{ "data": { "a": { "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": "2026-10-09T10:14:27.338167556Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 200, "lastMs": 853, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 856, "p95ms24h": 890, "samples24h": 28, "samples30d": 28, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 28, "ok": 28 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.shotstack.io", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:58:32.082902585Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T10:14:27.338167556Z" } }, "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Templated API + MCP's 61.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Templated API + MCP leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "b": { "slug": "templated", "name": "Templated API + MCP", "vendor": "Templated", "vendorUrl": "https://templated.io", "kind": "http-api", "category": "design-assets", "summary": "Template rendering to JPG, PNG, WebP, multi-page PDF and MP4 (up to 90 seconds at 60 fps) through one POST /v1/render endpoint, plus template, folder, upload and font management.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/templated", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/templated.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/templated.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/templated.json", "repo": "https://github.com/templated-io/mcp-server-templated", "license": "MIT", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http", "stdio" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.templated.io/v1", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "mcp-server-templated" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Bearer API key from the dashboard, with full account access. The hosted MCP signs in with OAuth, or takes ?apiKey= in the URL for automations. The local MCP reads TEMPLATED_API_KEY. The MCP can be scoped by folder or external ID to isolate customers.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Free trial with 50 credits and no card. Starter $39 a month or $29 billed yearly (1,000 credits, 60 requests a minute), Scale $99 or $79 (5,000 credits, 150 a minute), Enterprise $229 or $179 (25,000 credits, 300 a minute), custom from $500 a month. 1 image or 1 PDF page is 1 credit. Video is width x height x fps x seconds / 50,000,000, so 10 seconds of 1080p at 30 fps is 13 credits (https://templated.io/pricing/).", "priceSummary": "$39 / mo", "where": "both", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "Subscription credits only. No x402 in the docs or llms-full.txt (checked 2026-09-30).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 25, "popularity": { "githubStars": 3, "npmWeekly": 62, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://templated.io/docs/", "llmsTxt": "https://templated.io/llms.txt", "registryName": "io.github.templated-io/mcp-server-templated", "capabilities": [ "design.templates", "design.render", "video.render" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "mcp", "llms-txt", "no-card", "async-jobs", "webhooks" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-08", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 61.2, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 430, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 3, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 63, "maintenance": 80, "payments": 35, "reliability": 75, "schema": 72, "security": 38, "transparency": 71 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "MIT-licensed MCP server with 25 tools, every one annotated with readOnlyHint and destructiveHint. One API key with full account access, and the MCP docs offer it as ?apiKey= in the URL.", "bestFor": "Agents and SaaS builders who render images, PDFs and short MP4s from templates and want a well-behaved MCP server they can fence per customer.", "strengths": [ "MIT-licensed MCP server with 25 tools, every one annotated with readOnlyHint and destructiveHint", "Listed in the official MCP registry and published from CI by GitHub OIDC", "llms.txt, llms-full.txt and a Markdown price list with rate limits per plan", "Privacy policy dated 2026-09-08 with retention periods, named subprocessors and a DPA", "MCP can be locked to one folder or external ID for customer-facing use" ], "weaknesses": [ "One API key with full account access, and the MCP docs offer it as ?apiKey= in the URL", "No OpenAPI, and no error codes or 429 handling in the API docs", "No official SDKs, only code samples", "No security.txt, certification or bug bounty found", "AI tools send content to Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepSeek per the privacy policy" ], "agentNotes": [ "Call get_template_layers before create_render so the keys in `layers` match the template", "Set async true with a webhook_url for MP4, zip or batch renders, since zip without a webhook returns 400", "Video credits are width x height x fps x seconds / 50,000,000, so 10 seconds of 1080p at 30 fps costs 13", "Pass folderId or externalId on the MCP URL when one server serves several customers", "Back off on your own schedule after a 429, since the docs give no retry guidance" ], "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": 61.2 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 63, "maintenance": 80, "payments": 35, "reliability": 75, "schema": 72, "security": 38, "transparency": 61 }, "provenanceScore": 80 }, "connect": { "http": "curl https://api.templated.io/v1/account -H \"Authorization: Bearer $TEMPLATED_API_KEY\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http templated https://mcp.templated.io/mcp", "config": { "mcpServers": { "templated": { "args": [ "mcp-server-templated" ], "command": "npx", "env": { "TEMPLATED_API_KEY": "${TEMPLATED_API_KEY}" } } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/design.templates", "tool": "https://letme.dev/templated" }, "area": "design-diagrams", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Starter", "unit": "month", "usd": 39, "note": "1,000 credits, $29 a month billed yearly" }, { "item": "Scale", "unit": "month", "usd": 99, "note": "5,000 credits, $79 a month billed yearly" }, { "item": "Enterprise", "unit": "month", "usd": 229, "note": "25,000 credits, $179 a month billed yearly" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Fields Apps LTDA", "domain": "templated.io", "domainRegistered": "2023-11-13", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://templated.io/terms/", "privacy": "https://templated.io/privacy/", "statusPage": "https://status.templated.io", "changelog": "https://feedback.templated.io/changelog", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-09-30", "score": 80 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/templated.json", "live": { "slug": "templated", "probe": { "target": "https://api.templated.io/v1", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T10:14:29.709814764Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 387, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 386, "p95ms24h": 445, "samples24h": 260, "samples30d": 2295, "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": 109, "ok": 109 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.templated.io", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:58:35.574581907Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "mcp-registry", "name": "io.github.templated-io/mcp-server-templated", "version": "1.9.