ScreenshotNeo vs URL2PNG: Features and Pricing Compared
Compare ScreenshotNeo and URL2PNG on features, pricing, caching, billing, and integrations so you can choose the right screenshot API.
Short answer: ScreenshotNeo is the first service to try when you want clean screenshots, billing that excludes failed captures, and a low-cost entry plan. URL2PNG is an established API with viewport controls, full-page rendering, custom CSS and JavaScript timing controls, but its published plans start at $29 per month and do not include a free account.
This comparison uses URL2PNG’s official homepage, plans page and API documentation, plus ScreenshotNeo’s current product specifications. Prices and service behavior can change, so confirm the linked vendor pages before committing.
1. ScreenshotNeo vs URL2PNG at a glance
| Area | ScreenshotNeo | URL2PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Best starting point | #1 for this comparison: clean shots, only clean shots billed, and a $5 paid plan. | Useful for teams that already need its signed-request API and published worker tiers. |
| Image formats | PNG, JPEG and WebP; PDF capture is also available. | Screenshot API with thumbnails or 1:1 output; see the vendor documentation for current format behavior. |
| Full-page capture | Yes, with lazy images loaded. | Yes. |
| Viewport and devices | Any viewport plus 12 device presets, retina scale and dark mode. | Viewport controls, user-agent and language overrides. |
| Page control | Custom CSS and JavaScript, click an element, hide selectors, wait for a selector, delay or network idle, and block selected requests or resource types. | Custom CSS injection, JavaScript-controlled capture, delay and waiting for a specified page element. |
| Privacy and request context | Custom headers, cookies, user agent, Authorization, timezone and geolocation. | User-agent and language overrides are documented. |
| Cache and billing | Choose a cache TTL. Cache hits, bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts and failed loads are not billed; response headers identify the verdict and billing. | Cached screenshots are retained for 30 days by default, cached reads do not count against a plan, and TTL can be adjusted. |
| Automation | Async jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture for up to 100 URLs per call, usage API and OpenAPI specification. | Single HTTP request model with signed requests; implementation examples are in the API documentation. |
| AI agents | MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf. |
No MCP capability is established by the supplied sources. |
| Entry price | Free: 1,000 shots/month without a card. Starter: $5 for 3,000. | No free account. Bootstrapped: $29/month for 5,000 fresh screenshots. |
2. Features in detail
ScreenshotNeo
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. A GET request to the shot endpoint returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF for the requested URL. Before capture, it accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets. Each cleanup step can be disabled.
- Capture the complete page, including lazy-loaded images, or one element selected by CSS.
- Use dark mode, 12 device presets, any viewport and retina scale.
- Produce PDFs with paper size, margins, landscape mode and page ranges.
- Render HTML/CSS to an image, inject custom CSS or JavaScript, click an element, hide selectors, and wait for a selector, delay or network idle.
- Block ads, trackers, individual requests or resource types.
- Set headers, cookies, user agent, Authorization, timezone and geolocation.
- Use transparent backgrounds, image resizing and a cache TTL you choose.
- Create signed links for public
<img>tags, submit asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, capture up to 100 URLs per bulk call, inspect usage, and use the OpenAPI specification.
URL2PNG
URL2PNG describes a screenshot API for embedding website captures in an app, website or business process. Its published feature list includes thumbnails or 1:1 resolution, full-page captures, viewport controls, user-agent and language overrides, custom CSS injection, and JavaScript-controlled capture. The homepage also calls out graphs and canvas, webfonts, CSS3/SVG and video rendering.
The quickstart documentation describes signed requests built from an API key, a token and an encoded target URL. It documents thumbnail width, viewport dimensions, full-page mode, a unique value to force a fresh render, custom CSS, waiting for a page element, language and user-agent headers, delay and TTL. Verify defaults in the current documentation before depending on them.
3. Pricing and billing
ScreenshotNeo plans
| Plan | Included shots/month | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 | $0, no card |
| Starter | 3,000 | $5 |
| Growth | 15,000 | $15 |
| Pro | 60,000 | $39 |
| Scale | 250,000 | $99 |
| Business | 1,000,000 | $249 |
Yearly billing gives two months free. Every feature is available on every plan. ScreenshotNeo bills only clean shots. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits cost nothing, and the X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed response headers state what happened.
URL2PNG published plans
| Plan | Fresh screenshots | Monthly price | Overage per screenshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bootstrapped | 5,000 | $29 | $0.006 |
| Traction | 20,000 | $99 | $0.005 |
| Killinit | 50,000 | $199 | $0.004 |
| Enterprise | Unlimited listed volume | Contact | Not stated |
URL2PNG says it has no free accounts. Its plans page lists 10, 15 or 35 dedicated workers on the first three tiers, SSL endpoints, Fastly CDN, email or priority support, and enterprise implementation services. It also states that cached screenshots are kept for 30 days by default, cached loads do not count against a plan, and the TTL can be changed. These are vendor-published claims, not independent benchmarks.
