Compare screenshot APIs
ApiFlash is an inexpensive screenshot API for existing pages, with strong capture controls and no overages. HTML/CSS to Image also renders your own HTML/CSS, creates PDFs, and adds templates and signed URLs.
50 free images each month · No credit card required
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| Capability | HTML/CSS to Image | ApiFlash |
|---|---|---|
| Render controls | ||
| Request rate limits | No per-minute limits | 20 requests/sec, bursts up to 400 |
| Hosted image URLs | Cached 24 hours by default, up to 30 days | |
| PDF rendering | Paid plans | JPEG, PNG, and WebP only |
| Batch requests | 25–100 images on paid plans | Send parallel requests instead |
| Overages | Optional: $10/1,000, or $50/10,000 on Scale | Requests stop at your quota |
| Native SDKs | Several languages | Code examples in 8 languages |
| Cookie-banner blocking | Plus ad and tracker blocking | |
| Extra features |
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Both capture webpages with controls for viewport size, full-page capture, element selection, and waiting for your content, and both hide cookie banners. Neither charges again when a cached capture is reused. ApiFlash runs each capture in a fresh Chrome instance on AWS Lambda.
ApiFlash's endpoint is urltoimage, and it needs a URL, so a custom design has to be hosted as a page first. Output is JPEG, PNG, or WebP.
HTML/CSS to Image renders HTML/CSS you send directly, a URL, or a saved template with new values, and it creates PDFs on paid plans.
HTML/CSS to Image
Render HTML/CSS or URLs with viewport, scale, selector, timing, font, and other controls. Convenience options include google_fonts and a ScreenshotReady() signal for your page's JavaScript.
The same options apply whether you send HTML/CSS or a URL.
ApiFlash
Capture a webpage from its URL, with viewport, full-page, element, wait, CSS and JavaScript injection, header, cookie, and geolocation options.
The urltoimage endpoint requires a hosted webpage URL.
An ApiFlash request works in an image tag, but the access key sits in the query string. ApiFlash's own guides recommend sending requests through your own Nginx or Cloudflare Worker proxy to keep the key private.
HTML/CSS to Image's signed URLs are built for this. Put an image or template URL in an email, a webpage, or og:image, and the signature protects the request without exposing your API key.
ApiFlash's cache lasts 24 hours by default and up to 30 days, and cached or failed screenshots don't count against your quota. After the cache expires, the same screenshot is a new capture.
HTML/CSS to Image keeps each image at its hosted URL, and resized, cropped, or reformatted versions don't use new credits.
Caching and delivery
HTML/CSS to Image
Hosting and CDN delivery are included. Application-level caching keeps an existing image URL reusable, even after a CDN cache miss, without consuming another image credit.
Paid plans keep images while your account is active. Custom-storage-only images use your own delivery.
ApiFlash
Cached screenshots are reused for 24 hours by default, up to 30 days, and don't count against your quota.
fresh=true bypasses the cache. Failed screenshots don't count either.
Image variants
HTML/CSS to Image
Re-render, resize, crop, or change formats using the same image URL, without spending more credits.
Changing the source HTML or creation parameters creates a new image.
ApiFlash
Set dimensions, crop, thumbnail width, format, and quality as capture options.
A distinct combination of capture options counts as a fresh screenshot unless cached.
ApiFlash handles bursts well: every plan allows 20 requests a second with bursts up to 400, and there's no limit on concurrent requests.
The bigger difference is what happens when you run out. ApiFlash has no overages, so requests return HTTP 402 once you reach your quota. HTML/CSS to Image's optional overages keep images flowing past your allowance.
HTML/CSS to Image
Send image creation and rendering requests in parallel, with no concurrency caps or per-second or per-minute rate limits.
Image credits and plan limits still apply.
ApiFlash
Every plan allows 20 requests per second with bursts up to 400, and no limit on concurrent requests.
Requests past the burst return HTTP 429. A failing request repeated with identical parameters is limited to five per hour.
Price, and a few capture extras. $7 buys 1,000 screenshots and $35 buys 10,000, and there's a free plan with 100 a month. Every plan includes uploads to S3-compatible storage, HTML and text extraction alongside the screenshot, and geolocation and time-zone emulation.
Plans and pricing
ApiFlash costs about half as much as HTML/CSS to Image in both examples. It has no overages, though: once you reach your quota, requests return HTTP 402.
$14/month for 1,000 images on Basic.
Includes templates, the visual editor, and hosted image delivery. A free plan includes 50 images per month.
$7/month for 1,000 screenshots on Lite.
The free plan includes 100 screenshots a month, with no credit card required.
ApiFlash costs half as much for 1,000 screenshots.
$69/month for 10,000 images on Basic.
Optional overages cost $10 per 1,000 images. Includes templates, hosted image delivery, storage destinations, and bring-your-own proxies at this volume.
$35/month for 10,000 screenshots on Medium.
No overages: requests return HTTP 402 once you reach your quota. Large is $180 for 100,000.
ApiFlash costs about half as much at this volume.
USD, monthly billing, before tax. Distinct standard screenshots with no cache reuse. ApiFlash doesn't count cached or failed screenshots against your quota.
Yes. ApiFlash costs $7 for 1,000 screenshots and $35 for 10,000, about half of HTML/CSS to Image's $14 and $69. It has no overages, though: once you reach your quota, requests return HTTP 402.
No. ApiFlash outputs JPEG, PNG, and WebP. HTML/CSS to Image renders PDFs on its paid plans.
ApiFlash's documented endpoint captures a URL. HTML/CSS to Image renders HTML/CSS you send directly, as well as URLs and saved templates.
ApiFlash requests work in an image tag, but the access key is in the query string, and ApiFlash's guides recommend proxying requests to keep it private. HTML/CSS to Image's signed URLs can go directly into public pages without exposing your API key.
See the output for yourself
Paste some HTML/CSS, screenshot a URL, or fill in a template. The demo below calls the real API, and you don't need an account.
Preparing the live playground
Loading it just before you reach this section keeps the initial page fast.
Keep comparing
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Read the comparison HTML/CSS to Image vshtml2img.com is a close, lower-priced alternative for HTML/CSS rendering and URL screenshots. HTML/CSS to Image adds templates you design yourself, signed URLs, JPEG and WebP output, and optional overages.
Read the comparison HTML/CSS to Image vsBrowserless hosts browsers for your Puppeteer and Playwright scripts. HTML/CSS to Image skips the scripts: send HTML, a URL, or template values and get back a hosted image.
Read the comparison HTML/CSS to Image vsPlacid is strong at customer-facing editing, with an embeddable editor and built-in QR codes and barcodes. HTML/CSS to Image pairs a freeform template editor with direct HTML/CSS rendering and URL screenshots.
Read the comparison HTML/CSS to Image vsPlaywright is excellent for testing and automating websites. HTML/CSS to Image is for the images your product serves, with templates, hosting, and no browser workers to run.
Read the comparisonStart creating for free
Render HTML/CSS, capture webpages, or generate images from reusable templates.
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