# Checkend vs BugTape for coding agents

**Short answer:** pick Checkend if you already use a Sentry SDK, want to self-host on Cloudflare or a single Node process, and want an issue closed only when production goes quiet after the fix deploys. Pick BugTape if you want nothing to host and need to see what the user did in the browser: DOM replay, the failed request, the console and user-filed reports in one issue. They solve overlapping problems from different ends, and nothing stops you running both.

No account: `npx -y bugtape --help` prints the commands and does not sign you in. MCP needs one sign-in.

Page owner: Jaco Veldsman, hi@bugtape.ai. Last checked 2026-10-16. Everything about Checkend below is from checkend.com on 16 October 2026. Checkend calls itself a public alpha (0.8.0), so expect it to move.

## Facts table

| | Checkend | BugTape |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | Sentry protocol: any Sentry SDK, change the DSN. Or JSON to one endpoint | BugTape browser script or `@bugtape/sdk`, `@bugtape/node`, `bugtape` on PyPI. Not a Sentry DSN drop-in |
| Evidence for the agent | Issue brief: in-app frames with source, first release, suspect commit, impact, similar issues | Grouped issue with browser DOM replay (when captured), failed request, console, stack; server error context from SDKs |
| User reports | Not described on checkend.com | Optional bug button plus automatic silent-failure capture |
| Agent access | MCP, `ce` CLI with JSON output, HTTP API (OpenAPI) | Remote MCP with OAuth; `npx -y bugtape connect claude` (or cursor, codex, grok); signed webhooks |
| Closing a fix | Agent links a commit; Checkend marks it verified after a deploy containing it and a quiet period (24h default); regressed if it returns, with a webhook | You mark it fixed; BugTape anchors to the release and reopens it as a regression if the failure arrives from a newer release |
| Hosting | Checkend Cloud, or self-host: Cloudflare Worker + D1, or Node + SQLite | Hosted (Sydney). No self-host |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Proprietary service |
| Maturity | Public alpha 0.8.0, signed releases | Live Free and paid plans |
| Price | No public pricing on checkend.com | Free (no card); Prepaid credits; Pro $29/month |

## Where Checkend is stronger

- You keep your Sentry SDK and your error-handling code.
- Your stack traces and user IDs can stay in your own account.
- "Verified" depends on production evidence, not a merged PR. That's a stricter definition than most trackers use, BugTape included.
- It publishes its brief format and fix-verification rules as open draft specs.

## Where BugTape is stronger

- A stack trace doesn't show what the user clicked. BugTape's browser capture rebuilds the page from DOM events, so the agent sees the lead-up.
- It catches failures nobody reports (failed requests after a user action, hung requests) and lets users file their own.
- Nothing to run. One command connects your agent.

## FAQ

### Is Checkend a Sentry replacement?

It accepts the Sentry protocol, so a Sentry SDK can send to it unchanged. It's built around agent fixes, not dashboards, and it's in public alpha.

### Can BugTape receive events from a Sentry SDK?

No. BugTape uses its own script and SDKs.

### Does BugTape verify fixes the same way?

No. BugTape reopens an issue when the same failure arrives from a newer release than the one you marked fixed. Checkend waits for a deploy with the linked fix and a quiet period before marking it verified.

### Can I use both?

Yes. Server errors through a Sentry SDK into Checkend, and browser replay and user reports into BugTape, is a reasonable split.

### What does BugTape cost?

Free with no card, Prepaid credits when you need more, or Pro at $29 a month. Current limits are on bugtape.ai/pricing.

## See also

[Compare](/compare/) · [BugTape vs Sentry](/compare/sentry/) · [Self-hosted error tracking for coding agents](/compare/self-hosted-agent-error-tracking/) · [Best error tracking MCP servers](/blog/best-error-tracking-mcp-servers/)

## Try the commands

```bash
npx -y bugtape --help
```

Your team reviews the PR. Agents do not silent-ship.