4. Which API fits your workload?
- Choose ScreenshotNeo if consent banners, popups, chat widgets, bot checks or failed pages affect your output or budget; if you need an MCP server; or if you want to start free and move to a $5 plan.
- Choose URL2PNG if its signed-request workflow and published worker tiers match an existing integration, and you are comfortable starting at $29 per month.
- For high-volume scheduled jobs, compare included fresh renders with your actual cache hit rate. A cached result can change effective cost, but only ScreenshotNeo’s response headers explicitly identify the verdict and whether a capture was billed.
- For regulated or localized pages, check the required cookies, headers, user agent, timezone and geolocation controls before implementation.
5. Runnable ScreenshotNeo requests
See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for the complete option list. These minimal requests save the result as a WebP file.
cURL
curl -G 'https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot' \
-d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY \
--data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com \
-o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get(
'https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot',
params={'access_key': 'YOUR_API_KEY', 'url': 'https://stripe.com'},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open('shot.webp', 'wb').write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({
access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
url: 'https://stripe.com'
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const buffer = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
require('fs').writeFileSync('shot.webp', buffer);6. URL2PNG integration notes
URL2PNG requests require a signed query. Start with the official quickstart, which shows how to combine your API key, secret-derived token and URL-encoded target. Do not copy a token from an example into production; generate it in your server-side code and keep the secret out of browser JavaScript.
# The exact signing implementation and parameter names are maintained in URL2PNG's docs.
# Build the documented signed request on your server, then fetch the returned image URL.
7. Reliability, performance and cost considerations
Rendering time
Full-page pages, heavy JavaScript, videos, webfonts and lazy images take longer than a static viewport. Use a selector wait or network-idle wait when content is asynchronous; use a short fixed delay only when the page has a predictable animation or delayed widget.
Fresh versus cached captures
Cache stable pages with a TTL that matches how often they change. Force a fresh render for releases or visual regression checks. URL2PNG documents a 30-day default cache and a unique value to force freshness. ScreenshotNeo lets you choose the TTL and reports cache hits through its billing verdict headers.
Cost control
- Cache pages that do not change on every request.
- Capture one element instead of a full page when only a chart or card is needed.
- Use bulk capture for up to 100 URLs per ScreenshotNeo call.
- Track usage before selecting a paid tier; compare fresh renders rather than raw HTTP request counts.
- For URL2PNG, include overage rates in your forecast: $0.006, $0.005 or $0.004 per additional screenshot depending on tier.
8. Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Consent banner appears in the image | Cleanup was disabled or the platform is not recognized. | Enable ScreenshotNeo consent cleanup; if needed, hide the banner with a selector or click its accept control before capture. |
| Blank or partial page | Capture occurred before JavaScript or lazy images finished. | Wait for a selector or network idle, or add a bounded delay. Check the target directly for bot protection. |
| HTTP timeout | The page or a third-party resource did not finish. | Block unnecessary resource types, use a selector wait instead of an excessive global delay, and retry idempotently. |
| Unexpected URL2PNG signature error | The token was generated from a differently encoded query string. | Generate the signature from the exact encoded parameters shown in the URL2PNG quickstart and keep the secret server-side. |
| Unexpected bill | A fresh successful render was requested instead of a cache hit. | Set an appropriate TTL and inspect ScreenshotNeo’s X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. |
| Different language or layout | User agent, language, timezone or viewport differs from a browser. | Set the matching request context explicitly and use a device preset or exact viewport. |
| Image downloaded as the wrong type | The endpoint returned the default format. | Request the desired PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF option documented by ScreenshotNeo. |
9. Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo turns the capture into one request:
curl -G 'https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot' \
-d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY \
--data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com \
-o shot.webpCookie 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, and 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
Start with 1,000 free screenshots.
10. FAQ
Does URL2PNG have a free plan?
No. Its official plans FAQ says free accounts are not offered.
Do cached URL2PNG screenshots consume the monthly quota?
URL2PNG says cached reads do not count against a plan and are retained for 30 days by default.
Can ScreenshotNeo create PDFs?
Yes. It supports paper size, margins, landscape mode and page ranges.
Can I use ScreenshotNeo with an AI coding agent?
Yes. Its MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
Where should API keys live?
Keep them on your server or in a secret manager. Do not place a secret key in client-side JavaScript or a public image URL unless you are using a signed link designed for that purpose.
