** The short version: Uptime.com starts at $9 a month, with no free tier. That $9 buys 10 basic checks plus exactly one advanced check, so you pick: transaction monitoring OR multi-step API OR page speed, not all three. If you want all three, the floor moves up. Velprove's free plan includes HTTP monitors, a browser login monitor, and a multi-step API monitor at $0. Uptime.com is the right answer if you need SOC 2, a Terraform provider, or 80+ probe locations on day one. Velprove is the right answer if you want to start for free and grow into paid plans on your own timeline. ** Most readers find this post one of two ways. Either you got quoted Uptime.com's pricing page and the $9 monthly floor felt indie-friendly until you read the fine print, or your 14-day trial expired and you discovered there is no free tier waiting on the other side. Either way, the math on that $9 number is what brought you here, and the math is worth unpacking honestly. This post is not about whether Uptime.com is a good company.…