How Often Does Distill.io Check a Page on the Free Plan?
Distill’s free cloud monitors check every six hours at minimum. Local monitors can run every five seconds, but only while your device is available.
Distill.io’s Free plan checks a page every six hours at minimum when you use a cloud monitor. The plan lists five cloud monitors and 1,000 cloud checks per month. Local monitors are different: Distill says they can check as often as every five seconds, but they run on your browser or machine and are not always-on cloud monitoring.
Cloud checks: six hours minimum
A cloud monitor runs on Distill’s servers, so it can check without relying on your computer staying on. On the Free plan, the minimum cloud interval is six hours. The plan includes five cloud monitors and 1,000 cloud checks per month, according to Distill’s [pricing page](https://distill.io/pricing/).
The six-hour figure is a minimum interval, not a promise that every page is checked exactly on the hour or at an exact time you choose. It is also separate from the monthly check allowance: the interval describes how frequently a monitor may run, while the allowance limits cloud usage.
Local checks: as often as every five seconds
Distill’s local monitors run in the user’s browser or on their machine. Distill’s [features page](https://distill.io/features/) lists intervals as frequent as every five seconds for local monitoring. This does not mean a free cloud monitor can run every five seconds.
A local monitor depends on the device and browser or desktop app running and being able to reach the page. If the machine is asleep, offline, or the monitoring process is stopped, local checks cannot run during that period. Distill recommends local monitors for shorter intervals; its Live schedule is also for local monitors only, according to its [scheduling documentation](https://distill.io/docs/web-monitor/scheduling/).
Distill’s official support forum gives an example of the free plan running up to 25 monitors at a 30-second interval with the desktop app. That example illustrates the local/cloud distinction; the current feature page lists a five-second local interval floor. See [Distill’s support forum response](https://forums.distill.io/t/monitoring-frequency-on-free-plan/).
How the 1,000 monthly cloud checks are counted
Distill’s cloud check allowance is not necessarily the same as 1,000 monitor runs. Distill says it accounts for cloud checks in 10-second units based on how long a check takes. A check that takes more than 10 seconds can consume multiple units. Consult Distill’s [cloud check usage explanation](https://distill.io/docs/web-monitor/cloud-checks/) for the current accounting details.
Browser-extension checks are described as unlimited, while cloud checks are limited by the plan. “Unlimited” local or extension checks still depend on your device being available and do not make them equivalent to server-side checks.
Which monitoring mode should you choose?
| Need | Better fit | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Checks while your own computer may be off | Cloud monitor | Free plan minimum interval is six hours, with 1,000 cloud check units per month. |
| Checks more often than every six hours | Local monitor | Can run as often as every five seconds; your browser or machine must be available. |
| Short-interval monitoring with the Live schedule | Local monitor | Distill says Live scheduling is for local monitors only. |
| A small number of unattended monitors | Cloud monitor | The Free plan lists five cloud monitors; review current plan terms for changes. |
Set up a local monitor for frequent checks
- Install Distill’s browser extension or desktop app from the [official Distill site](https://distill.io/).
- Open the page you want to watch and create a monitor, selecting the relevant page content if you do not need to track the whole page.
- Choose a local monitoring location and set an interval supported by the interface. Distill currently lists five seconds as its local minimum.
- Keep the browser or desktop app and the computer available for the schedule you need. Review notifications and the monitor’s history to confirm changes are being detected.
For checks that must continue while your computer is offline, use a cloud monitor and plan around the six-hour minimum and monthly cloud allowance on Free.
Troubleshooting
“I can’t set a five-second interval”
Check that the monitor is configured to run locally. The five-second minimum applies to local monitoring, not Free cloud monitors.
“My local monitor stopped checking”
Confirm the device is awake and online and that the browser extension or desktop app is running. Local monitoring runs on your machine, so it cannot check while that setup is unavailable.
“My cloud usage ran out sooner than expected”
Cloud checks are counted in 10-second units according to how long a check takes. Slow checks can use more than one unit. Check Distill’s usage details and current plan allowance.
“The monitor did not run at the time I expected”
Verify the selected monitoring location and schedule. The Live schedule is for local monitors, and the Free cloud minimum interval is six hours. Check the monitor history and Distill’s current scheduling guidance.
“I need frequent checks even when my laptop is closed”
A local monitor cannot provide that availability because it runs on your device. The Free cloud interval is six hours; check Distill’s current paid cloud options if you need more frequent unattended checks.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
- Frequency versus availability: Local checks can be much more frequent, but depend on the device. Cloud checks trade the five-second local interval for server-side execution and a six-hour Free minimum.
- Allowance planning: The Free plan lists 1,000 cloud checks per month, and slow checks may consume multiple 10-second units. Allowance use depends on check duration as well as schedule.
- Monitoring scope: Track only the content that matters where possible. This can make change alerts easier to interpret, though it does not alter the published interval limits.
- Plan terms can change: The interval, monitor count, and check allowance here are Distill-published terms. Confirm them on Distill’s pricing and feature pages before relying on them.
Or skip the browser setup
If the goal is to capture a page as an image or PDF rather than watch it for changes, [ScreenshotNeo](https://screenshotneo.com) provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. See the [ScreenshotNeo API documentation](https://screenshotneo.com/docs/) for parameters.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot. Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. An MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. [Create a free ScreenshotNeo account](https://screenshotneo.com/account/sign-up/).
FAQ
Does Distill check every free-plan page every six hours?
Six hours is the minimum interval for Free cloud monitors. Local monitors have a separate, shorter interval option.
Can a local monitor keep checking when my computer is off?
No. Local monitors run on your browser or machine, so they require that setup to be available.
Are the 1,000 cloud checks the same as 1,000 page changes?
No. They are a usage allowance for cloud checks, counted in 10-second units based on check duration; a check can consume more than one unit.
Where can I confirm current limits?
Check Distill’s current [pricing](https://distill.io/pricing/) and [features](https://distill.io/features/) pages, since published plan terms may change.