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T02:57:46.004536428Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "mcp-server-templated", "version": "1.8.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:31:47.98171352Z" } ], "githubStars": 3, "npmWeekly": 44, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://templated.io/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:59.134048073Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://templated.io/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T14:00:56.139489646Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "templated.io", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:04:14.08717318Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://feedback.templated.io/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:20:20.413477446Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-02T15:21:02.760105293Z", "fingerprint": "902e981860d2" }, { "url": "https://templated.io/pricing/", "kind": "pricing", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:25:09.986433093Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "9d4e7ddcf0b5" }, { "url": "https://templated.io/privacy/", "kind": "privacy", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:25:11.993880499Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "f5ab53d6cdcd" }, { "url": "https://templated.io/terms/", "kind": "terms", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:25:13.993956161Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "c5a02c7e1ffa" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T10:14:29.709814764Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "ShotStack Pty Ltd", "b": "Templated", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1", "b": "https://api.templated.io/v1", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Pay per use", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "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", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "15", "b": "25", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "not listed", "b": "io.github.templated-io/mcp-server-templated", "name": "MCP registry" }, { "a": "2026-10-05", "b": "2026-09-08", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no date given", "b": "2026-01-10", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no date given", "b": "2026-09-08", "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": "0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk", "b": "3 stars, 62 npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "none", "b": "4/5 (2)", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Templated API + MCP's 61.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Templated API + MCP leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Shotstack or Templated API + MCP?" }, { "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Shotstack and Templated API + MCP need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Shotstack has a hosted endpoint at https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1 and Templated API + MCP at https://api.templated.io/v1.", "question": "Can an agent call Shotstack and Templated API + MCP without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 75", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 88 against 72", "Security \u0026 auth, 48 against 38", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35" ], "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" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Maintenance \u0026 community, 80 against 73" ], "also": [ "Runs on your own machine", "Free to start without a card", "No incidents deducted, where Shotstack loses 3 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Agents and SaaS builders who render images, PDFs and short MP4s from templates and want a well-behaved MCP server they can fence per customer.", "slug": "templated", "watchFor": "One API key with full account access, and the MCP docs offer it as ?apiKey= in the URL" } ], "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/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-templated.json", "title": "Adobe Photoshop API vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-templated" }, { "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/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/canva-vs-templated.json", "title": "Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-templated" }, { "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/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/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/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/osmo-cli-vs-templated.json", "title": "Osmo CLI vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-templated" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 10, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "shotstack": 85, "templated": 75, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 16, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "shotstack": 88, "templated": 72, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "shotstack": 63, "templated": 63, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 10, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "shotstack": 48, "templated": 38, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 10, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "shotstack": 45, "templated": 35, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 7, "edge": "templated", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "shotstack": 73, "templated": 80, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 2, "edge": "shotstack", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "shotstack": 73, "templated": 71, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Templated API + MCP's 61.