Fact-checked comparison
Screenshotor vs Screenshot Machine: pricing, features, and best fit
Website screenshot and web-to-PDF API with transparent fresh-screenshot pricing, cached impressions, custom error images, full-length captures, and JPG/PNG/GIF image output. This article compares that public positioning with Screenshotor, a screenshot API built around async jobs, webhooks, dashboard history, temporary download URLs, and optional AI vision on completed captures.
Sources checked
Official competitor pages checked on 2026-05-28. Pricing changes often, so verify again before buying.
Quick verdict
Choose Screenshotor when the screenshot is part of your own product workflow: create a job, receive a webhook, store a result, and optionally ask AI to interpret the final image.
Why Screenshotor can be the better fit
- Screenshotor adds a modern dashboard, job lifecycle, webhooks, API key management, and optional AI vision.
- Screenshotor is a cleaner fit when every capture should be treated as a tracked job rather than a cached image endpoint.
- Screenshotor focuses on PNG, JPG, and WEBP, which is better than GIF when modern compressed raster output matters.
When Screenshot Machine makes sense
Screenshot Machine is not just a keyword target. It has real strengths, and the best choice depends on your workload.
- Screenshot Machine is compelling for teams optimizing around fresh screenshots versus cached impressions.
- Its public pricing is straightforward and the 50,000 fresh screenshot tier is similarly priced to Screenshotor Scale, though currency and quota definitions differ.
Pricing snapshot
Screenshot API pricing is rarely apples-to-apples. Compare fresh renders, cached hits, credits, AI calls, overages, and storage.
Screenshotor
- Free: 100 credits
- Starter: $9/month for 2,500 credits
- Pro: $29/month for 10,000 credits
- Scale: $99/month for 50,000 credits
Screenshot Machine
100 free fresh screenshots; paid monthly plans publicly list 9 EUR for 2,500, 59 EUR for 20,000, and 99 EUR for 50,000 fresh screenshots.
Fact-checked highlights
- Public pricing lists 100 free fresh screenshots, then 9 EUR/month for 2,500, 59 EUR/month for 20,000, and 99 EUR/month for 50,000 fresh screenshots.
- The pricing page says cached screenshots are available for 14 days and loading a cached screenshot is not billed.
- Plans list unlimited impressions from cache, unlimited traffic, full-length captures, custom error images, and a 99.99% uptime SLA.
- The FAQ names JPG, PNG, and GIF as API image formats and the site separately markets a web-to-PDF API.
Screenshotor at a glance
Screenshotor targets teams that want a modern REST workflow: create a capture, track status, download assets, and optionally attach AI analysis to the finished image.
- Async-first screenshot jobs. Create captures with POST /v1/screenshot, poll job status, list history, and fetch time-limited download URLs when rendering finishes.
- Optional AI vision on the rendered image. Turn on aiVision to send the completed PNG, JPG, or WEBP capture through OpenRouter vision models using your prompt, useful for summaries and structured extraction.
- Webhook delivery. Send webhookUrl to get notified when queued work completes so backends do not need tight polling loops.
- Safety-minded URL handling. DNS and network checks aim to reduce SSRF risk before navigation, with additional blocking options for private targets during browsing.
- Banner handling you control per request. Opt into bannerBlocking with hide, reject, or accept modes plus extra selectors for stubborn consent UI.
Screenshot Machine at a glance
Website screenshot and web-to-PDF API with transparent fresh-screenshot pricing, cached impressions, custom error images, full-length captures, and JPG/PNG/GIF image output.
When teams shortlist it
- You want transparent fresh-screenshot pricing and cache reuse as a major buying factor.
- You need a simple website-to-image API with long-running public positioning and an advertised uptime SLA.
- You are comfortable with a classic API vendor experience and do not need built-in AI analysis.
Decision checklist
Use this table to decide whether you need Screenshotor's job and AI workflow or Screenshot Machine's particular strengths.
| Topic | Screenshotor | Screenshot Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing shape | Scale is publicly listed at $99/month for 50,000 credits. | Enterprise is publicly listed at 99 EUR/month for 50,000 fresh screenshots. |
| Cache accounting | Uses temporary download links for completed jobs. | Pricing FAQ says cached screenshots are stored for 14 days and cached loads are not billed. |
| Output formats | PNG, JPG, and WEBP. | JPG, PNG, and GIF for image screenshots, plus a separate web-to-PDF product. |
| AI workflow | Optional AI vision on completed captures. | Public positioning is screenshot/PDF capture, not AI screenshot analysis. |
Questions teams ask before switching
Is Screenshot Machine cheaper than Screenshotor?
At the 50,000 tier, Screenshot Machine lists 99 EUR/month for fresh screenshots while Screenshotor lists $99/month for credits. Currency, credit accounting, cache behavior, and AI usage make the real comparison workload-specific.
Why choose Screenshotor over Screenshot Machine?
Choose Screenshotor for a newer dashboard workflow, job status, webhooks, WEBP, and optional AI vision. Screenshot Machine is attractive when simple fresh-screenshot pricing and cache reuse are the primary needs.
Does Screenshot Machine charge cached requests?
Its pricing FAQ says repeated cached loads are not billed and screenshots are cached for 14 days. Verify current behavior before building a high-impression feature around it.
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