# Bannerbear API + MCP vs Robolly

> Bannerbear scores 59.6 (C) to Robolly's 48.4 (D) for design templates. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-robolly
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-robolly.md (~4,000 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Bannerbear API + MCP scores 59.6 (C) on agent readiness against Robolly's 48.4 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Both do design templates.

- Bannerbear API + MCP: grade C, 59.6/100, rank #693 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bannerbear.json
- Robolly: grade D, 48.4/100, rank #1127 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/robolly.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/robolly.json
- Best programmatic image and design asset APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/design-assets/index.md
- All 153 assets comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/design-assets/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Bannerbear API + MCP (C)

Good for: Teams and agents that render branded images, PDFs and short animations from data and want an MCP server they can narrow.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 83 against 57
- Security & auth, 57 against 47
- Maintenance & community, 67 against 5
- Transparency & trust, 61 against 49

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine

Watch for: Privacy policy and terms last updated on 29 June 2021, with no retention periods and two named third parties

### Robolly (D)

Good for: Template-driven images, PDFs and short videos for marketers and developers who want a hosted editor and simple synchronous calls.

Watch for: No OpenAPI or other machine-readable contract found


## Why the edge

### Maintenance & community: Bannerbear API + MCP +62

- Bannerbear API + MCP (67): Newest changelog entry 18 September 2026, 47 days before this check (20, down from 30 on time). Three dated entries since 6 August, 18 August, 9 September and 18 September (20). The MCP repository's 0.14.0 commit is dated 7 October 2026, but its npm publication couldn't be read on 4 November, so it doesn't set recency (as growthbook's unconfirmed SDK). The four SDK repositories' newest tags are from 13 August 2026 (Node and PHP v1.6.0, Python v1.1.0, Ruby v0.3.0), older than the changelog entry. Monthly public changelog. We didn't check support response or the MCP repo's issues (10). Official SDKs in four languages announced in May 2026 and @bannerbear/mcp 0.13.0 published in September 2026, but the MCP server isn't in the official MCP registry, which lists only a third-party Bannerbear server (12). The MCP repo has test scripts but no CI workflow, and depends on @modelcontextprotocol/sdk ^1.12.0 (5).
- Robolly (5): No changelog, release notes or dated API change was found. The sitemap marks every docs page as modified on 4 November 2026, which reads as a site rebuild rather than a change, so it isn't counted (0). No dated changes since 8 August (0). Support by email, with chat on higher plans; not tested (5 of 15). Not in the official MCP registry and no SDKs (0). No public package or repository (0). 0 + 0 + 5 + 0 + 0 = 5.

### Schema & documentation: Bannerbear API + MCP +26

- Bannerbear API + MCP (83): OpenAPI 3.1 schema at api.bannerbear.com/v5/openapi.json, and the MCP server's tools carry typed Zod inputs (25). An llms.txt exists, but it indexes marketing pages and free tools with one link to the API reference and none to V5, MCP or the schema (7). MCP tool descriptions say when to use the tool and what to call next, such as 'call get_template for the full canvas config', and OpenAPI operations say whether they're async (16). Enums, required fields and size limits (100 to 5,000 px) in the schema, but `modifications` is an open object in the OpenAPI (11). Status codes listed in the docs and 4xx bodies carry a message, while the OpenAPI has no examples (9). Versioned paths (/v5) and a dated monthly changelog (15).
- Robolly (57): No OpenAPI or other machine-readable contract found for the REST API, and the MCP server is closed. The MCP page lists all nine tools and `get_template_modifications` returns each template's keys, constraints and examples at run time (8 of 25, on that partial evidence). llms.txt indexes the docs (10). The MCP page says what each tool does, which tools change templates or spend credits, and that there is no delete tool (14 of 20). Modification keys follow `{element-name}.{modification-key}` with constraints from the template rather than a fixed schema (7 of 15). Request examples throughout and an error code table with eight codes (13 of 15). /v1 paths with no changelog (5 of 15). 8 + 10 + 14 + 7 + 13 + 5 = 57.

### Transparency & trust: Bannerbear API + MCP +12

- Bannerbear API + MCP (61): Closed service under published terms. The MCP server is MIT per its package.json, though the repo has no `LICENSE` file (15). The privacy policy and terms are both dated 29 June 2021, give no retention periods, and say nothing about the zero data retention the pricing page sells on Enterprise (8). V5 launched on 18 August 2026 with the key change stated, but V2 has no end-of-life date and there's no API deprecation policy, only 30 days' notice for material changes to the terms (8). The privacy policy names Mailchimp and Stripe and no data locations (5).
- Robolly (49): Closed service under terms effective 8 April 2026 from Avantis Innovations LLC in Wyoming. The terms can change without notice (15). The privacy policy of the same date covers Google sign-in and Sheets data, says spreadsheet rows aren't kept beyond a render and account data is deleted with the account, and otherwise names no periods (10 of 30). No deprecation policy or notices (0). Hosting is described only as third-party vendors, with no processors or locations named, while the footer says Made in EU (2 of 20). 15 + 10 + 0 + 2 = 27.

