{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "bannerbear", "name": "Bannerbear API + MCP", "vendor": "Bannerbear", "vendorUrl": "https://www.bannerbear.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "design-assets", "summary": "Template-based image, PDF and animation rendering, plus video tools and multi-step workflows, over a REST API (V5 since August 2026) and an official MCP server, hosted with OAuth or run locally with an API key.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bannerbear.json", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http", "stdio" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.bannerbear.com/v5", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@bannerbear/mcp" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "bannerbear" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "bannerbear" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Bearer API key for REST. V5 keys (bb_ak_v5_...) can be scoped per resource and action, such as images:write, and restricted to browser origins, and they don't work on V2 endpoints. The hosted MCP uses OAuth. The local MCP takes BANNERBEAR_API_KEY.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Free trial with 30 API credits and no card. Automate $49 a month (1,000 API credits, 200 AI credits), Scale from $149 a month (10,000 credits, up to 40,000), Enterprise from $299 a month (50,000 credits, up to 2,000,000). An image is 1 credit per format and scale step. Animations are 2 credits a second of output. AI layers and media tools cost extra credits (https://www.bannerbear.com/pricing/).", "priceSummary": "$49 / mo", "where": "both", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "Subscription credits only. No x402 in the docs or OpenAPI schema (checked 2026-09-30).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 63, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": 1090, "pypiWeekly": 8, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://developers.bannerbear.com/v5/", "llmsTxt": "https://www.bannerbear.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://api.bannerbear.com/v5/openapi.json", "capabilities": [ "design.templates", "design.render", "video.render", "image.edit" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "closed-source", "mcp", "llms-txt", "openapi", "no-card", "async-jobs", "webhooks" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-18", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 60.5, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 458, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 71, "maintenance": 77, "payments": 35, "reliability": 45, "schema": 83, "security": 57, "transparency": 61 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "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.", "bestFor": "Teams and agents that render branded images, PDFs and short animations from data and want an MCP server they can narrow.", "strengths": [ "Hosted MCP server with OAuth and tool groups chosen by URL path, 30 tools by default, 8 on /workflows, 63 on /all", "V5 keys scoped per resource and action, with browser origin allowlists, and the MCP drops tools a key can't call", "OpenAPI 3.1 schema for V5 and a dated changelog with four entries between 31 July and 18 September 2026", "Official SDKs for Ruby, Node, Python and PHP", "Over-quota requests are refused with a 402 rather than billed, and failed tool jobs aren't charged since 9 September 2026" ], "weaknesses": [ "Privacy policy and terms last updated on 29 June 2021, with no retention periods and two named third parties", "No security.txt, no security page and no certification or bug bounty found", "No Retry-After, idempotency key or MCP tool annotations, and five MCP tools delete permanently without confirmation", "Status page renders only with JavaScript and has no readable incident history", "No free plan. The trial is 30 credits, and image credits multiply by format and scale" ], "agentNotes": [ "Connect to mcp.bannerbear.com/workflows or a comma-separated group path instead of /all, which loads 63 tools", "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", "Use sync.api.bannerbear.com only for /v5/images, and expect a 408 after 10 seconds", "Ask for one format at scale 1 unless you need more, since jpg plus png at scale 2 costs 4 credits", "Create a V5 key (bb_ak_v5_) for V5 endpoints, since V2 keys are refused there" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 4, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 60.5 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 71, "maintenance": 77, "payments": 35, "reliability": 45, "schema": 83, "security": 57, "transparency": 36 }, "provenanceScore": 85 }, "connect": { "http": "curl https://api.bannerbear.com/v5/account -H \"Authorization: Bearer $BANNERBEAR_API_KEY\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http bannerbear https://mcp.bannerbear.com/", "config": { "mcpServers": { "bannerbear": { "args": [ "-y", "@bannerbear/mcp" ], "command": "npx", "env": { "BANNERBEAR_API_KEY": "${BANNERBEAR_API_KEY}" } } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/design.templates", "tool": "https://letme.dev/bannerbear" }, "area": "design-diagrams", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Automate", "unit": "month", "usd": 49, "note": "1,000 API credits and 200 AI credits" }, { "item": "Scale", "unit": "month", "usd": 149, "note": "10,000 API credits, higher tiers up to 40,000" }, { "item": "Enterprise", "unit": "month", "usd": 299, "note": "50,000 API credits, higher