4 Best Screenshot APIs in 2026

Need to capture website screenshots programmatically? Whether you're building a portfolio generator, monitoring tool, or social media automation platform, choosing the right screenshot API can make or break your project.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll compare the top 4 screenshot APIs available in 2026, breaking down their features, pricing, and use cases to help you make an informed decision.

Quick Comparison

1. CaptureKit - Best Overall Screenshot API

Best for: Developers and no-code users who need clean, clutter-free screenshots at scale

CaptureKit is a modern screenshot API designed specifically for developers who need pixel-perfect website screenshots without the hassle of managing browser clusters and edge cases.

Key Features

Capture Clean Screenshots CaptureKit automatically keeps your screenshots clutter-free by removing unwanted elements:

• ✅ Hide Cookie Banners - Automatically removes GDPR/consent bars without custom code
• ✅ Block Ads Instantly - One simple flag hides ad units so images stay clean
• ✅ Dismiss Overlays - Eliminate modals, chat boxes, and other interruptions

Capture Any Screen Size Customize every screenshot to your exact needs:

• ✅ Full-Page Mode - Capture entire scrollable pages in a single shot
• ✅ Element Targeting - Use CSS selectors to capture specific page elements
• ✅ Device Emulation - Simulate mobile, tablet, or desktop viewports

Built-in Caching & Storage

• ✅ Direct S3 Uploads - Push screenshots straight to your AWS S3 or compatible bucket
• ✅ Cache Control - Serve repeat requests from CDN for lightning-fast responses

Complete API Suite

Beyond screenshots, CaptureKit offers a comprehensive web data platform:

Screenshot API - Capture high-quality screenshots with extensive customization
Content API - Extract structured data including metadata, links, and raw HTML
AI Content API - Process webpage content with AI to generate summaries and extract key features

Pricing

• Free: 100 credits/month
• Starter: $7/month (1,000 credits) - Billed $70 annually
• Pro: $29/month (10,000 credits) - Billed $244 annually
• Ultimate: $89/month (50,000 credits) - Billed $748 annually

All plans include:

• PNG, JPEG, WebP, PDF formats
• Cache control
• Block cookie banners
• Upload to S3
• Page Content API
• Zapier, Make integrations
• Stealth mode
• AI Summarizer API
• GPU Rendering

Why Choose CaptureKit?

Simple API - Just pass a URL and get a screenshot. No complex configuration required for basic use cases, but powerful options when you need them.

Best Value - At $7/month for 1,000 screenshots, CaptureKit offers the most features at the most competitive price point.

Clean Results - Automatic ad blocking and cookie banner removal means you get professional screenshots without manual cleanup.

Developer Experience - Built by developers, for developers. Clean API, excellent documentation, and responsive support.

Multi-Format Support - Generate PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF outputs from the same API call.

2. ScreenshotOne - Enterprise-Grade Screenshot Platform

Best for: Companies with larger budgets needing advanced features

ScreenshotOne is a comprehensive screenshot API with advanced features like video generation and scrolling screenshots.

Key Features

• ✅ Screenshot rendering with multiple formats
• ✅ Block ads and cookie banners
• ✅ Full page screenshots
• ✅ Render PDFs and HTML
• ✅ S3 upload support
• ✅ Webhooks and signed links
• ✅ Stealth mode
• ✅ Growth+: Scrolling screenshots and video generation
• ✅ Scale: GPU rendering

Pricing

• Basic: $17/month (2,000 screenshots, 40 req/min)
  • $0.009 per extra screenshot
• Growth: $79/month (10,000 screenshots, 80 req/min)
  • $0.006 per extra screenshot
  • Scrolling screenshots & video generation
• Scale: $259/month (50,000 screenshots, 150 req/min)
  • $0.004 per extra screenshot
  • GPU rendering & priority support

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Advanced features like video generation
• High rate limits
• GPU rendering on Scale plan
• Choose IP location for geo-targeting

Cons:

• More expensive than alternatives ($17/month entry)
• Overkill for basic screenshot needs
• Higher per-screenshot cost on Basic plan

When to Choose: If you need advanced features like scrolling screenshots, video generation, or high rate limits and have the budget for it.

3. ScreenshotAPI.net - Solid Middle-Ground Option

Best for: Mid-sized projects with moderate screenshot volume

ScreenshotAPI.net provides a straightforward screenshot API with competitive pricing for moderate usage.

Key Features

• ✅ Screenshot rendering
• ✅ Multiple format support
• ✅ Cookie banner blocking
• ✅ Full page screenshots
• ✅ 7-day free trial (100 screenshots)

Pricing

• Essentials: $9/month

  • ~1,100 screenshots included (calculated from base + extra pricing)
  • $0.009 per extra screenshot
  • 20 requests per minute

• Startup: $29/month

  • ~3,625 screenshots included
  • $0.008 per extra screenshot
  • 40 requests per minute

• Business: $175/month

  • ~29,166 screenshots included
  • $0.006 per extra screenshot
  • 80 requests per minute

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• 7-day free trial
• All features included in all plans
• Reasonable pricing for medium volume

Cons:

• Fewer features than CaptureKit or ScreenshotOne
• Jump from $29 to $175 for Business plan
• Limited information on advanced capabilities
• No built-in AI features

When to Choose: If you need a straightforward screenshot API without advanced features and want a 7-day trial period.

