{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "slug": "creatomate",
      "name": "Creatomate",
      "vendor": "Creatomate",
      "vendorUrl": "https://creatomate.com",
      "kind": "http-api",
      "category": "design-assets",
      "summary": "Creatomate renders videos, images and GIFs from templates or from RenderScript, its JSON format. Agents reach it through a REST API with a project key or a hosted MCP server with OAuth.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/creatomate",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/creatomate.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/creatomate.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/creatomate.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/creatomate/creatomate-node",
      "license": "Proprietary service under Creatomate's Terms and Conditions. The Node, PHP and Preview SDK libraries on GitHub are MIT",
      "transports": [
        "http",
        "streamable-http"
      ],
      "remoteUrl": "https://api.creatomate.com/v2",
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "creatomate"
        },
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@creatomate/preview"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "REST calls take a project API key as a bearer token. Each project has one key, copied from Project Settings after a browser signup, with no scopes found in the docs. The MCP server uses OAuth (authorisation code with PKCE S256, dynamic client registration, one scope, `mcp`), and each connection reaches one project. It also accepts the project key as a bearer token for headless use. Connections are listed and revoked under Account Settings.",
      "pricing": "paid",
      "pricingNotes": "Trial with 50 credits and no card, with output limited to 480 px per side. Paid plans are monthly credit allowances that do not carry over. The docs name Essential at $54 a month (2,000 credits) and Growth 10K at $129 (10,000 credits). Other plan prices are drawn by a Paddle script and were not read. An image is 1 credit and video is width x height x frame rate x seconds / 100,000,000 (checked 2026-10-08).",
      "priceSummary": "$54 / mo",
      "where": "hosted",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "Subscription credits billed through Paddle. No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, llms.txt or pricing page (checked 2026-10-08).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": 8,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 9,
        "npmWeekly": 12714,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-08"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://creatomate.com/docs/api/reference/introduction",
      "llmsTxt": "https://creatomate.com/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "design.templates",
        "design.render",
        "video.render"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "closed-source",
        "mcp",
        "oauth",
        "llms-txt",
        "async-jobs",
        "webhooks",
        "video",
        "images"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-09-03",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 47.7,
        "grade": "D",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 737,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 842,
        "categoryRank": 5,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 34,
          "payments": 35,
          "reliability": 40,
          "schema": 53,
          "security": 48,
          "transparency": 51
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "A hosted MCP server with eight tools, OAuth with PKCE and per-project connections sits beside a small REST API whose errors carry a hint and a documentation link, and `dry_run` validates a render at no cost. No status page, changelog, OpenAPI file or security contact was found, and the terms and privacy policy date from June 2022.",
        "bestFor": "Teams that render video, images and GIFs from templates or JSON and want an agent to draft templates and start renders through MCP.",
        "strengths": [
          "Hosted MCP server at `https://api.creatomate.com/mcp` with eight named tools, OAuth authorisation code with PKCE and dynamic client registration",
          "Every API failure returns a `hint` and a `documentation` URL, confirmed first-hand on a 401",
          "`dry_run` on `POST /v2/renders` validates a request and returns the effective source with no credits spent",
          "Rate limit of 30 requests per 10 seconds is documented, with `X-RateLimit-*` headers on every response and `Retry-After` on 429",
          "Trial with 50 credits and no card, and a public credit formula (1 credit an image, 1 credit per 100 million video pixels)"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "No status page, incident history or SLA found. `status.creatomate.com` does not resolve",
          "No OpenAPI file and no changelog. `/v1` and `/v2` routes are both documented with no deprecation policy",
          "Plan prices on the pricing page are drawn by a Paddle script. The docs name only $54 (Essential) and $129 (Growth 10K)",
          "No security.txt, disclosure policy or certification found, and REST keys have no scopes",
          "Terms and privacy policy are dated 27 June 2022, define the Service as the website, and let Creatomate make user Content available to other users"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Send `\"dry_run\": true` to `POST /v2/renders` before a paid render. It returns `valid`, `errors`, `warnings` and the effective source",
          "Read `warnings` on every render response. A modification keyed to an unknown element or property name is ignored without an error",
          "Keep under 30 requests per 10 seconds across the whole account, and wait for `Retry-After` on a 429",
          "Download each file when the webhook fires. Renders, their URLs and their status records are deleted after 30 days",