tiers up to 2,000,000" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Twenty Four Twelve Systems Pte. Ltd.", "domain": "bannerbear.com", "domainRegistered": "2019-12-24", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.bannerbear.com/terms/", "privacy": "https://www.bannerbear.com/privacy/", "statusPage": "https://status.bannerbear.com", "changelog": "https://www.bannerbear.com/changelog/", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-09-30", "score": 85 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.json", "live": { "slug": "bannerbear", "probe": { "target": "https://api.bannerbear.com/v5", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T09:26:44.036878488Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 200, "lastMs": 317, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 304, "p95ms24h": 387, "samples24h": 261, "samples30d": 2287, "days": [ { "date": "2026-09-30", "probes": 35, "ok": 35 }, { "date": "2026-10-01", "probes": 276, "ok": 276 }, { "date": "2026-10-02", "probes": 248, "ok": 248 }, { "date": "2026-10-03", "probes": 271, "ok": 271 }, { "date": "2026-10-04", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-05", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-07", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 268, "ok": 268 }, { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 101, "ok": 101 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.bannerbear.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:57:38.678466319Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@bannerbear/mcp", "version": "0.14.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:02:00.892010552Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "bannerbear", "version": "2.0.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:02:03.165840503Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "bannerbear", "version": "1.2.0", "released": "2026-08-17", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:02:03.38002184Z" } ], "npmWeekly": 54, "pypiWeekly": 18, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://bannerbear.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:55.604879557Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://www.bannerbear.com/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T14:00:06.45219556Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "bannerbear.com", "registered": "2019-12-24", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/bannerbear.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:10:13.92674351Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://www.bannerbear.com/changelog/", "kind": "deprecations", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:26:30.825621365Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:37:15.347591267Z", "fingerprint": "bde6410f4430" }, { "url": "https://www.bannerbear.com/pricing/", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:26:32.929739004Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:37:17.666410768Z", "fingerprint": "c5353dbeef56" }, { "url": "https://www.bannerbear.com/privacy/", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:26:34.874380109Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:37:19.382213326Z", "fingerprint": "d9e156722e5e" }, { "url": "https://www.bannerbear.com/terms/", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:26:37.102609925Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:37:21.731236254Z", "fingerprint": "5a815814e68b" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:26:44.036878488Z" } }, "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Bannerbear API + MCP's 60.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Bannerbear API + MCP leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth.", "b": { "slug": "shotstack", "name": "Shotstack", "vendor": "ShotStack Pty Ltd", "vendorUrl": "https://shotstack.io", "kind": "http-api", "category": "design-assets", "summary": "Shotstack is a cloud video editor driven by JSON. It renders video, images and audio from edits and templates with merge fields. Agents reach it through the Edit API, a hosted MCP server or a CLI with an agent skill.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shotstack", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shotstack.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shotstack.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shotstack.json", "repo": "https://github.com/shotstack/shotstack-cli", "license": "Proprietary service under Shotstack's Terms and Conditions. The CLI and skill are Apache-2.0, the schemas package and SDKs are MIT, and the Studio SDK is under PolyForm Shield 1.0.0", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@shotstack/cli" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@shotstack/schemas" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "shotstack-sdk" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "shotstack-sdk" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "REST calls and the CLI send an API key in the `x-api-key` header. A browser signup at app.shotstack.io gives one sandbox key and one production key, self-serve, with no scopes found in the docs. The same keys reach the Edit, Serve and Ingest APIs. The MCP server uses OAuth (authorisation code with PKCE S256, dynamic client registration, one scope, `mcp:tools`) or the API key in an `x-api-key` header for headless use.", "pricing": "usage", "pricingNotes": "10 free credits on signup, valid 30 days, with no card. Pay as you go is $10 for 50 credits, 20 