RunLookout vs Vivere
Last checked: 20 October 2026.
Both tools catch the n8n failures the Error Workflow misses: a schedule that never ran, and a run that finished green with nothing in it. They get there in different ways.
Vivere is a heartbeat monitor. Each job pings a Vivere URL when it runs, and you get an alert when the pings stop. For n8n there's a community node that sends the ping, with the item count, from inside each workflow. It also monitors cron jobs, GitHub Actions, scripts and websites.
RunLookout only does n8n. It reads each server's run history through the n8n API, so nothing gets added to the workflows. It's built for people who run n8n for clients.
Side by side
| Vivere | RunLookout | |
|---|---|---|
| How it watches | Each workflow pings Vivere (community node or HTTP request) | Reads run history through the n8n API, read-only |
| Changes to workflows | Add a ping node to every workflow you want watched | None |
| Setup per new client server | Add nodes to each workflow, create a monitor for each | Paste one API key; every workflow is visible |
| Missed schedules | Yes, if the ping doesn't arrive within the period plus grace | Yes, 10 minutes after a run was due |
| Runs that succeed with 0 items | Yes, the node can report 0 items as a failure | Yes, pick the step in the dashboard |
| Failed runs | Yes, if the workflow reaches the Fail ping | Yes, from the run history |
| Server down | Shows as missing pings | Yes, after two failed checks in a row |
| n8n Cloud | HTTP pings work anywhere; the community node is self-hosted only for now (their words, Oct 2026) | Yes, Cloud and self-hosted |
| Other things it monitors | Cron, scripts, GitHub Actions, websites, AI agent cost | n8n only |
| Alerts | Email and webhook free; Slack, Discord, Telegram, ntfy on Pro | Telegram now; email and Slack next |
| Note to forward to the client | No | Yes, with every alert |
| Status pages | Yes | No |
| Price | Free for 25 monitors. Pro $5/month founding price, then $9. Team $29 | 14 days free, no card. $9/month up to 10 servers, $19 unlimited |
Pick Vivere if
- You want to watch more than n8n: cron jobs, backups, scripts, websites.
- You're comfortable adding a node to each workflow and keeping it there.
- You want a public status page or email alerts today.
- You're watching a few workflows and the free plan covers you.
Pick RunLookout if
- You run n8n for clients and don't want to add anything to their workflows.
- You add new client servers often and want every workflow covered as soon as the key is in.
- You want one dashboard for all client servers and a ready-to-forward note for the client.
- Your clients are on n8n Cloud and you want the empty-run check there too.
Using both
They don't conflict. Some people will use Vivere for cron jobs and servers outside n8n, and RunLookout for client n8n servers.
FAQ
Is a heartbeat or an API check more reliable?
Each has a blind spot. A heartbeat only knows about workflows that have the ping node. If someone copies a workflow and forgets the node, it isn't watched. An API check sees every workflow on the server, but it needs the n8n API turned on and the server reachable from the internet.
Which is cheaper?
For a few workflows, Vivere's free plan. For several client servers with many workflows each, compare monitor counts: Vivere counts each watched job, RunLookout counts servers.
RunLookout is not affiliated with Vivere. Check Vivere's own site for its current features and prices.
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