{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "placid", "name": "Placid API + MCP", "vendor": "Placid", "vendorUrl": "https://placid.app", "kind": "http-api", "category": "design-assets", "summary": "Template rendering to images, PDFs and videos through a REST API, a URL API and an MCP server, with an embeddable template editor SDK.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/placid", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/placid.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/placid.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/placid.json", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.placid.app/api/rest", "packages": [], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "Project-scoped API token, sent as a bearer token in the Authorization header. The MCP server has a per-project URL and takes the token as a bearer header or, where a client can't set headers, as ?api_token= in the URL.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Free trial, and unlimited watermarked previews in test mode. Basic $19 a month (500 credits), Pro $39 (2,500), Business $89 (25,000), VIP $249 (100,000). Yearly billing is 10 times the monthly price. 1 image is 1 credit (up to 4,000 px), 10 seconds of video is 10 credits, 1 PDF page is 2 credits (https://placid.app/pricing).", "priceSummary": "$19 / mo", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "Subscription credits only. No x402 in the docs (checked 2026-09-30).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://placid.app/docs/2.0/introduction", "capabilities": [ "design.templates", "design.render", "video.render" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "closed-source", "mcp", "async-jobs", "webhooks" ], "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 42.9, "grade": "E", "agentReady": false, "rank": 786, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 40, "maintenance": 7, "payments": 35, "reliability": 75, "schema": 34, "security": 34, "transparency": 57 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Hyperping status page with separate App and API components and 90-day history. No OpenAPI, no llms.txt, and the MCP tool list isn't published.", "bestFor": "Small teams and no-code builders who want template renders to image, PDF and video at a low monthly price, and agents that should be fenced to a few templates.", "strengths": [ "Hyperping status page with separate App and API components and 90-day history", "Rate-limit headers (Limit, Remaining, Reset) and exponential backoff guidance documented", "Unlimited watermarked previews in test mode, and a trial with no card", "MCP settings restrict which templates and which output types an agent can use", "Named Austrian legal entity, privacy policy updated in November 2024, DPA on request" ], "weaknesses": [ "No OpenAPI, no llms.txt, and the MCP tool list isn't published", "MCP setup guide documents the API token in the URL query string", "Changelog has no dates, so there's no public record of recent changes", "PHP and Laravel libraries last tagged on 2022-07-20, pointing at the older placid.app/api/rest base", "Subprocessors and hosting location aren't disclosed" ], "agentNotes": [ "Send the token in the `Authorization` header, not as ?api_token=, wherever the client allows it", "Read X-RateLimit-Remaining and wait for X-RateLimit-Reset after a 429", "Use test mode for watermarked previews while matching layer names, then switch to live renders", "Leave create_now off for batches, since it caps at 10 at once and may fail under load", "Poll the returned polling_url or pass webhook_success, since images start as queued" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 3.5, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "E", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 42.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 40, "maintenance": 7, "payments": 35, "reliability": 75, "schema": 34, "security": 34, "transparency": 33 }, "provenanceScore": 80 }, "connect": { "http": "curl https://api.placid.app/api/rest/templates -H \"Authorization: Bearer $PLACID_API_TOKEN\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http placid https://mcp.placid.app/\u003cyour-project-url\u003e --header \"Authorization: Bearer $PLACID_API_TOKEN\"" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/design.templates", "tool": "https://letme.dev/placid" }, "area": "design-diagrams", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Basic", "unit": "month", "usd": 19, "note": "500 credits, $190 billed yearly" }, { "item": "Pro", "unit": "month", "usd": 39, "note": "2,500 credits, $390 billed yearly" }, { "item": "Business", "unit": "month", "usd": 89, "note": "25,000 credits, $890 billed yearly" }, { "item": "VIP", "unit": "month", "usd": 249, "note": "100,000 credits, $2,490 billed yearly" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Nifty Software GmbH", "domain": "placid.app", "domainRegistered": "2018-05-08", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://placid.app/terms-and-conditions", "privacy": "https://placid.app/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.placid.app", "changelog": "https://headwayapp.co/placid-changelog", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-09-30", "notes": [ "The changelog is hosted on Headway (headwayapp.co), not on placid.app" ], "score": 80 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/placid.json", "live": { "slug": "placid", "probe": { "target": "https://api.placid.app/api/rest", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T09:27:01.023493484Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 263, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 179, "p95ms24h": 265, "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.placid.app", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:58:26.107172858Z" }, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://placid.app/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:39:00.177629986Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "placid.app", "registered": "2018-05-08", "source": "https://pubapi.registry.google/rdap/domain/placid.app", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:08:19.054609586Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://headwayapp.co/placid-changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 0, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:20:48.799954538Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "blockedByRobots": true }, { "url": "https://placid.app/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:22:59.506824406Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "99e692b08293" }, { "url": "https://placid.app/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:01.638764307Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "4ce631cc70ce" }, { "url": "https://placid.app/terms-and-conditions", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:03.648826334Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "c733087a07e6" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:27:01.023493484Z" } }, "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Placid API + MCP's 42.9 (E), and leads in every scored category.", "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": "Placid", "b": "ShotStack Pty Ltd", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://api.placid.app/api/rest", "b": "https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "API 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": "none", "b": "15", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "none", "b": "2026-10-05", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2024-11-25", "b": "no date given", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2024-11-18", "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": "yes", "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": "none", "b": "0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "3.5/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Placid API + MCP's 42.9 (E), and leads in every scored category.