cents a minute of rendered video. Monthly plans run from $39 for 250 minutes to $499 for 10,000. The `stage` sandbox renders free with a watermark, so an agent can start without a contract. AI generation is charged per model in credits (checked 2026-10-08).", "priceSummary": "$0.20 / credit", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "Prepaid credits and monthly plans. No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, llms.txt, OpenAPI definition or pricing page (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 15, "popularity": { "githubStars": 0, "npmWeekly": 1211, "pypiWeekly": 326, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://shotstack.io/docs/guide/", "llmsTxt": "https://shotstack.io/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://shotstack.io/docs/api/api.edit.json", "capabilities": [ "design.templates", "design.render", "video.edit", "video.generate", "image.generate", "speech.tts", "audio.music" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "closed-source", "mcp", "oauth", "openapi", "llms-txt", "cli", "agent-skill", "async-jobs", "webhooks", "video", "images", "sandbox", "status-page", "sla" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-05", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 65.3, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 297, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 1, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 63, "maintenance": 73, "payments": 45, "reliability": 85, "schema": 88, "security": 48, "transparency": 73 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": -3, "negativeNotes": [ "4 October 2026. Release 1.22.0 of the published API definition removed the `pricing` object from the `GET /models` response and replaced it with `POST /generate/quote`, in a minor release with no breaking-change mark and no notice found. We did not test whether the live response changed that day (https://github.com/shotstack/oas-api-definition/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)" ], "verdict": "A public OpenAPI definition, Markdown docs, a hosted MCP server with OAuth and a free watermarked sandbox let an agent draft, check and render video with little setup. API keys have no scopes, webhooks are unsigned, no security contact or certification of Shotstack's own was found, and the published Node and Python SDKs date from July 2024.", "bestFor": "Teams that render video, images or audio from JSON or templates at volume and want an agent to draft edits that a person reviews in Studio.", "strengths": [ "OpenAPI 3.0.1 definition at `https://shotstack.io/docs/api/api.edit.json` with 122 schemas, plus llms.txt, llms-full.txt and a Markdown twin of every guide page", "Hosted MCP server at `https://mcp.shotstack.io/` with 15 tools, OAuth authorisation code with PKCE S256 and dynamic client registration, or an `x-api-key` header", "`shotstack validate` checks an edit offline and `shotstack studio` opens a preview link, both with no API key and no credits", "The `stage` environment renders free with a watermark, and `POST /generate/quote` returns the credit cost of an AI generation without charging", "Rate limits are published per API (Edit 300 requests per 60 seconds in production), and the terms carry a 99.9 per cent uptime SLA with a 10 per cent credit" ], "weaknesses": [ "API keys have no scopes. One production key and one sandbox key reach the Edit, Serve and Ingest APIs, and key rotation was not found in the docs", "Webhook callbacks are not signed, per the webhooks guide, which tells receivers to confirm a render by calling the API", "No security.txt, disclosure policy or certification of Shotstack's own was found. The DPA relies on AWS's SOC 2 and ISO 27001 reports", "The published API definition dropped the `pricing` object from `GET /models` in release 1.22.0 on 4 October 2026, a minor release with no breaking-change mark", "The npm `shotstack-sdk` (0.2.9) and PyPI `shotstack-sdk` (0.2.8) packages were last published in July 2024" ], "agentNotes": [ "Fetch `https://shotstack.io/docs/api/api.edit.json` and the conventions guide before writing an edit. Track order is reversed, so the first track renders on top", "Render in `stage` first. It is free and watermarked, but AI generation there is charged from the production credit balance", "Call `POST /generate/quote` before `POST /generate`, and send an `Idempotency-Key` header on generation. `POST /render` has no idempotency key, so do not resubmit blindly", "Do not store the `url` from the render status response. It expires after 24 hours. Use the CDN address built from `owner` and the render id", "On a 429, wait for the 60-second window to reset and retry with backoff. Limits are per API key, 300 a minute on the Edit API in production" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 65.