CurlShot, an ApiFlash alternative
Pick CurlShot if you need more than images: PDFs, scrolling videos, HTML or Markdown as input, background renders with webhooks, an MCP server for AI agents and an n8n node. Pick ApiFlash if you only need JPEG, PNG or WebP screenshots of URLs and want the lowest price: it costs less per 1,000 screenshots at 10,000 a month and above, and exports to your own S3 bucket. Both have a free plan of 100 screenshots a month without a card.
Facts about ApiFlash checked on .
Features, side by side
Show the features table (14 rows)
| Feature | CurlShot | ApiFlash |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan, no card | Yes | 100 screenshots a month |
| Full-page screenshots | Yes | Yes |
| Screenshot of one element (CSS selector) | Yes | Yes |
| Block ads and hide cookie banners | Yes | Yes |
| Image formats | PNG, JPEG, WebP | JPEG, PNG, WebP |
| PDF output | Yes | Not in its docs |
| Video of the page scrolling | Yes | Not in its docs |
| HTML and Markdown as input | Yes | Not in its docs |
| Webhook when an async render is done | Paid plans | Not in its docs |
| Up to 100 screenshots in one bulk call | Paid plans | Not in its docs |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes | Not in its docs |
| n8n node | Community node | Not in its docs |
| Export to your own S3 bucket | No | Yes |
| Page HTML or text returned with the image | No | Yes |
What it costs per month
Monthly plans, billed monthly, before tax. The last column is the plan price divided by the screenshots it includes.
Show the prices (7 rows)
| Product and plan | Per month | Screenshots a month | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CurlShot Free | Free | 100 | Free |
| CurlShot Starter | $19 | 3,000 | $6.33 |
| CurlShot Growth | $79 | 15,000 | $5.27 |
| CurlShot Scale | $249 | 60,000 | $4.15 |
| ApiFlash Lite | $7 | 1,000 | $7 |
| ApiFlash Medium | $35 | 10,000 | $3.50 |
| ApiFlash Large | $180 | 100,000 | $1.80 |
Sources: ApiFlash pricing, and the CurlShot pricing page.
Pick CurlShot when
- You need PDFs or scrolling videos of pages, not only images
- You render your own HTML or Markdown, such as invoices, reports or social images
- Long jobs should run in the background and report back by webhook, up to 100 in one bulk call
- An AI agent or an n8n workflow should take the screenshots: CurlShot has an MCP server and an n8n community node
Pick ApiFlash when
- You only need images of URLs and want the lowest price per 1,000 at 10,000 a month and above (see the table)
- You want the smallest paid plan: 1,000 screenshots for $7 a month
- Screenshots should be exported straight into your own S3 bucket
- You also want the page’s HTML or text extracted along with the image
Move a request over, parameter by parameter
Every CurlShot option is described in the options reference.
Show the parameters table (23 rows)
| To do this | CurlShot | ApiFlash |
|---|---|---|
| Page address | url | url |
| Output format | format | format |
| Whole page | full_page | full_page |
| Viewport width | viewport_width | width |
| Viewport height | viewport_height | height |
| Pixel density (2x) | device_scale_factor | scale_factor |
| Resize the image | image_width | thumbnail_width |
| Image quality | image_quality | quality |
| Transparent background | omit_background | transparent |
| Wait before capture | delay | delay |
| Wait for a page event | wait_until | wait_until |
| Wait for an element | wait_for_selector | wait_for |
| One element only | selector | element |
| Add CSS | styles | css |
| Run JavaScript | scripts | js |
| Block ads | block_ads | no_ads |
| Hide cookie banners | block_cookie_banners | no_cookie_banners |
| Block trackers | block_trackers | no_tracking |
| User agent | user_agent | user_agent |
| JSON response | response_type | response_type |
| Cache lifetime | cache_ttl | ttl |
| PDF paper size | pdf_paper_format | None |
| Webhook when done | webhook_url | None |
Questions people ask
Is CurlShot a good ApiFlash alternative?
Yes, when you need PDFs, videos, HTML or Markdown input, webhooks or an MCP server, none of which ApiFlash documents. For plain images of URLs at 10,000 a month or more, ApiFlash costs less per screenshot.
How do I move my requests from ApiFlash?
Change the address, swap the access key, and rename a handful of parameters: no_ads becomes block_ads, no_cookie_banners becomes block_cookie_banners, element becomes selector. The parameter table on this page has the full list.
Does ApiFlash have a free plan?
Yes, as of the date on this page: 100 screenshots a month without a credit card, the same allowance as the free plan here.
Sources: ApiFlash pricing, ApiFlash documentation. Checked on 9 November 2026; prices and features change, so check them before you decide.
Try it on your own pages
- Web page to PDFTurn a web page into a PDF document from its address. Real pages, working links and selectable text. Paste the address, nothing to install. Also an API.
- Scrolling video of a websiteRecord a video of a web page scrolling from top to bottom, from its address. MP4, WebM or GIF, computer or phone view. One API request, nothing to install.
- HTML to imageRender your own HTML, CSS or Markdown into an image or a PDF with one API request. For social cards, certificates, receipts and reports.