4. Scrapingdog - Complete Web Scraping Platform

Best for: Projects needing screenshots plus comprehensive web scraping capabilities

Scrapingdog is a complete web scraping API platform that includes screenshot capabilities alongside many other scraping tools.

Key Features

• ✅ Screenshot API (one of many tools)
• ✅ Complete web scraping suite
• ✅ Geotargeting
• ✅ High concurrency levels
• ✅ Access to all APIs in platform
• ✅ Team management (Pro+)

Pricing

• LITE: $40/month

  • 200,000 credits
  • 5 concurrency
  • Access to all APIs
  • No email support

• STANDARD: $90/month

  • 1,000,000 credits
  • 50 concurrency
  • Email support

• PRO: $200/month (Popular)

  • 3,000,000 credits
  • 100 concurrency
  • Priority email support
  • Team management

• PREMIUM: $350/month

  • 6,000,000 credits
  • 150 concurrency
  • Priority support

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Complete web scraping platform
• High credit allocations
• High concurrency levels
• Geotargeting included
• Access to multiple scraping APIs

Cons:

• Expensive for screenshot-only use ($40/month minimum)
• Credits shared across all APIs
• Screenshot API not the main focus
• Overkill if you only need screenshots

When to Choose: Only if you need screenshots AND extensive web scraping capabilities. Not cost-effective if you only need screenshot functionality.

Use Case Recommendations

Choose CaptureKit if you need:

• ✅ Best value for money
• ✅ Clean screenshots without ads/banners
• ✅ AI-powered content extraction
• ✅ Simple API with powerful options
• ✅ No-code integrations (Zapier, Make)
• ✅ Multiple format outputs
• ✅ Developer-friendly experience

Choose ScreenshotOne if you need:

• ✅ Video generation from websites
• ✅ Scrolling screenshot animations
• ✅ Very high rate limits (150 req/min)
• ✅ GPU rendering
• ✅ Enterprise support
• ⚠️ Note: Significantly more expensive

Choose ScreenshotAPI.net if you need:

• ✅ 7-day free trial
• ✅ Simple screenshot API
• ✅ Mid-tier pricing
• ⚠️ Note: Limited advanced features

Choose Scrapingdog if you need:

• ✅ Screenshots + comprehensive web scraping
• ✅ High concurrency for scraping
• ✅ Geotargeting across multiple tools
• ⚠️ Note: Not cost-effective for screenshots alone

Building a Complete Web Data Stack

While these screenshot APIs are excellent for capturing website visuals, you might also need to extract data from social media videos. Here's how to build a complete web data extraction stack:

Screenshot + Social Media Data = Complete Solution

For Website Data: Use a screenshot API like CaptureKit for:

• Portfolio screenshots
• Website monitoring
• Social media preview images
• Documentation screenshots
• Website archival

For Social Media Video Data: Combine with SocialKit for:

• YouTube video transcripts and summaries
• TikTok video transcripts and summaries
• Video comments extraction
• Video statistics and analytics
• Multi-platform video data

The Perfect Stack

CaptureKit + SocialKit gives you comprehensive web data extraction:

1. Visual Content (CaptureKit)

   • Website screenshots
   • Page content extraction
   • AI-powered summaries
   • PDF generation

2. Video Content (SocialKit)

   • YouTube & TikTok transcripts
   • AI video summaries
   • Comments analysis
   • Video statistics

Example Use Cases

Content Marketing Platform:

• Use CaptureKit to capture competitor website screenshots
• Use SocialKit to analyze competitor video content
• Combine insights for comprehensive competitive analysis

Social Media Management Tool:

• Use SocialKit to extract video transcripts for repurposing
• Use CaptureKit to generate preview images from landing pages
• Automate content creation workflow

Educational Platform:

• Use SocialKit to extract YouTube video transcripts for accessibility
• Use CaptureKit to capture course material screenshots
• Create comprehensive learning resources

Research & Analytics:

• Use SocialKit to analyze social media video trends
• Use CaptureKit to document website changes over time
• Build comprehensive data collection pipelines

Final Recommendation

For most developers and businesses, CaptureKit is the clear winner:

✅ Best pricing - $7/month for 1,000 screenshots
✅ Most features - Screenshots, content extraction, and AI summaries
✅ Cleanest results - Automatic ad and cookie banner blocking
✅ Best developer experience - Simple API with powerful options
✅ No-code friendly - Native Zapier and Make integrations
✅ Scales efficiently - $89/month for 50,000 screenshots

Special Cases:

• Need video generation? → ScreenshotOne (but expect to pay more)
• Want a 7-day trial? → ScreenshotAPI.net
• Need comprehensive web scraping? → Scrapingdog

For screenshot APIs specifically, CaptureKit offers the best combination of features, pricing, and developer experience.

Bonus: Combine CaptureKit with SocialKit Social Media API to build a complete web data extraction platform covering both websites and social media video content.