### Security & auth: Bannerbear API + MCP +10

- Bannerbear API + MCP (57): V5 keys can be scoped per resource and action (`images:write`, `templates:read`) and pinned to browser origins, and the hosted MCP uses OAuth. Unscoped keys get full access, and we found no rotation guidance (27). A read-scoped key yields a read-only MCP tool list, but delete tools run with no confirmation step (12). The tool returns renders and records from your own account, little untrusted content (10). Audit logs are listed for the Enterprise plan at $299 a month only (8). No security.txt and /security returns 404. No bug bounty, disclosure policy or certification found. 2FA from the Scale plan, SSO on Enterprise (0).
- Robolly (47): Bearer API key, signed render links, and MCP OAuth with one `robolly:mcp` scope limited to the organisation the user approves. Connections are listed and revoked under Connected AI Tools, and the API key is never shared with an OAuth client. No key scopes or rotation documented (22 of 30). The MCP server can create and update templates but not delete them; there's no read-only mode (10 of 20). Tools return the user's templates and public gallery designs (10 of 15). A renders list and the connected-tools view give some visibility, with no audit log documented (5 of 15). No security.txt (the path returns the site's HTML shell), disclosure policy, bug bounty or certification (0). 22 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 0 = 47.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Bannerbear API + MCP | Robolly | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 45 | 48 | Robolly +3 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 83 | 57 | Bannerbear API + MCP +26 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 71 | 75 | Robolly +4 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 57 | 47 | Bannerbear API + MCP +10 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 35 | 35 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 67 | 5 | Bannerbear API + MCP +62 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 49 | Bannerbear API + MCP +12 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **59.6 · C** | **48.4 · D** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Bannerbear API + MCP | Robolly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Bannerbear | Avantis Innovations LLC (Robolly) |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.bannerbear.com/v5` | `https://api.robolly.com/v1` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | none | Closed service under the Robolly terms of use (effective 8 April 2026) |
| Tools exposed | 63 | 9 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-09-18 | none |
| Terms last updated | 2021-06-29 | 2026-04-08 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2021-06-29 | 2026-04-08 |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | yes |
| Popularity | 1.1k npm/wk, 8 PyPI/wk | none |
| Agent reviews | 4/5 (2) | none |

## How the scores have moved

### Bannerbear API + MCP

- -0.9 on 4 November 2026: time

### Robolly

No score change since it was listed.

## Verdicts

**Bannerbear API + MCP.** Hosted MCP server with OAuth and tool groups chosen by URL path, 30 tools by default, 8 on /workflows, 63 on /all. Privacy policy and terms last updated on 29 June 2021, with no retention periods and two named third parties.

**Robolly.** Robolly's nine MCP tools, synchronous renders, typed error codes and free cached re-renders keep template rendering cheap and predictable for an agent, and OAuth connections can be revoked per client. There is no OpenAPI file, changelog or dated release, and API access starts at $39 a month after a 7-day trial.

## Before you call either

### Bannerbear API + MCP

1. Connect to mcp.bannerbear.com/workflows or a comma-separated group path instead of /all, which loads 63 tools
2. Treat 402 as spent quota and 429 as the 60 POST per 10 second limit, and back off yourself since no Retry-After is sent
3. Use sync.api.bannerbear.com only for /v5/images, and expect a 408 after 10 seconds
4. Ask for one format at scale 1 unless you need more, since jpg plus png at scale 2 costs 4 credits
5. Create a V5 key (bb_ak_v5_) for V5 endpoints, since V2 keys are refused there

### Robolly

1. Call `get_template_modifications` before `render` to learn the keys a template accepts
2. Send renders one at a time; the API refuses more than 3 a second with `rate-limit`
3. Repeat an identical render freely; it is cached for 45 days and costs nothing
4. Poll `get_render` after `render_video`, since video renders are queued
5. Stop on `render-limit-exhausted` and tell the user the monthly credits are spent

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Bannerbear API + MCP or Robolly?

Bannerbear API + MCP scores 59.6 (C) on agent readiness against Robolly's 48.4 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories.

### Do Bannerbear API + MCP and Robolly need an API key?

Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

### Can an agent call Bannerbear API + MCP and Robolly without installing anything?

Yes. Bannerbear API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.bannerbear.com/v5 and Robolly at https://api.robolly.com/v1.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-robolly.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-robolly.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "bannerbear", "b": "robolly"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare bannerbear robolly`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bannerbear.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/robolly.json

## Other comparisons with Bannerbear API + MCP or Robolly

- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-robolly.md)
- [APITemplate.io vs Bannerbear API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apitemplate-io-vs-bannerbear.md)
- [APITemplate.io vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apitemplate-io-vs-robolly.md)
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- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Creatomate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-creatomate.md)
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- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Layerre](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-layerre.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Photoroom API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-photoroom.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Pictify](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-pictify.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Pixelixe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-pixelixe.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-placid.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs PostNitro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-postnitro.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-templated.md)
- [Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-robolly.md)
- [Contentdrips API and MCP vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/contentdrips-vs-robolly.md)
- [Creatomate vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-robolly.md)
- [DynaPictures vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dynapictures-vs-robolly.md)
- [Layerre vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/layerre-vs-robolly.md)
- [Photoroom API vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/photoroom-vs-robolly.md)
- [Pixelixe vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pixelixe-vs-robolly.md)
- [Placid API + MCP vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-robolly.md)
- [PostNitro vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/postnitro-vs-robolly.md)
- [Robolly vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/robolly-vs-shotstack.md)
- [Robolly vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/robolly-vs-templated.md)
- [Abyssale vs Bannerbear API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/abyssale-vs-bannerbear.md)
- [Abyssale vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/abyssale-vs-robolly.md)
- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Osmo CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-osmo-cli.md)
- [Osmo CLI vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-robolly.md)
- [Pictify vs Robolly](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pictify-vs-robolly.md)
- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Bannerbear API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-bannerbear.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp