Comparison
Shotkiln vs ApiFlash
ApiFlash is a screenshot-only API with ad and cookie-banner blocking on every plan, and its Large plan costs less per screenshot. Shotkiln costs less at 2,000 and 10,000 a month and adds PDFs and OG images.
- ApiFlash free tier
- 100 screenshots/month
- ApiFlash paid plans
- Lite $7 for 1,000 ($7 per 1,000); Medium $35 for 10,000 ($3.50 per 1,000); Large $180 for 100,000 ($1.80 per 1,000)
- ApiFlash overage
- not stated on the pricing page
- Shotkiln free tier
- 100 renders a month, watermarked
- Shotkiln paid plans
- Starter $9 for 2,000 ($4.50 per 1,000); Pro $19 for 10,000 ($1.90 per 1,000); Scale $49 for 50,000 ($0.98 per 1,000)
- Shotkiln overage
- none; requests return 429 at the limit
Monthly cost by volume
Cheapest published plan that covers each volume, before overage.
| Renders a month | 1,000 | 10,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotkiln | $9 Starter | $19 Pro | $49 Scale | above listed tiers |
| ApiFlash | $7 Lite | $35 Medium | $180 Large | $180 Large |
Features
| Feature | Shotkiln | ApiFlash |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 100/month, watermarked | 100/month |
| URL or HTML to PDF | yes | no (images only) |
| Render raw HTML to an image | PDF only | not in the docs |
| Built-in OG card templates | 3 templates | no |
| Remote MCP server | yes | not listed |
| Ad and cookie-banner blocking | no | yes |
| Upload to S3 or webhooks | no | yes (S3 export) |
| Proxies or geo-targeting | no | Enterprise plan |
| Official SDKs | no (plain HTTP) | code samples |
Choose ApiFlash if
- You only need images, at 100,000 or more a month.
- You need cookie-banner removal or S3 export on a small budget.
- You want a free plan without a watermark.
Choose Shotkiln if
- You capture public pages and want the lower price per 1,000 renders.
- You also need PDFs and Open Graph cards from the same quota and key.
- You want a remote MCP server and an OpenAPI spec for AI agents on the free plan.
Parameter mapping
ApiFlash parameter on the left, Shotkiln equivalent on the right.
| ApiFlash | Shotkiln |
|---|---|
access_key | x-api-key header (or api_key) |
url | url |
width | width |
height | height |
full_page | full_page |
format | format (png, jpeg, webp) |
quality | quality |
delay | delay (milliseconds, not seconds) |
scale_factor | device_scale_factor |
ttl | cache_ttl |
fresh | cache_ttl=0 |
no_cookie_banners | not supported |
Sources: ApiFlash pricing and docs (October 2026). Prices change, so check the vendor's page before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Shotkiln cheaper than ApiFlash?
- Yes, at 10,000 and 50,000 renders a month, on published list prices. Shotkiln starts at $9 for 2,000 renders and never bills overage.
- What does ApiFlash do that Shotkiln does not?
- Ad and cookie-banner blocking and S3 export on every plan, and a cheaper per-screenshot price at 100,000 a month. Shotkiln has none of these: it captures public pages as a first-time visitor sees them.
- How do I switch from ApiFlash to Shotkiln?
- Change the base URL, send your key in the x-api-key header and rename parameters with the table above. Check your captures before moving production traffic, since features like banner blocking have no equivalent.
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