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Distill.io’s Free plan checks cloud monitors no more often than once every six hours. Local monitors are different: Distill says they can check as frequently as every five seconds, but they run on your own device rather than Distill’s servers.
Free-plan check intervals depend on where the monitor runs
| Monitor type | Fastest stated interval | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | 6 hours | Distill checks the page from its servers. The Free plan lists five cloud monitors and 1,000 cloud checks per month. Distill pricing |
| Local | 5 seconds | The monitor runs on your browser or machine. It cannot keep checking when that device is unavailable. Distill features |
So if by “check a page” you mean an always-on cloud check, the answer is every six hours at most on Free. The five-second interval applies only to local monitoring, not to cloud monitors.
How to choose between cloud and local monitoring
Choose cloud for checks while your device is off
A cloud monitor runs on Distill’s servers, so it does not depend on your computer staying available. The trade-off on Free is the six-hour minimum interval, a limit of five cloud monitors, and a monthly allowance of 1,000 cloud checks. Those are Distill-published plan terms and may change.
Choose local for more frequent checks
Distill recommends local monitors when you need a smaller interval. Its Live schedule is also for local monitors only. Because local checks run on your machine, they depend on that device and monitoring setup being available; they are not a substitute for an always-on cloud monitor. Distill schedule guidance
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Distill’s support forum gave an example of the Free plan running up to 25 monitors at a 30-second interval through the desktop app. That is a dated example from a Distill representative in a September 13, 2025 response, not the current stated local interval floor; Distill’s feature page currently lists five seconds. Distill support forum
Understand the cloud-check allowance
The six-hour interval is a schedule limit; the 1,000-check monthly allowance is a separate usage limit. Distill counts cloud checks in 10-second units based on how long each check takes. A check that lasts longer than 10 seconds can use more than one unit. Browser-extension checks are described as unlimited, while cloud checks are restricted. Distill cloud-check accounting
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That accounting means 1,000 units should not automatically be read as 1,000 slow or complex page checks. Monitor duration affects consumption, so the number of page checks you can fit within the monthly allowance can vary.
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