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Placid API + MCP or Shotstack?" }, { "answer": "Placid API + MCP needs an API key. Shotstack takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Placid API + MCP and Shotstack need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Placid API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.placid.app/api/rest and Shotstack at https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1.", "question": "Can an agent call Placid API + MCP and Shotstack without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": null, "also": [ "No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Small teams and no-code builders who want template renders to image, PDF and video at a low monthly price, and agents that should be fenced to a few templates.", "slug": "placid", "watchFor": "No OpenAPI, no llms.txt, and the MCP tool list isn't published" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 75", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 34", "Agent ergonomics, 63 against 40", "Security \u0026 auth, 48 against 34", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 73 against 7", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 73 against 57" ], "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-placid.json", "title": "Adobe Photoshop API vs Placid API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-placid" }, { "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-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-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-placid.json", "title": "Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Placid API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-placid" }, { "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-placid.json", "title": "Creatomate vs Placid API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-placid" }, { "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-templated.json", "title": "Placid API + MCP vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-templated" }, { "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/osmo-cli-vs-placid.json", "title": "Osmo CLI vs Placid API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-placid" }, { "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" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 10, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "placid": 75, "shotstack": 85, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 54, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "placid": 34, "shotstack": 88, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 23, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "placid": 40, "shotstack": 63, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 14, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "placid": 34, "shotstack": 48, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 10, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "placid": 35, "shotstack": 45, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 66, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "placid": 7, "shotstack": 73, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 16, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "placid": 57, "shotstack": 73, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Placid API + MCP's 42.9 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do design templates.", "verdicts": { "placid": "Hyperping status page with separate App and API components and 90-day history. No OpenAPI, no llms.txt, and the MCP tool list isn't published.", "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/placid-vs-shotstack", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack.min.md" }, "markdown": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Placid API + MCP's 42.9 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do design templates.\n\n- Placid API + MCP: grade E, 42.9/100, rank #786 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/placid.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/placid.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### Placid API + MCP (E)\n\nGood for: Small teams and no-code builders who want template renders to image, PDF and video at a low monthly price, and agents that should be fenced to a few templates.\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them\n\nWatch for: No OpenAPI, no llms.txt, and the MCP tool list isn't published\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 75\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 34\n- Agent ergonomics, 63 against 40\n- Security \u0026 auth, 48 against 34\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 73 against 7\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 73 against 57\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 | Placid API + MCP | Shotstack | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 75 | 85 | Shotstack +10 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 34 | 88 | Shotstack +54 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 40 | 63 | Shotstack +23 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 34 | 48 | Shotstack +14 |\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) | 7 | 73 | Shotstack +66 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 57 | 73 | Shotstack +16 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |\n| **Total** | | **42.9 · E** | **65.3 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Placid API + MCP | Shotstack |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Placid | ShotStack Pty Ltd |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.placid.app/api/rest` | `https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | API 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 | none | 15 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | none | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2024-11-25 | no date given |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2024-11-18 | 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 | yes | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | none | 0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk |\n| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Placid API + MCP.** Hyperping status page with separate App and API components and 90-day history. No OpenAPI, no llms.txt, and the MCP tool list isn't published.\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### Placid API + MCP\n\n1. Send the token in the `Authorization` header, not as ?api_token=, wherever the client allows it\n2. Read X-RateLimit-Remaining and wait for X-RateLimit-Reset after a 429\n3. Use test mode for watermarked previews while matching layer names, then switch to live renders\n4. Leave create_now off for batches, since it caps at 10 at once and may fail under load\n5. Poll the returned polling_url or pass webhook_success, since images start as queued\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, Placid API + MCP or Shotstack?\n\nShotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Placid API + MCP's 42.9 (E), and leads in every scored category.\n\n### Do Placid API + MCP and Shotstack need an API key?\n\nPlacid API + MCP needs an API key. Shotstack takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Placid API + MCP and Shotstack without installing anything?\n\nYes. Placid API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.placid.app/api/rest 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/placid-vs-shotstack.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"placid\", \"b\": \"shotstack\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare placid shotstack`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/placid.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shotstack.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Placid API + MCP or Shotstack\n\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-placid.md)\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-placid.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-placid.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 Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Placid API + MCP vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-templated.md)\n- [Shotstack vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.md)\n- [Osmo CLI vs Placid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-placid.md)\n- [Osmo CLI vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-shotstack.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": "Placid API + MCP vs Shotstack", "url": "" } ], "description": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Placid API + MCP's 42.9 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do design templates. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Placid API + MCP E 42.9", "Shotstack B 65.3", "scores" ], "h1": "Placid API + MCP vs Shotstack", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-placid-vs-shotstack.png", "path": "/compare/placid-vs-shotstack", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Placid API + MCP vs Shotstack for AI agents, E 42.9 vs B 65.3", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-shotstack" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2150, "slim": 680 }, "version": 1 }