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 63, "maintenance": 73, "payments": 45, "reliability": 85, "schema": 88, "security": 48, "transparency": 61 }, "provenanceScore": 84 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install -g @shotstack/cli", "http": "curl -X POST https://api.shotstack.io/edit/stage/render -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" -H \"x-api-key: $SHOTSTACK_API_KEY\" -d @edit.json", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http shotstack https://mcp.shotstack.io", "config": { "mcpServers": { "shotstack": { "url": "https://mcp.shotstack.io/" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/design.templates", "tool": "https://letme.dev/shotstack" }, "area": "design-diagrams", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Pay as you go credit", "unit": "credit", "usd": 0.2, "note": "$10 for 50 credits, one credit renders one minute of video, valid 12 months" }, { "item": "Starter", "unit": "month", "usd": 39, "note": "250 minutes a month" }, { "item": "Pro", "unit": "month", "usd": 99, "note": "750 minutes a month" }, { "item": "Scale", "unit": "month", "usd": 199, "note": "2,000 minutes a month" }, { "item": "Volume", "unit": "month", "usd": 499, "note": "10,000 minutes a month" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "ShotStack Pty Ltd", "domain": "shotstack.io", "domainRegistered": "2017-06-30", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://shotstack.io/terms/", "privacy": "https://shotstack.io/privacy/", "statusPage": "https://status.shotstack.io", "changelog": "https://github.com/shotstack/oas-api-definition/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The terms name ShotStack Pty Ltd, ACN 632 863 024, and the privacy policy gives an address in Maroubra, New South Wales.", "The terms were last updated on 6 October 2026. They cover the APIs, Studio and AI generation, and include plans and an SLA as schedules.", "The privacy policy was last updated on 21 December 2021. A DPA and a sub-processor list, both updated 6 October 2026, are at shotstack.io/dpa/ and shotstack.io/sub-processors/.", "The API answers at api.shotstack.io, the MCP server at mcp.shotstack.io and hosted files at cdn.shotstack.io.", "shotstack.io/.well-known/security.txt returns 404.", "The status page runs on Kener and links an RSS feed of incidents and maintenance.", "The changelog is the CHANGELOG.md of the API definition repository. No changelog page was found on shotstack.io.", "RDAP for shotstack.io gives a registration date of 2017-06-30 and Gandi SAS as registrar." ], "score": 84 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shotstack.json", "live": { "slug": "shotstack", "probe": { "target": "https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T09:27:04.664482457Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 200, "lastMs": 882, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 858, "p95ms24h": 890, "samples24h": 20, "samples30d": 20, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 20, "ok": 20 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.shotstack.io", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:58:32.082902585Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:27:04.664482457Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Bannerbear", "b": "ShotStack Pty Ltd", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://api.bannerbear.com/v5", "b": "https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Paid", "b": "Pay per use", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "none", "b": "Proprietary service under Shotstack's Terms and Conditions. The CLI and skill are Apache-2.0, the schemas package and SDKs are MIT, and the Studio SDK is under PolyForm Shield 1.0.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "63", "b": "15", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-18", "b": "2026-10-05", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2021-06-29", "b": "no date given", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2021-06-29", "b": "no date given", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "1.1k npm/wk, 8 PyPI/wk", "b": "0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "4/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Bannerbear API + MCP's 60.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Bannerbear API + MCP leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Bannerbear API + MCP or Shotstack?" }, { "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Bannerbear API + MCP and Shotstack need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Bannerbear API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.bannerbear.com/v5 and Shotstack at https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1.", "question": "Can an agent call Bannerbear API + MCP and Shotstack without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Agent ergonomics, 71 against 63", "Security \u0026 auth, 57 against 48" ], "also": [ "Runs on your own machine", "Free to start without a card", "No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Teams and agents that render branded images, PDFs and short animations from data and want an MCP server they can narrow.", "slug": "bannerbear", "watchFor": "Privacy policy and terms last updated on 29 June 2021, with no retention periods and two named third parties" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 45", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 83", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 73 against 61" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Teams that render video, images or audio from JSON or templates at volume and want an agent to draft edits that a person reviews in Studio.", "slug": "shotstack", "watchFor": "API keys have no scopes. One production key and one sandbox key reach the Edit, Serve and Ingest APIs, and key rotation was not found in the docs" } ], "job": { "capability": "design.templates", "name": "Design templates" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-shotstack.json", "title": "Adobe Photoshop API vs Shotstack", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-shotstack" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-canva.json", "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Canva