Browshot Free Plan Limits: How Many Screenshots Can You Capture?
Browshot’s free plan includes 100 screenshots per month. Here’s how the quota works, how to check what remains, and what to consider when you reach it.
Browshot’s free plan allows up to 100 screenshots per month. Its API documentation says the free browser instance, instance 12, is used by default when you omit an instance ID. To check how many remain this month, look for free_screenshots_left in the account API response. Browshot reports the separate credit balance as balance. Browshot pricing and its API documentation publish these limits.
1. What the 100-screenshot limit means
The allowance is a monthly count of screenshots made with Browshot’s free instance. It is not the same as a credit balance: the account response exposes free_screenshots_left for the monthly free allowance and balance for credits. The documentation identifies instance 12 as the default free instance, including when using the simple screenshot endpoint without specifying an instance.
The published limit is 100 screenshots per month. The sources cited here do not specify the exact monthly reset time or timezone, so do not assume a particular reset boundary; check the account response when planning a batch near the end of a month.
2. Take a screenshot with the free instance
Use Browshot’s simple endpoint for a synchronous request: it returns the screenshot image when the capture completes. Set instance_id=12 explicitly so the request clearly targets the free instance. Replace YOUR_BROWSHOT_API_KEY with your API key.
cURL
curl -L --get 'https://api.browshot.com/api/v1/simple' \
--data-urlencode 'url=https://example.com/' \
--data-urlencode 'instance_id=12' \
--data-urlencode 'key=YOUR_BROWSHOT_API_KEY' \
--output screenshot.pngThe -L option follows redirects. Browshot specifically notes that clients should follow HTTP 302 and 307 redirects; a long-running capture may use redirects to avoid HTTP timeouts.
Python
import requests
response = requests.get(
"https://api.browshot.com/api/v1/simple",
params={
"url": "https://example.com/",
"instance_id": 12,
"key": "YOUR_BROWSHOT_API_KEY",
},
timeout=180,
allow_redirects=True,
)
response.raise_for_status()
with open("screenshot.png", "wb") as image:
image.write(response.content)Node.js
const query = new URLSearchParams({
url: "https://example.com/",
instance_id: "12",
key: process.env.BROWSHOT_API_KEY,
});
const response = await fetch(
`https://api.browshot.com/api/v1/simple?${query}`,
{ redirect: "follow", signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000) },
);
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`Browshot returned HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
const image = Buffer.from(await response.arrayBuffer());
await import("node:fs/promises").then(({ writeFile }) =>
writeFile("screenshot.png", image),
);These examples write the returned response body as an image. Keep the API key in an environment variable or another server-side secret store; do not put it in browser code or a public repository.
3. Check how many free screenshots remain
Use Browshot’s account API and inspect free_screenshots_left. The field reports the remaining free screenshots available for the current month. The response also includes balance, which is the number of credits left; that is a separate measure.
For an exact account request URL and response schema, follow the account section in the official API documentation. Read the response field rather than estimating from your own request logs: other account activity may consume the same allowance.
4. What happens when the free allowance runs out?
Browshot lists premium browser use separately in credits: one credit for a desktop screenshot and two credits for a mobile screenshot. These are credit costs, not a cash price per screenshot; the pricing page does not justify converting them into a fixed dollar amount without considering the credit purchase. If your free allocation is exhausted, check your current account and Browshot’s published pricing before sending more requests.
Browshot also says that a free, public service may qualify for an increase by special arrangement; contact the company about eligibility. Its mobile-browser page separately advertises up to 20 free credits for trying virtual mobile browsers after signup. The page does not explain how those trial credits interact with the monthly 100-screenshot allowance, so treat them as a separate offer rather than adding them to the quota.
Do not confuse Browshot’s allowance with ScreenshotCenter’s offer. Browshot’s March 2026 blog described ScreenshotCenter separately and mentioned a launch-period offer of 500 screenshots per month for that service. That is not Browshot’s free-plan limit, and the launch promotion may have changed.
5. Plan usage and avoid surprises
- Track the account field: check
free_screenshots_leftbefore a batch and after scheduled jobs. - Budget one capture per requested screenshot: do not assume a retry, a mobile capture, or a separate browser instance is included in the same allowance unless Browshot’s account data confirms it.
- Throttle batch work: queue requests and pause when the remaining quota is low. This avoids a large job consuming the allowance before you notice.
- Separate free and premium usage: use the documented free instance for the free allowance; premium browser use has the listed credit costs.
- Handle redirects and slow pages: follow 302/307 responses and use a timeout suited to the target pages. Browshot notes that some pages can take up to two minutes to load.
6. Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The request returns an API error instead of an image | The key may be invalid, or the request may have exhausted available free use or credits. | Check the HTTP response and API error details, verify the key, and inspect the account’s free screenshot and credit fields. |
| The downloaded file is not a viewable image | The response may contain an error body or an intermediate redirect response rather than image bytes. | Follow redirects, check the HTTP status and response headers, and save the body only after confirming the request succeeded. |
| The request times out on a slow page | Some pages take a long time to load; Browshot documents captures taking up to two minutes. | Increase the client timeout and ensure it follows 302/307 redirects. Retry selectively so repeated requests do not unexpectedly consume usage. |
| The remaining-count field differs from local request totals | The account field reflects the account’s current monthly availability, which may include other jobs or users. | Use the account response as the current source of truth and coordinate jobs sharing the API account. |
| You expected mobile trial credits to increase the 100 free screenshots | The mobile page advertises up to 20 trial credits but does not explain their relationship to the monthly quota. | Keep the offers separate in your estimate and ask Browshot to clarify your account’s eligibility and accounting. |
7. Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. A single GET request can return an image or PDF; its parameter names also work with those used by other screenshot APIs. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
Sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card.
8. FAQ
Does Browshot’s free plan include 100 screenshots every month?
Yes. Browshot’s pricing page and API documentation state a limit of 100 free screenshots per month.
Which instance uses the free allowance?
Instance 12 is Browshot’s default free instance when no instance ID is specified.
Are the 20 mobile-browser credits another 20 free screenshots?
The mobile page describes up to 20 free credits for trying virtual mobile browsers. It does not state that these credits add to the 100-screenshot monthly quota.
Is the 500-per-month offer a Browshot plan?
No. The referenced March 2026 launch offer was described for ScreenshotCenter, a separate service.
