Building a Lightweight Website Monitor with Cron and an API

You can build a working website change monitor in under 100 lines of Node.js. No database, no queue, no container orchestration. Just cron, a screenshot API, pixelmatch, and a notification hook. The whole thing runs on a $5/mo VPS or a free GitHub Actions workflow. Here's the full build, from first line to deployment. The Stack Component Tool Cost Scheduler System cron or node-cron Free Screenshot capture Screenshot API (GET request) Free tier / $9 mo Image comparison pixelmatch Free (npm) Notif