HTMLCSStoImage Free Plan Limits and Monthly Screenshot Quota
HTMLCSStoImage’s Free plan advertises 50 images per billing cycle. Learn what uses credits, when they reset, how to check usage, and what happens at the limit.
Short answer: HTML/CSS to Image (HTMLCSStoImage) advertises 50 images per month on its Free plan, with no credit card required. The allowance resets at the start of your account’s billing cycle, unused images do not roll over, and an image counts when it is created. Some requests, including delays longer than five seconds and jumbo images rendered as multiple tiles, can consume extra credits. Check the official pricing page for current plan terms before relying on these limits; allowances and entitlements can change.
What the Free plan includes
The plan comparison lists both HTML/CSS image rendering and URL screenshots on Free. It also lists caching and storage, image transforms, fonts and emoji, integrations, MCP and AI connectivity, and standard one-month image deduplication among its general plan features. For templated images, Free is limited to five templates per organization. Uploading media is unavailable on Free. Verify the live plan table for the exact current entitlements.
| Item | Free plan detail |
|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | 50 images advertised |
| Credit card to start | Not required |
| Supported creation types | HTML/CSS rendering and URL screenshots |
| Templates | Up to five per organization |
| Media upload | Unavailable on Free |
| Allowance reset | At the start of the account billing cycle |
| Rollover | Unused images do not carry over |
When a screenshot uses quota
Credits are counted when an image is created, not when it is downloaded or distributed. Downloading an existing image or reusing it downstream does not create another image. The pricing FAQ says downloads and subsequent renders are unlimited, but some requests require extra rendering work and can use additional image credits.
Requests that can consume extra credits
ms_delaylonger than five seconds can use additional credits.- Jumbo images may be split into multiple tiles, with credits used according to the number of tiles required.
Plan around the rendered output and request options, rather than assuming every API call always costs exactly one credit. The precise charge for a particular request depends on the service’s current rules.
When does the monthly quota reset?
The allowance resets at the beginning of your account’s billing cycle. That may not be the first day of the calendar month. Check your account’s cycle date when estimating how many images remain before renewal. Unused allowance does not roll over into the next cycle.
How to check usage
For API responses, HTMLCSStoImage documents these response headers:
| Header | Meaning |
|---|---|
x-renders-allowed |
Total image-credit allowance for the current billing period. |
x-renders-consumed |
Credits consumed by that request. |
x-renders-used |
Total credits used in the current billing period. |
Read the headers from each response and retain them with your job or request logs. They help distinguish a request that used multiple credits from one that used a single credit. The usage documentation also describes a check_usage MCP tool. It requires approved usage:read permission and reports current-period usage, allowance, overage status, and the next reset. The documentation says usage alert emails are sent at 80% and 100% of the monthly allowance.
What happens when you reach the limit?
An exhausted image-credit allowance can return HTTP 429. A 429 can also mean a management-operation throttle, so inspect the response body and context instead of treating every 429 as proof that image credits are exhausted. See the API guide and usage details for the current response behavior.
The pricing page describes overages as optional and never enabled automatically. Its plan comparison does not show overages for Free, while its FAQ says users can upgrade or ask for overages to be enabled. Do not assume a Free account can continue rendering through overages; check your dashboard or confirm eligibility with the provider.
Practical quota planning
- Find your billing-cycle start date. Use that date, rather than the first of the month, to forecast your available allowance.
- Separate image creation from delivery. Downloads and downstream reuse do not consume another image credit; a newly created image does.
- Allow for extra rendering work. Review long
ms_delayvalues and jumbo output dimensions before scheduling large batches. - Track response headers. Store allowed, consumed, and used values so your application can flag low remaining capacity.
- Have a limit response path. Handle 429 responses without an infinite retry loop. Determine whether it is a quota limit or a separate throttle, then wait for reset, reduce rendering demand, or review paid options.
- Check retention requirements. Free-account images should not be treated as permanent storage.
Reliability, retention, and cost notes
The advertised 50-image allowance is a plan limit, not a guarantee that every request produces an image or that every kind of request consumes exactly one credit. Check usage headers and the current plan terms for actual consumption. If a workflow must not stop at the quota boundary, decide in advance whether to defer jobs until reset or move to a plan with suitable capacity; do not rely on Free overages being available.
For paid accounts, the pricing page says image URLs continue working while the paid subscription remains active. It reserves the right to delete images for free or lapsed accounts after one year. Images can be re-rendered, but they may no longer be cached. Keep your own copy when you need durable retention.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to get a website screenshot, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. Its one-request API returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for parameters and configuration.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot request failed: ${res.status}`);
const image = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
await import('node:fs/promises').then(fs => fs.writeFile('shot.webp', image));ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are never billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools for screenshots, page information, and PDF capture. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Every feature is on every plan.
Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan: 1,000 screenshots a month, no card required.
Troubleshooting
My allowance appears lower than the number of API calls
Some requests consume extra credits. Check x-renders-consumed for the request and review whether it used a delay over five seconds or jumbo dimensions that require multiple tiles.
The quota did not reset on the first of the month
The reset follows the account’s billing-cycle start, which may be a different date. Check the next reset in the account or the documented usage tool.
I got HTTP 429
Inspect the error response and whether the request is an image creation or management operation. Exhausted image credits can return 429, but management throttles are a separate cause. Avoid immediate repeated retries; resolve the quota or throttle condition first.
I expected overages to keep the Free plan running
Overages are optional and are not shown as a standard Free-plan feature. Confirm account eligibility or upgrade rather than assuming additional renders will be accepted.
An old image URL stopped working
Free and lapsed-account images may be deleted after one year. Re-render the image if needed, and keep a local copy for outputs you must retain.
FAQ
Are the 50 images counted when I download them?
No. The service counts an image when it is created. Downloading or distributing that image does not count as another creation.
Can I use the Free plan without a credit card?
Yes. The advertised Free plan does not require a card to start.
Does the allowance carry over?
No. Unused images do not roll over to the next billing cycle.
Is Free suitable for a production workflow?
It can suit small or low-volume needs, but plan for the 50-image allowance, possible extra credit use, and the possibility of a 429 at the limit. Verify current terms and retention before depending on it.
Sources
- HTML/CSS to Image pricing and plans — allowance, plan features, reset, overages, and retention.
- Usage and limits documentation — usage headers, MCP usage tool, alerts, and reset information.
- Using the API — API behavior and error responses.
