Compare
OnChange vs Distill.io
Distill.io is a popular browser-extension-first change detection tool. OnChange is a cloud-native platform with the same detection capabilities plus sub-minute checks, visual diffs, WCAG scans, and an API-first design.
The core tradeoff is where monitoring runs. Distill's extension runs in your browser and stops when the browser closes. OnChange runs in our cloud and keeps monitoring around the clock. Distill's paid "Web Edition" does offer cloud monitoring, but at that point the pricing and feature gap with a purpose-built cloud tool widens.
| Feature | OnChange | Distill.io |
|---|---|---|
Free plan available Distill free tier requires Chrome/Firefox extension and local monitoring. | ||
Cloud-based (no browser required) Distill's cloud version exists but is a paid upgrade; extension is local-only. | ||
Monitors run when your laptop is closed A core limitation of extension-only monitoring - no checks run while the browser is off. | ||
Sub-minute check intervals OnChange: down to 10s on Enterprise. Distill: limited by your browser's scheduler. | ||
Visual (screenshot) diffs Distill is primarily text/DOM-diff based. | ||
API / JSON endpoint monitoring | ||
CSS selector + XPath targeting | ||
AI change summaries | ||
Causal attribution (Git commit correlation) | ||
WCAG accessibility scans | ||
Slack / Discord alerts Distill has some integrations but most require their cloud plan. | ||
Custom webhooks | ||
REST API | ||
Team collaboration | ||
Scraping JavaScript-rendered pages Both handle SPAs well - OnChange uses a real headless Chromium. |
Comparison based on publicly available information. Distill.io's feature set may have changed since publication; please verify on their website.
Pick OnChange if…
- You need monitoring that runs 24/7, not just when your browser is open
- You want screenshots / visual diffs alongside DOM-level text tracking
- You need sub-minute intervals to catch flash sales or breaking API changes
- Your team needs a REST API to script monitor creation from CI/CD
- WCAG accessibility scans matter for your agency or compliance work
- You want AI-generated change summaries on every alert, not raw diffs
Pick Distill.io if…
- You only need to monitor a handful of pages for personal / hobby use
- You're comfortable leaving your laptop on as the monitor host
- You prefer a local-first workflow with no cloud or account
- You specifically want the Chrome / Firefox extension UX Distill is known for
Pricing
Distill's free tier is the extension with local-only monitoring. Web Edition (cloud) starts around $15/month. OnChange Free is $0 with 5 cloud monitors and every feature; Pro is $12/month for 50 monitors with sub-minute checks.
Migrating from Distill.io
Open your Distill watchlist, copy each monitored URL and its selector config, and recreate them in OnChange - the CSS selector syntax is identical. If you used XPath, OnChange supports XPath too (via the generic selector field). Notification channels map 1:1; Slack and Discord webhook URLs transfer unchanged.
Try OnChange free
5 monitors, every feature included, no credit card required. CancelDistill.iowhenever you're ready.
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