REST APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-canva" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-creatomate.json", "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Creatomate", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-creatomate" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-placid.json", "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Placid API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-placid" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-templated.json", "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-templated" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-shotstack.json", "title": "Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Shotstack", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-shotstack" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-shotstack.json", "title": "Creatomate vs Shotstack", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-shotstack" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack.json", "title": "Placid API + MCP vs Shotstack", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.json", "title": "Shotstack vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-osmo-cli.json", "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Osmo CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-osmo-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-shotstack.json", "title": "Osmo CLI vs Shotstack", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-shotstack" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-bannerbear.json", "title": "Adobe Photoshop API vs Bannerbear API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-bannerbear" } ], "scores": [ { "bannerbear": 45, "by": 40, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "shotstack": 85, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "bannerbear": 83, "by": 5, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "shotstack": 88, "weight": 13 }, { "bannerbear": 71, "by": 8, "edge": "bannerbear", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "shotstack": 63, "weight": 13 }, { "bannerbear": 57, "by": 9, "edge": "bannerbear", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "shotstack": 48, "weight": 14 }, { "bannerbear": 35, "by": 10, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "shotstack": 45, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "bannerbear": 77, "by": 4, "edge": "bannerbear", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "shotstack": 73, "weight": 7 }, { "bannerbear": 61, "by": 12, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "shotstack": 73, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Bannerbear API + MCP's 60.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Bannerbear API + MCP leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth. Both do design templates.", "verdicts": { "bannerbear": "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.", "shotstack": "A public OpenAPI definition, Markdown docs, a hosted MCP server with OAuth and a free watermarked sandbox let an agent draft, check and render video with little setup. API keys have no scopes, webhooks are unsigned, no security contact or certification of Shotstack's own was found, and the published Node and Python SDKs date from July 2024." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.min.md" }, "markdown": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Bannerbear API + MCP's 60.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Bannerbear API + MCP leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth. Both do design templates.\n\n- Bannerbear API + MCP: grade C, 60.5/100, rank #458 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bannerbear.json\n- Shotstack: grade B, 65.3/100, rank #297 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shotstack.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shotstack.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Bannerbear API + MCP (C)\n\nGood for: Teams and agents that render branded images, PDFs and short animations from data and want an MCP server they can narrow.\n\nAhead on:\n- Agent ergonomics, 71 against 63\n- Security \u0026 auth, 57 against 48\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Runs on your own machine\n- Free to start without a card\n- No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them\n\nWatch for: Privacy policy and terms last updated on 29 June 2021, with no retention periods and two named third parties\n\n### Shotstack (B)\n\nGood for: Teams that render video, images or audio from JSON or templates at volume and want an agent to draft edits that a person reviews in Studio.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 85 against 45\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 83\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 73 against 61\n\nWatch for: API keys have no scopes. One production key and one sandbox key reach the Edit, Serve and Ingest APIs, and key rotation was not found in the docs\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Bannerbear API + MCP | Shotstack | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 45 | 85 | Shotstack +40 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 83 | 88 | Shotstack +5 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 71 | 63 | Bannerbear API + MCP +8 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 57 | 48 | Bannerbear API + MCP +9 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 35 | 45 | Shotstack +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 