Is ScreenshotMachine CLI Free for Commercial Use?
ScreenshotMachine permits commercial use of API screenshots, but its marketing restriction and the meaning of “CLI” leave important limits to check.
Short answer: ScreenshotMachine’s terms say you may view, download, and modify screenshots captured through its API for personal and commercial purposes. The same terms separately prohibit using its API or website for marketing without express written consent. So commercial use of the screenshot output is permitted in the stated terms, but marketing-related use of the service may require written permission. Read the terms.
The official documentation shows an HTTP GET API and a curl example; the reviewed official material does not establish a separate product or license named “ScreenshotMachine CLI.” If by CLI you mean a shell command that calls the hosted API, the API terms are the relevant starting point. If you mean a separately distributed command-line program, its license is not established by these sources.
What “commercial use” means here
The terms distinguish between permission for screenshot files and restrictions on using the service. They state that captured screenshots may be used for commercial purposes, and separately say the website must not be used for marketing purposes without express written consent. Do not treat permission for the output as blanket permission for every way of using the API.
| Question | What the reviewed official material says |
|---|---|
| Can I use API-captured screenshots commercially? | The terms say screenshots can be viewed, downloaded, and modified for personal and commercial purposes. |
| Can I use the API or website for marketing? | The terms prohibit marketing-related use without express written consent. |
| Is there an officially licensed ScreenshotMachine CLI? | The docs show a curl command-line example for the hosted HTTP API; the reviewed sources do not establish a separate CLI product or license. |
| Is the free offering unlimited? | The homepage advertises a free API trial with no credit card required. The reviewed material does not specify its quota or duration. |
How to use the documented API from a terminal
ScreenshotMachine documents an HTTP GET API and requires a customer key after signup. This is a shell request to the hosted API, not evidence of a separate CLI license. Check the current documentation and terms before using it in a production workflow.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotmachine.com" \
--data-urlencode "key=YOUR_CUSTOMER_KEY" \
--data-urlencode "url=https://example.com" \
--data-urlencode "dimension=1024x768" \
--output screenshot.pngUse your own customer key and the parameters specified in the official API documentation. The example demonstrates the general GET-and-save pattern; confirm the current parameter names, output format, and account limits in the docs rather than assuming that a trial has a particular quota.
What to verify before using it commercially
- Decide whether the screenshots are ordinary commercial output or part of a marketing-related workflow, such as promotion or advertising.
- For marketing-related use, request express written consent from ScreenshotMachine and retain the response with your project records.
- Confirm the current terms, account plan, trial limits, and request limits. The reviewed sources do not establish the free quota, trial duration, or current plan-specific limits.
- If you plan to redistribute a CLI program, review that program’s own license. An API example’s code license does not set the hosted service’s terms.
Free trial and what it does—and does not—establish
The ScreenshotMachine homepage advertises a free screenshot API trial with no credit card required. That establishes that a free trial is promoted; it does not establish unlimited use, the number of included captures, how long the trial lasts, or that every marketing workflow is permitted. Ask ScreenshotMachine for current details if those conditions matter to your decision.
Code example licenses versus API terms
ScreenshotMachine’s official GitHub organization lists API examples, including a bash/curl repository. Its Node.js example repository describes itself as an example client and labels that repository’s code MIT licensed. That license applies to the repository code; it does not by itself grant commercial access to the hosted API or override the service terms. Review both the code license and the service terms for the use you intend.
Common questions and edge cases
Does “commercial purposes” mean I can put screenshots in an advertisement?
The terms allow commercial use of screenshots, but separately restrict using the API or website for marketing without express written consent. Because an advertisement is a marketing context, get written clarification before relying on the general commercial-output permission.
Can I sell or redistribute a CLI wrapper?
The reviewed sources do not establish a separate official CLI product license or permission to redistribute a wrapper. Check the wrapper’s code license and ask ScreenshotMachine how its API terms apply to the planned distribution and use.
Can I use the free trial in a paid product?
The public materials reviewed do not specify the trial’s quota, duration, or all commercial conditions. The terms’ commercial-output sentence is relevant, but confirm the current account limits and whether your workflow is marketing-related.
Why do the terms’ date and current status matter?
The terms page displays a last-updated date of July 22, 2020, and says terms can be revised. Review the live terms and obtain written confirmation for unresolved uses before committing to a business workflow.
Troubleshooting and decision checklist
- You cannot tell whether your use counts as marketing: describe the exact workflow to ScreenshotMachine and request express written consent where marketing may be involved.
- You are calling a “CLI” license but only found curl docs: the documented example is an API request from a shell. Ask for the license of any separately distributed tool you mean.
- You need to budget a free tier: the reviewed homepage does not state a quota or duration. Confirm the current trial and plan limits directly.
- You found an MIT license in a client repository: apply it to that repository’s code only; separately check the hosted API terms.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. Its API takes one GET request with a URL and returns an image or PDF. For example:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and setup. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. An MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, with no card required.
Sources
- ScreenshotMachine terms and conditions (page displays last update July 22, 2020).
- ScreenshotMachine website screenshot API documentation.
- ScreenshotMachine homepage.
- ScreenshotMachine GitHub organization and Node.js example repository.