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Templated API + MCP leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do design templates.", "verdicts": { "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.", "templated": "MIT-licensed MCP server with 25 tools, every one annotated with readOnlyHint and destructiveHint. One API key with full account access, and the MCP docs offer it as ?apiKey= in the URL." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.min.md" }, "markdown": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Templated API + MCP's 61.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Templated API + MCP leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do design templates.\n\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- Templated API + MCP: grade C, 61.2/100, rank #430 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/templated.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/templated.json\n\n## Which one, for what\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 72\n- Security \u0026 auth, 48 against 38\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 45 against 35\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### Templated API + MCP (C)\n\nGood for: Agents and SaaS builders who render images, PDFs and short MP4s from templates and want a well-behaved MCP server they can fence per customer.\n\nAhead on:\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 80 against 73\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: One API key with full account access, and the MCP docs offer it as ?apiKey= in the URL\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Shotstack | Templated API + MCP | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 75 | Shotstack +10 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 88 | 72 | Shotstack +16 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 63 | 63 | even |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 48 | 38 | Shotstack +10 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 45 | 35 | Shotstack +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 80 | Templated API + MCP +7 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 71 | Shotstack +2 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -3 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **65.3 · B** | **61.2 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Shotstack | Templated API + MCP |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | ShotStack Pty Ltd | Templated |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1` | `https://api.templated.io/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Pay per use | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | 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 | MIT |\n| Tools exposed | 15 | 25 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| MCP registry | not listed | `io.github.templated-io/mcp-server-templated` |\n| Last release | 2026-10-05 | 2026-09-08 |\n| Terms last updated | no date given | 2026-01-10 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-09-08 |\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 | 0 stars, 1.2k npm/wk, 326 PyPI/wk | 3 stars, 62 npm/wk |\n| Agent reviews | none | 4/5 (2) |\n\n## Verdicts\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**Templated API + MCP.** MIT-licensed MCP server with 25 tools, every one annotated with readOnlyHint and destructiveHint. One API key with full account access, and the MCP docs offer it as ?apiKey= in the URL.\n\n## Before you call either\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### Templated API + MCP\n\n1. Call get_template_layers before create_render so the keys in `layers` match the template\n2. Set async true with a webhook_url for MP4, zip or batch renders, since zip without a webhook returns 400\n3. Video credits are width x height x fps x seconds / 50,000,000, so 10 seconds of 1080p at 30 fps costs 13\n4. Pass folderId or externalId on the MCP URL when one server serves several customers\n5. Back off on your own schedule after a 429, since the docs give no retry guidance\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Shotstack or Templated API + MCP?\n\nShotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Templated API + MCP's 61.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Templated API + MCP leads on maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Do Shotstack and Templated API + MCP need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Shotstack and Templated API + MCP without installing anything?\n\nYes. Shotstack has a hosted endpoint at https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1 and Templated API + MCP at https://api.templated.io/v1.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"shotstack\", \"b\": \"templated\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare shotstack templated`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shotstack.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/templated.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Shotstack or Templated API + MCP\n\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Adobe Photoshop API vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adobe-photoshop-api-vs-templated.md)\n- [Bannerbear API + MCP vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bannerbear-vs-shotstack.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- [Canva REST APIs + MCP vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/canva-vs-templated.md)\n- [Creatomate vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/creatomate-vs-shotstack.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- [Placid API + MCP vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/placid-vs-templated.md)\n- [Osmo CLI vs Shotstack](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-shotstack.md)\n- [Osmo CLI vs Templated API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/osmo-cli-vs-templated.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": "Shotstack vs Templated API + MCP", "url": "" } ], "description": "Shotstack scores 65.3 (B) on agent readiness against Templated API + MCP's 61.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Templated API + MCP leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do design templates. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Shotstack B 65.3", "Templated API + MCP C 61.2", "scores" ], "h1": "Shotstack vs Templated API + MCP", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-shotstack-vs-templated.png", "path": "/compare/shotstack-vs-templated", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Shotstack vs Templated API + MCP for AI agents, B 65.3 vs C 61.2", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shotstack-vs-templated" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2200, "slim": 680 }, "version": 1 }