ external monitoring integrations.

Incident Response

Upstat

Kanban/list views, rich timelines, role assignments, and workflow automations in one workspace.

ilert

Alert timelines and basic incident tracking; deeper coordination often lives in ChatOps or external docs.

Automations & Runbooks

Upstat

No-code workflows and runbooks linked to incidents and monitors.

ilert

AI-powered alert routing and escalation automation; runbooks require external tooling.

Entity Intelligence

Upstat

Operational dashboards show ownership, dependencies, impact, and history for every service.

ilert

Service catalog primarily supports alert routing context; lacks live dependency mapping and dashboards.

Status Communication

Upstat

Customer and internal status pages update directly from incidents and monitors.

ilert

Status pages available but require separate configuration from incident workflows.

Pricing Model

Upstat

Predictable $29 / $49 per-user plans with every module included.

ilert

Free tier for 5 users, then $19/user (Pro) or $39/user (Scale); AI features included in all paid plans.

From detection through resolution in one workspace

  • Native monitoring eliminates external dependencies

    Upstat includes uptime, API, and heartbeat monitoring integrated with incident workflows. ilert requires external monitoring sources—Upstat provides them natively.

  • Entity dashboards surface operational context

    View ownership, dependencies, impact analysis, and incident history for every service. ilert focuses on routing alerts—Upstat provides the dashboards responders need during incidents.

  • Runbooks and workflows embedded in the platform

    Execute response procedures, automate notifications, and track progress without external tooling. All incident coordination happens in one workspace.

Learn more about From detection through resolution in one workspace

Consolidate alert routing and monitoring in one platform

Upstat helps you move from alert aggregation to full incident operations. Follow this migration checklist to preserve your escalation policies while adding integrated monitoring and dashboards.

  • 1
    Document ilert escalation policies, alert routing rules, and on-call schedules.
  • 2
    Configure equivalent services in Upstat and enable native monitors for critical endpoints.
  • 3
    Rebuild alert workflows using Upstat automations so notifications and escalations stay centralized.
  • 4
    Test incident creation, on-call routing, and notification delivery in parallel with ilert.
  • 5
    Cut over schedules, retire external monitoring subscriptions, and consolidate to a single platform.

Migration checklist

Replicate escalation policies, configure native monitors, and retire external subscriptions incrementally to reduce tool sprawl.

Learn more about Consolidate alert routing and monitoring in one platform

Build the executive business case

  • Beyond alert routing

    Alert routing solves notification delivery, but incidents require coordination, context, and communication. Upstat shows the full value: reduced MTTR through integrated monitoring, eliminated tool sprawl, and predictable pricing.

  • Executive presentation

    Share the scenario below with finance to demonstrate how consolidating alert routing and incident operations delivers measurable ROI beyond notification infrastructure.

Alert routing cost scenario

Routing alerts fast is good—resolving incidents faster is better.

Consider a 20-person engineering team handling 14 major incidents per year. Alert routing is efficient, but responders still switch between monitoring dashboards, documentation, and status tools during response.

  • Baseline

    14 incidents annually. Context-switching and manual coordination adds 12 minutes per incident. Revenue at risk: $8,000 per hour. Engineering cost: $115/hour.

  • ilert stack

    $4,500/year in external monitoring plus ilert subscription. Revenue impact: ~$22,400 from fragmented tools and context-switching delays.

  • Upstat outcome

    Eliminate external monitoring subscriptions and reduce coordination overhead by 40% with integrated dashboards, protecting ~$8,900 in revenue while consolidating tool spend.

Tool costs

$4,500 → $0

External monitoring subscriptions eliminated with Upstat native monitoring.

Tool savings: $4,500/year

Downtime impact

$22,400 → $13,500

40% faster MTTR from unified monitoring, dashboards, and incident workflows.

Revenue protected: $8,900/year

Total annual savings

$13,400

Tool consolidation ($4,500) + faster incident resolution ($8,900).

* Estimates based on 20 responders, $8k/hour revenue at risk, $115/hour engineering cost, and $4.5k/year in external monitoring. Adjust to match your environment before presenting to finance.

Frequently asked questions

Teams evaluating ilert alternatives want to understand how Upstat compares for alert management, monitoring integration, and total cost of ownership.

What does Upstat provide that ilert does not?

Upstat includes native monitoring (uptime, API, heartbeat checks), entity-based operational dashboards with dependency mapping, and integrated runbooks. ilert focuses on alert aggregation and intelligent routing from external monitoring sources. Upstat is a complete incident operations platform—monitoring through resolution—while ilert specializes in alert routing and on-call management.

Can we keep our existing monitoring tools and use Upstat?

Yes. Upstat integrates with external monitoring via webhooks and APIs, similar to ilert. However, Upstat also provides native monitoring, so teams often consolidate to eliminate redundant subscriptions. You can start by integrating existing monitors and gradually migrate to Upstat's built-in monitoring over time.

How does Upstat pricing compare to ilert?

Upstat charges $29 (Teams) or $49 (Business) per user with all features included—monitoring, incidents, on-call, automations, runbooks, and status pages. ilert offers a free tier for 5 users, then $19/user (Pro) or $39/user (Scale) with AI features included in paid plans. When comparing total costs, account for external monitoring subscriptions ilert requires but Upstat includes natively.

How complex is migrating from ilert to Upstat?

Teams can complete the migration in 1-2 weeks. The process involves documenting your current escalation policies and on-call schedules, recreating alert routing rules in Upstat workflows, configuring native monitors to replace external integrations, and testing notification delivery. Upstat provides migration assistance to replicate your ilert setup while adding integrated monitoring and operational dashboards.

Ready to move from alert routing to complete incident operations?

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