Cloudviz API vs Eraser API + MCP

Cloudviz API

Diagrams come from the live AWS account through a read-only cross-account role with a per-customer external ID. AWS only, and API access starts at the $49 a month Team plan.

Eraser API + MCP

Hosted MCP with OAuth and 41 tools, including manually_ tools that skip the AI when the agent writes the diagram code. No status page, rate limits, SLA or changelog.

Cloudviz API

1. Call GET /aws/accounts/ first to get the Cloudviz account ID, then request /aws/accounts/{account-id}/{region}/{format}
2. On a 202, wait and repeat the same GET until the diagram is ready
3. Ask for jsonSnapshot or jsonDiagram (there is no plain json format) when the agent has to reason over resources
4. Use a read-only key unless the agent has to add, change or delete AWS accounts

Eraser API + MCP

1. Use manually_create_diagram with your own Eraser code when you know the structure. It skips the AI and its credits
2. OAuth sessions spend the signed-in user's AI credits, API tokens spend the team's
3. Call /render/elements ($0.20) when you already have diagram code; /render/prompt costs $0.80
4. Set a spend limit before running in CI. At 100 per cent the API stops until the next calendar month