Distill io Local vs Cloud Monitor: Key Differences
Distill.io lets you track changes on any webpage, and the main choice you face is whether to run that monitoring from your own computer (local monitor) or from Distill.io’s servers (cloud monitor). The short answer: a local monitor runs only while your browser or app is open on your device, while a cloud monitor runs 24/7 on Distill.io’s servers, so it can check pages even when you’re offline. This article explains how each mode works, what they cost, and which one fits different use cases.
What Is a Local Monitor?
A local monitor is a change-detection task that runs on your own device—typically through the Distill.io browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or the desktop app. You select a portion of a webpage, set a check interval (e.g., every 5 minutes or every hour), and the extension fetches that page from your browser’s network connection. The results are stored locally on your machine.
Key characteristics:
- Requires your device to be on and awake—if your laptop sleeps, the monitor pauses.
- Uses your internet bandwidth for each check.
- Free for a limited number of monitors (typically 5–10 with the free tier, depending on the version).
- No server-side storage—your watchlist and history live in the browser’s local storage.
Because the check happens on your machine, you can monitor pages that are behind a login you already have in that browser—like a private dashboard or a members-only forum—without sharing credentials with a third-party server.
What Is a Cloud Monitor?
A cloud monitor runs on Distill.io’s infrastructure. You set up the watch in the Distill.io web app or via the extension, but the actual page fetching and diffing happens on their servers. The results appear in your online dashboard, and you get email, Slack, or webhook alerts when a change is detected.
Key characteristics:
- Runs 24/7—even when your computer is off, asleep, or on a different network.
- Uses Distill.io’s servers, not your bandwidth.
- Requires a paid subscription—cloud monitors are not part of the free tier.
- Can handle scheduled checks more reliably, with intervals as short as 5 minutes on higher plans.
Cloud monitors are ideal for tracking websites that change infrequently but where you need to know immediately—like product availability, price drops, or new job postings.
How Do They Differ in Practice?
The core difference is where the “watch� lives. A local monitor is like a security camera you have to keep plugged in and pointed at the door; a cloud monitor is like a security company that watches the door for you.
Practical differences:
- Reliability: Cloud monitors never miss a check due to your computer being off. Local monitors miss checks whenever the browser is closed or the system sleeps.
- Speed of detection: If you need a check every few minutes, a cloud monitor can do that consistently. A local monitor might be fine if you only need hourly checks and you keep your computer on.
- Privacy: Local monitors keep your watched pages on your own machine. Cloud monitors send the page content to Distill.io’s servers—so if you’re monitoring something sensitive (e.g., a private admin panel), that content passes through a third party.
- Cost: Local monitors are free (with limits). Cloud monitors are paid, starting around $10–$15 per month for a basic plan, with higher tiers for more monitors and shorter intervals.
One common misconception: cloud monitors do not let you monitor pages that require a login unless you provide credentials to Distill.io (which they can store securely for “authenticated monitoring�). Local monitors, by contrast, can use your existing browser session—but only if you keep that session alive.
Which Should You Choose?
Your choice depends on three factors: how often the page changes, how critical it is that you catch the change quickly, and whether you can keep your computer running.
- Choose a local monitor if: you’re monitoring a page that changes rarely (e.g., a documentation page), you’re okay with checking once a day, and you don’t want to pay. Also choose it if you need to monitor a page behind a login that you don’t want to share.
- Choose a cloud monitor if: you need to know within minutes of a change, you can’t guarantee your computer is on, or you want to monitor many pages (more than the free limit). It’s also better if you want to receive alerts via email or Slack reliably.
Many users start with local monitors for free, then upgrade to cloud for a specific high-priority watch. Distill.io lets you mix both—you can have some local monitors and some cloud monitors on the same account.
Costs and Limits
Distill.io’s pricing has changed over time, but the general structure is:
- Free plan: Local monitors only, with a cap on the number of monitors (often 5–10) and a limited check frequency (e.g., every 5 minutes at best).
- Paid plans: Add cloud monitors, more monitors, shorter intervals (down to 5 seconds on some plans), and additional integrations like Slack or Zapier.
As of writing, the cheapest paid plan is around $10–$15 per month, which includes a modest number of cloud monitors (e.g., 10–20) and a check interval of 5 minutes. Higher tiers go up to hundreds of monitors and 5-second checks. Always check the current pricing page, as plans change.
There is also a desktop app (for Windows and macOS) that can run local monitors without a browser, but it still requires the app to be open.
Common Problems and Troubleshooting
Users often run into a few issues with local monitors:
- Missed checks: If your computer sleeps or the browser throttles background tabs, checks may not happen. Solution: adjust power settings to prevent sleep, or use a cloud monitor for critical watches.
- False positives: Dynamic pages (e.g., with rotating banners or timestamps) can trigger changes that aren’t meaningful. Use the “ignore� feature to exclude specific elements, or choose a more stable selector.
- Login sessions expire: For authenticated pages, your session may log out, and the monitor will see a login page instead of the content. You’ll need to re-login or use cloud authenticated monitoring.
- Browser extension conflicts: Other extensions can interfere with page loading. Try disabling others or using the desktop app.
For cloud monitors, the main issue is usually cost—and occasionally that Distill.io’s servers might be down, but that’s rare and not something you can control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a local monitor without the browser open?
No—a local monitor runs inside the browser extension or desktop app. If the browser is closed, the monitor is not active. The desktop app can run in the background, but it still needs to be open.
Do cloud monitors work with pages that require login?
Yes, but you must provide your login credentials to Distill.io (they store them encrypted and use them to log in). This is riskier than using your own browser session, so only do it for accounts you trust.
What happens if my computer is off when a local monitor was supposed to check?
That check is skipped. The monitor will resume at the next scheduled interval after your computer is back on. It does not backfill missed checks.
Can I convert a local monitor to a cloud monitor?
Yes, in the Distill.io extension, you can “upload� a local monitor to the cloud. It will then run on their servers, and you’ll need a paid plan to keep it active.
Is there a limit on how often a local monitor can check?
Yes, the free plan typically caps the minimum interval at 5 minutes. Paid plans can go shorter, but that’s usually only necessary for cloud monitors.
Which is better for tracking price drops on an e-commerce site?
A cloud monitor is better because it checks 24/7, so you won’t miss a flash sale. A local monitor might work if you keep your computer on all day, but you risk missing changes overnight.
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