          "Use `render_scale` 0.5 for draft videos, about a quarter of the credits, and remember MCP `create_render` spends credits without a confirmation step from the server"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "D",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 47.7
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 34,
          "payments": 35,
          "reliability": 40,
          "schema": 53,
          "security": 48,
          "transparency": 37
        },
        "provenanceScore": 65
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "npm install creatomate",
        "http": "curl -X POST https://api.creatomate.com/v2/renders -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" -H \"Authorization: Bearer $CREATOMATE_API_KEY\" -d '{\"template_id\": \"YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID\", \"dry_run\": true, \"modifications\": {\"Title-1\": \"Your headline here\"}}'",
        "claudeCode": "claude mcp add creatomate --transport http https://api.creatomate.com/mcp",
        "config": {
          "mcpServers": {
            "creatomate": {
              "url": "https://api.creatomate.com/mcp"
            }
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/design.templates",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/creatomate"
      },
      "area": "design-diagrams",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Essential",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 54,
          "note": "2,000 credits, price as stated in the docs"
        },
        {
          "item": "Growth 10K",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 129,
          "note": "10,000 credits, price as stated in the docs"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Creatomate",
        "domain": "creatomate.com",
        "domainRegistered": "2021-03-27",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": true,
        "terms": "https://creatomate.com/terms-of-service",
        "privacy": "https://creatomate.com/privacy-policy",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-08",
        "notes": [
          "The terms and privacy policy name the company as Creatomate, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, with no legal form. The site footer gives the Dutch company number 90174356.",
          "Both documents are dated 27 June 2022 and define the Service as the website. They are the only terms and privacy policy published, and the terms cover subscriptions, so they govern API use. No DPA was found.",
          "The API and the MCP server answer at api.creatomate.com, and rendered files are served from cdn.creatomate.com.",
          "creatomate.com/.well-known/security.txt returns 404.",
          "No status page was found. status.creatomate.com does not resolve, and no page we read links to one.",
          "No changelog was found. /changelog returns 404 and /docs/changelog redirects to the docs introduction.",
          "RDAP for creatomate.com gives a registration date of 2021-03-27 and Cloudflare, Inc. as registrar."
        ],
        "score": 65
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/creatomate.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "creatomate",
        "probe": {
          "target": "https://api.creatomate.com/v2",
          "method": "get",
          "lastAt": "2026-10-09T09:26:47.330196653Z",
          "lastOk": true,
          "lastStatus": 404,
          "lastMs": 512,
          "authRequired": false,
          "uptime24h": 100,
          "uptime30d": 100,
          "p50ms24h": 480,
          "p95ms24h": 575,
          "samples24h": 20,
          "samples30d": 20,
          "days": [
            {
              "date": "2026-10-09",
              "probes": 20,
              "ok": 20
            }
          ]
        },
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:26:47.330196653Z"
      }
    },
    "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Creatomate's 47.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.",
    "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": "Creatomate",
        "b": "ShotStack Pty Ltd",
        "name": "Vendor"
      },
      {
        "a": "https://api.creatomate.com/v2",
        "b": "https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1",
        "name": "Hosted endpoint"
      },
      {
        "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP",
        "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": "Proprietary service under Creatomate's Terms and Conditions. The Node, PHP and Preview SDK libraries on GitHub are MIT",
        "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": "8",
        "b": "15",
        "name": "Tools exposed"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "Read-only variant documented"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "llms.txt"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-09-03",
        "b": "2026-10-05",
        "name": "Last release"
      },
      {
        "a": "2022-06-27",
        "b": "no date given",
        "name": "Terms last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "2022-06-27",
        "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": "9 stars, 13k npm/wk",
        "b": "0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk",
        "name": "Popularity"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Creatomate's 47.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.",
        "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Creatomate or Shotstack?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.",
        "question": "Do Creatomate and Shotstack need an API key?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "Yes. Creatomate has a hosted endpoint at https://api.creatomate.com/v2 and Shotstack at https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1.",
        "question": "Can an agent call Creatomate and Shotstack without installing anything?"
