Hund.io vs. Cachet
This comparison breaks down automation, TCO, and governance so you can choose the right reliability model.
The Bottom Line
Cachet is a long-standing open source project that provides a simple, self-hosted status page. For users with resources and a preference for running their infrastructure, it offers a simple, direct model.
Hund.io, in contrast, is a managed status page platform built for automation, multi-tenancy, and the access controls required by scaling companies, eliminating the operational expense of a self-hosted tool.
At a Glance
| Core Difference | Hund.io: The Automated, Managed Platform | Cachet: The Manual, Self-Hosted System |
|---|---|---|
| Status Determination | Active and Automated, with a built-in global monitoring network. | Passive and Manual, requires external scripts to push updates via API. |
| Reliability and Support | Committed to 99.9%+ Uptime with a formal SLA for all paying customers. | Self-Managed. Your team owns uptime, security, and maintenance. |
| Team Scalability | Multi-Tenant, with granular RBAC and multiple pages. | Single-Page by design, with a simple user model. |
| Incident Workflow | Rich and Flexible, with custom statuses, postmortems, and bulletins. | Simple and Fixed, with predefined statuses. |
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Understanding the Landscape
Cachet is a widely recognized open-source status page, valued by teams who require complete control over their hosting environment and have the engineering capacity to manage a self-hosted application. It provides a foundation for manual status reporting.
Hund.io is a managed platform built on a simple premise: your status page shouldn’t become an incident itself. We handle the infrastructure, security, and uptime (backed by an SLA), so your team can focus on clear communication, not server maintenance.
Deep-Dive Comparison: The Core Philosophies
Automation and Monitoring
Cachet records pushed statuses, usually from a script or external system. It does not perform monitoring on its own.
Hund.io determines and communicates status. A Watchdog supports each Component, which specifies how it is monitored. This can come from our global monitoring network, a third-party service, or a webhook heartbeat. For a business, the implication is that Hund.io reduces the need for glue code and provides real time, accurate automation out-of-the-box.
Incident Lifecycle Management
Cachet models incidents and schedules as separate top-level resources with fixed statuses.
Hund.io treats incidents (“Issues”) as containers that evolve with timestamped updates, effective dating, and specialized types, like “Maintenance,” “Informational,” or “Retrospective.” Custom statuses and overrides let teams tailor communication to their audience. This detailed lifecycle results in clearer communication, reducing customer support tickets and providing accurate records.
Governance and Scale
Cachet is a single page by design, with a simple user model and no concept of RBAC, audit logs, or SLAs.
Hund.io caters to scaling organizations by offering features such as multi-page accounts, granular role-based access, immutable audit trails, curated subscriptions, and formal SLA commitments. These features matter when incident communication becomes a cross-team responsibility, not just a developer side project.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hund | Cachet |
|---|---|---|
| Core Status Page Features | ||
| Multiple Status Pages | ($) | |
| Built-in Monitoring | ||
| Free Custom Domain Cachet: dependent on your self-hosted setup | ||
| Free Custom CSS/HTML/JS | ||
| Page Inheritance | ||
| Live Status Widget | ||
| Incident Management and Workflow | ||
| Scheduled Maintenance | ||
| Custom Statuses | ||
| Postmortems | ||
| Information Bulletins | ||
| Alerting Levels | ||
| On-Call Escalations and Scheduling | (Planned) | |
| Automation and Developer Experience | ||
| Comprehensive API | ||
| Official Terraform Provider | ||
| “Dead Man’s Switch” Webhook | ||
| High Frequency Monitoring | ($) | |
| Transaction Monitoring | (Planned) | |
| Enterprise and Governance | ||
| SLA | (99.9%+) | |
| Granular RBAC | ||
| Audit Logs | ||
| Private Pages Cachet: possible with a self-managed reverse proxy, not native | ($) | |
| Granular Privacy Included in Hund’s Privacy Control upgrade | ||
| One-Click Secure Access Included in Hund’s Privacy Control upgrade | ||
| SSO (SAML/OIDC) Cachet: Requires external tooling like an authenticating proxy | ($) | |
| Secure Page Embedding | ($) | |
| Granular Uptime Reporting | ||
| Curated Subscriptions | ||
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Pricing and Value Analysis
Cachet is free to download and use, but requires a server, ongoing maintenance, and developer effort to extend. Hund.io uses a transparent usage-based model designed for predictable scaling.
Hund.io Pricing Highlights:
- Base page: $29/month (20 components included)
- Component packs: from $29/month per 20
- Private Pages: $70/month add-on
- SSO: $100/month account-wide add-on
- Audit logs: included at no extra cost
Cachet Pricing Highlights:
Cachet is open-source software and is free to download and use. However, its “price” comes in the form of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which includes:
- Infrastructure costs
- Third-party services (e.g. email delivery)
- Engineering time (setup, hardening, updates, and ongoing maintenance)
- Hund.io: $29 (base) + $70 (Privacy Controls) + $100 (SSO) = $199/month
- Cachet: $0 (software) + $10-$50/month (hosting) + third-party services (email) + X hours of employee time = varies
For organizations that value efficiency and operational strength, Hund.io’s clear pricing model provides a lower TCO and higher strategic value by eliminating the costs of maintaining a self-hosted tool.
The Final Verdict
Choose Cachet if…
You want a free, open source project for a single, self-hosted status page. Your team has the bandwidth to manage infrastructure, customize features, and accept the trade-offs of limited automation and governance.
Choose Hund if…
You want a managed, purpose-built platform for reliable incident communication at scale. Hund.io excels for teams who value automation, robust incident lifecycles, and require the SLA, audit logs, and access controls of a managed service, without the hidden costs of maintaining your infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cachet truly free?
The Cachet software license is free. However, running it effectively isn’t. You must account for the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which includes ongoing costs for hosting and email services, as well as the internal cost of time for setup, maintenance, and security.
How does Hund.io’s incident automation work compared to Cachet?
Hund.io is built for automation. Our “Watchdogs” actively monitor your services. Cachet is a passive system; it relies entirely on external scripts and tools that you must build and maintain in order to push status updates to its API.
Can I migrate my incident history from Cachet to Hund.io?
Yes. Hund.io provides a comprehensive, well-documented REST API. While there is no direct, one-click importer, you can easily write a script to pull historical incident data from your Cachet instance and push it into Hund.io, preserving your valuable operational history.
This comparison is based on publicly available information as of September 2025. Features, pricing, and product capabilities may change over time. While we aim to ensure accuracy, readers should confirm the latest details directly with each vendor. All product names and logos are the property of their respective owners.
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