Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems are less frequently used in heritage projects with limited funding despite the potential to decrease overall project costs through targeted interventions. To assess the strengths and limitations of differing low-cost monitoring approaches, we compare SHM systems at two historic Canadian structures: Stone Church and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The 2019 implemented system at Stone Church acts as a baseline for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception’s monitoring system, installed between 2024 and 2025. The hardwired SHM system at Stone Church proved more durable with fewer interruptions collecting data, which is beneficial because monitoring for a duration greater than a year better assesses whether trends in the data are due to on-going deterioration or seasonal fluctuations. A phased SHM system that selects sensors based on previous phases, as implemented at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, proved beneficial for gaining an in-depth understanding of the structure.