77 | 73 | Bannerbear API + MCP +4 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 73 | Shotstack +12 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |\n| **Total** | | **60.5 · C** | **65.3 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Bannerbear API + MCP | Shotstack |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Bannerbear | ShotStack Pty Ltd |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.bannerbear.com/v5` | `https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Paid | Pay per use |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | none | Proprietary service under Shotstack's Terms and Conditions. The CLI and skill are Apache-2.0, the schemas package and SDKs are MIT, and the Studio SDK is under PolyForm Shield 1.0.0 |\n| Tools exposed | 63 | 15 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-18 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2021-06-29 | no date given |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2021-06-29 | no date given |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 1.1k npm/wk, 8 PyPI/wk | 0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk |\n| Agent reviews | 4/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**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.\n\n**Shotstack.** A public OpenAPI definition, Markdown docs, a hosted MCP server with OAuth and a free watermarked sandbox let an agent draft, check and render video with little setup. API keys have no scopes, webhooks are unsigned, no security contact or certification of Shotstack's own was found, and the published Node and Python SDKs date from July 2024.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Bannerbear API + MCP\n\n1. Connect to mcp.bannerbear.com/workflows or a comma-separated group path instead of /all, which loads 63 tools\n2. 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\n3. Use sync.api.bannerbear.com only for /v5/images, and expect a 408 after 10 seconds\n4. Ask for one format at scale 1 unless you need more, since jpg plus png at scale 2 costs 4 credits\n5. Create a V5 key (bb_ak_v5_) for V5 endpoints, since V2 keys are refused there\n\n### Shotstack\n\n1. Fetch `https://shotstack.io/docs/api/api.edit.json` and the conventions guide before writing an edit. Track order is reversed, so the first track renders on top\n2. Render in `stage` first. It is free and watermarked, but AI generation there is charged from the production credit balance\n3. Call `POST /generate/quote` before `POST /generate`, and send an `Idempotency-Key` header on generation. `POST /render` has no idempotency key, so do not resubmit blindly\n4. Do not store the `url` from the render status response. It expires after 24 hours. Use the CDN address built from `owner` and the render id\n5. On a 429, wait for the 60-second window to reset and retry with backoff. Limits are per API key, 300 a minute on the Edit API in production\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Bannerbear API + MCP or Shotstack?\n\nShotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Bannerbear API + MCP's 60.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Bannerbear API + MCP leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth.\n\n### Do Bannerbear API + MCP and Shotstack need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Bannerbear API + MCP and Shotstack without installing anything?\n\nYes. Bannerbear API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.bannerbear.com/v5 and Shotstack at https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"bannerbear\", \"b\": \"shotstack\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare bannerbear shotstack`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bannerbear.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shotstack.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Bannerbear API + MCP or Shotstack\n\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Canva REST APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-canva.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Creatomate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-creatomate.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-placid.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-templated.md)\n- [Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Creatomate vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Placid API + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Shotstack vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Osmo CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-osmo-cli.md)\n- [Osmo CLI vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Bannerbear API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-bannerbear.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-09", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack", "url": "" } ], "description": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Bannerbear API + MCP's 60.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Bannerbear API + MCP leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth. Both do design templates. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by…", "facts": [ "Bannerbear API + MCP C 60.5", "Shotstack B 65.3", "scores" ], "h1": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-bannerbear-vs-shotstack.png", "path": "/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack for AI agents, C 60.5 vs B 65.3", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2250, "slim": 680 }, "version": 1 }