The Comparison

Reasons to Choose Robotmk

A single control – for a fair and transparent pricing model.

The Cost Trap

Most major platforms charge for synthetic monitoring as a product of several mutually reinforcing variables.

The easy and affordable start-up costs are later offset by a bill that grows not linearly, but exponentially 📈.

Robotmk has just one control: the test case.
One more test, one more predictable cost.
Because synthetic monitoring must be able to scale with your requirements.

Competitor Number of tests
× Interval
× Requests/test
× Length
× Rate
Robotmk Number of tests
× Rate
Test = a single, isolated and automatable user journey — the more targeted the monitoring, the more precise the alert in the event of an error.
15 1000
The shorter the interval, the better the detection rate: issues on the user’s end can then be resolved all the more quickly.
30 mins 15 mins 5 mins 1 min
Cost per month
Grafana Same model as Datadog — billed per complete test run, at a higher rate. Datadog Billed per complete test run: interval × test cases. Steps within a test are free of charge. Dynatrace Billed per network request: interval × test cases × steps per test — all multiplied together. Robotmk Billed solely on the number of test cases. Interval and steps are always free of charge.

Sample calculation: 15 test cases, 8 requests per test, 90 seconds run time per test case, checked from a single location. Run time is price-relevant on Grafana: billing counts every started minute, so 90 seconds counts as two executions. (Illustrative example; not a current quote from the manufacturers.)
GrafanaDatadogDynatraceRobotmk
Billed perTest runsTest runsActions (requests)🟢
Tests discovered in Checkmk (=services)
Rate$50 / 10k executions
(tiered)
$12 / 1k runs$4.50 / 1k actions🟢
flat rate
Cost / month
(15-minute interval)
€341€463€1,388🟢
€135
Costs / month
(5-minute interval)
€1,030€1,388€4,162🟢
€135
Testable technologiesWeb & network protocolsWeb, mobile, networkWeb & HTTP🟢
Anything: web, Windows desktop, SAP, Citrix, API …

Further reasons beyond the price

Open Source

Robot Framework is open source – and has been for over 20 years.

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Because the entire source code is open, your security team can check exactly what is running in your environment. No per-seat licensing restrictions on the tooling itself.

No vendor lock-in

Portable test definitions, free from a vendor’s proprietary format.

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Robot Framework is a testing and automation tool used all over the world. If you switch platforms, your tests move with you unchanged: no proprietary recorder format to rewrite, no lossy export. Your investment in testing remains yours.

Deepest integration with Checkmk

Robotmk is a native Checkmk extension.

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No separate portal, no fragile API middle layers that need to be kept in sync. You benefit from the same user experience you’re used to with Checkmk.

One framework for every technology

Web, desktop, API, SAP, Citrix, mobile — Robot Framework is the Swiss Army knife of test automation.

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Robot Framework offers a library for every technology and a uniform ‘keyword’ syntax that makes test creation easy.

The Robotmk Bridge

Have you already invested in JUnit, Tosca, Gatling or ZAP? The Robotmk Bridge brings these results into Checkmk too — without having to rewrite anything.

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The Robotmk Bridge imports results from tools you’re already using and displays them as Checkmk services alongside your Robot Framework tests.

The lingua franca of test automation

Not a niche bet – Robot Framework has over 40,000 users worldwide.

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Robot Framework is the de facto standard for test automation. You’re building on a vibrant ecosystem, not on a single vendor’s roadmap.

RobotCode: First-class VS Code support

With the RobotCode extension, you can develop tests right where your team already works — complete with auto-completion, a debugger and a test explorer.

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RobotCode turns VS Code into a fully-fledged IDE for Robot Framework, featuring code completion and a debugger with breakpoints and variable inspection – plus many more features.

No staff risk

Robot Framework is readable, maintainable and widely used. You’ll have no trouble setting it up or handing it over.

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The clear, keyword-driven syntax is extremely readable and maintainable. Set-up is easier, onboarding is quicker, and handover doesn’t turn into a refactoring exercise.

Next step

Let's talk about your test cases.

In the Clarity Call, we’ll explore together the added value that Synthetic Monitoring with Robotmk and Checkmk can bring you.
30 minutes. No sales pitch.

Book a Clarity Call →
Simon Meggle, founder of elabit and developer of Robotmk