Should I monitor with a ping (ICMP) check or an HTTP check?

Should I monitor with a ping (ICMP) check or an HTTP check?

Q: A ping check is cheaper on my plan. Is it good enough?

A: Use both, but trust the HTTP check. ICMP only proves the server's network stack answers — it'll show green while your app throws 500s, your SSL cert is expired, or your origin returns Cloudflare's error page. HTTP checks the actual response your users get. The catch: HTTP costs more and is noisier.

A solid pattern is ICMP at 1-minute intervals as a fast tripwire, plus an HTTP keyword check at 1–3 minutes that confirms a known string in the body. The ICMP check tells you the box is reachable; the HTTP check tells you the site works. If only ICMP is green, you've got an application problem, not a network one — which is useful triage on its own.

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