      }
    ],
    "goodFor": [
      {
        "aheadOn": null,
        "also": [
          "No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them"
        ],
        "goodFor": "Teams that render video, images and GIFs from templates or JSON and want an agent to draft templates and start renders through MCP.",
        "slug": "creatomate",
        "watchFor": "No status page, incident history or SLA found. `status.creatomate.com` does not resolve"
      },
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Reliability, 85 against 40",
          "Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 53",
          "Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35",
          "Maintenance \u0026 community, 73 against 34",
          "Transparency \u0026 trust, 73 against 51"
        ],
        "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"
      }
    ],
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    "others": [
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-creatomate.json",
        "title": "Adobe Photoshop API vs Creatomate",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-creatomate"
      },
      {
        "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-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-shotstack.json",
        "title": "Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-creatomate.json",
        "title": "Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Creatomate",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-creatomate"
      },
      {
        "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"
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-placid.json",
        "title": "Creatomate vs Placid API + MCP",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-placid"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-templated.json",
        "title": "Creatomate vs Templated API + MCP",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-templated"
      },
      {
        "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/creatomate-vs-osmo-cli.json",
        "title": "Creatomate vs Osmo CLI",
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      },
      {
        "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"
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    "scores": [
      {
        "by": 45,
        "creatomate": 40,
        "edge": "shotstack",
        "key": "reliability",
        "name": "Reliability",
        "shotstack": 85,
        "weight": 16
      },
      {
        "key": "performance",
        "name": "Performance",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 35,
        "creatomate": 53,
        "edge": "shotstack",
        "key": "schema",
        "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation",
        "shotstack": 88,
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 4,
        "creatomate": 67,
        "edge": "creatomate",
        "key": "ergonomics",
        "name": "Agent ergonomics",
        "shotstack": 63,
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 0,
        "creatomate": 48,
        "edge": "",
        "key": "security",
        "name": "Security \u0026 auth",
        "shotstack": 48,
        "weight": 14
      },
      {
        "by": 10,
        "creatomate": 35,
        "edge": "shotstack",
        "key": "payments",
        "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing",
        "shotstack": 45,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "key": "tasks",
        "name": "Task success",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 39,
        "creatomate": 34,
        "edge": "shotstack",
        "key": "maintenance",
        "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community",
        "shotstack": 73,
        "weight": 7
      },
      {
        "by": 22,
        "creatomate": 51,
        "edge": "shotstack",
        "key": "transparency",
        "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust",
        "shotstack": 73,
        "weight": 7
      }
    ],
    "summary": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Creatomate's 47.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do design templates.",
    "verdicts": {
      "creatomate": "A hosted MCP server with eight tools, OAuth with PKCE and per-project connections sits beside a small REST API whose errors carry a hint and a documentation link, and `dry_run` validates a render at no cost. No status page, changelog, OpenAPI file or security contact was found, and the terms and privacy policy date from June 2022.",
      "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."
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  "markdown": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Creatomate's 47.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do design templates.\n\n- Creatomate: grade D, 47.7/100, rank #737 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/creatomate.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/creatomate.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### Creatomate (D)\n\nGood for: Teams that render video, images and GIFs from templates or JSON and want an agent to draft templates and start renders through MCP.\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them\n\nWatch for: No status page, incident history or SLA found. `status.creatomate.com` does not resolve\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 40\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 53\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 73 against 34\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 73 against 51\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 | Creatomate | Shotstack | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 40 | 85 | Shotstack +45 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 53 | 88 | Shotstack +35 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 63 | Creatomate +4 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 48 | 48 | even |\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) | 34 | 73 | Shotstack +39 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 51 | 73 | Shotstack +22 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |\n| **Total** | | **47.7 · D** | **65.3 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Creatomate | Shotstack |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Creatomate | ShotStack Pty Ltd |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.creatomate.com/v2` | `https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Paid | Pay per use |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary service under Creatomate's Terms and Conditions. The Node, PHP and Preview SDK libraries on GitHub are MIT | 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 | 8 | 15 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-03 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2022-06-27 | no date given |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2022-06-27 | 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 | 9 stars, 13k npm/wk | 0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Creatomate.** A hosted MCP server with eight tools, OAuth with PKCE and per-project connections sits beside a small REST API whose errors carry a hint and a documentation link, and `dry_run` validates a render at no cost. No status page, changelog, OpenAPI file or security contact was found, and the terms and privacy policy date from June 2022.\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### Creatomate\n\n1. Send `\"dry_run\": true` to `POST /v2/renders` before a paid render. It returns `valid`, `errors`, `warnings` and the effective source\n2. Read `warnings` on every render response. A modification keyed to an unknown element or property name is ignored without an error\n3. Keep under 30 requests per 10 seconds across the whole account, and wait for `Retry-After` on a 429\n4. Download each file when the webhook fires. Renders, their URLs and their status records are deleted after 30 days\n5. Use `render_scale` 0.5 for draft videos, about a quarter of the credits, and remember MCP `create_render` spends credits without a confirmation step from the server\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, Creatomate or Shotstack?\n\nShotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Creatomate's 47.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.\n\n### Do Creatomate and Shotstack need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Creatomate and Shotstack without installing anything?\n\nYes. Creatomate has a hosted endpoint at https://api.creatomate.com/v2 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/creatomate-vs-shotstack.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-shotstack.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"creatomate\", \"b\": \"shotstack\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare creatomate shotstack`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/creatomate.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shotstack.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Creatomate or Shotstack\n\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Creatomate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-creatomate.md)\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Creatomate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-creatomate.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Creatomate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-creatomate.md)\n- [Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Creatomate vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-placid.md)\n- [Creatomate vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-templated.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- [Creatomate vs Osmo CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-osmo-cli.md)\n- [Osmo CLI vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-shotstack.md)\n",
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