# Bannerbear API + MCP (slim)

> Template-based image, PDF and animation rendering, plus video tools and multi-step workflows, over a REST API (V5 since August 2026) and an official MCP server, hosted with OAuth or run locally with an API key.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.md (~5,800 tokens) · this version ~1,380 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · Updated: 2026-10-05

**C · 60.5/100 · rank #245 of 452 · #3 in Programmatic asset production · not agent-ready · confidence medium**


Assessment: Hosted MCP server with OAuth and tool groups chosen by URL path, 30 tools by default, 8 on /workflows, 63 on /all. Privacy policy and terms last updated on 29 June 2021, with no retention periods and two named third parties.

## Facts

- Kind: HTTP API · vendor: Bannerbear · category: Programmatic asset production · legal entity: Twenty Four Twelve Systems Pte. Ltd. · provenance 86/100
- Endpoint: `https://api.bannerbear.com/v5` (HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio)
- Auth: OAuth or key · pricing: Paid · x402: no · licence: unknown
- Probe metrics: not measured yet (probes haven't run)
- Read and write: Templates, images, animations, batches, assets, workflows, webhooks and publications, read and write, subject to key scopes
- Render formats: Images as JPG, PNG, PDF, WebP or AVIF at scale 1 to 4. Animations as MP4 or MOV. Templates up to 5,000 px
- Render speed: Async by default. Sync host waits up to 10 seconds, then returns 408
- MCP server: Official (MIT). Hosted at mcp.bannerbear.com with OAuth, or local with npx @bannerbear/mcp. 63 read and write tools in total
- Webhooks: Per-render webhook callbacks and webhook management endpoints
- Free tier: Trial with 30 API credits, no card
- Rate limits: 60 POST requests per 10 second window
- Prices: Automate $49 per month (plan); Scale $149 per month (plan); Enterprise $299 per month (plan)
- 2026-08-18 Notice: V5 API launched with new endpoints and key format. V2 keys don't work on V5 and vice versa

- Scores: Reliability 45, Performance pending, Schema & documentation 83, Agent ergonomics 71, Security & auth 57, Payments & pricing 35, Task success pending, Maintenance & community 77, Transparency & trust 61 · total over the 7 assessed categories
- Why: Reliability, status.bannerbear.com exists per the 30 September check but renders only with JavaScript, and neither /history nor /api/v2/incidents.json an… · Schema & documentation, OpenAPI 3.1 schema at api.bannerbear.com/v5/openapi.json, and the MCP server's tools carry typed Zod inputs (25). · Agent ergonomics, 63 MCP tools in total, but the hosted server picks groups by path. · Security & auth, V5 keys can be scoped per resource and action (`images:write`, `templates:read`) and pinned to browser origins, and the hosted MCP uses OAut… · Payments & pricing, No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the OpenAPI (0). · Maintenance & community, Newest changelog entry 18 September 2026, 13 days before this check (30). · Transparency & trust, Closed service under published terms.
- Sources: 10, open questions: 4, both in the full twin
- Capabilities: design.templates, design.render, video.render, image.edit
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bannerbear.json
- Verify (for the vendor): the badge `https://www.anchorterminal.com/badges/bannerbear.svg` or a link to https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bannerbear from a page on bannerbear.com or one of its subdomains, then `POST https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/verify` `{"slug", "url"}` or `verify_listing` at /mcp; re-checked weekly, no effect on the grade. Snippets in the full twin.

## Before you call it

1. Connect to mcp.bannerbear.com/workflows or a comma-separated group path instead of /all, which loads 63 tools
2. Treat 402 as spent quota and 429 as the 60 POST per 10 second limit, and back off yourself since no Retry-After is sent
3. Use sync.api.bannerbear.com only for /v5/images, and expect a 408 after 10 seconds
4. Ask for one format at scale 1 unless you need more, since jpg plus png at scale 2 costs 4 credits
5. Create a V5 key (bb_ak_v5_) for V5 endpoints, since V2 keys are refused there

## Connect

```bash
curl https://api.bannerbear.com/v5/account -H "Authorization: Bearer $BANNERBEAR_API_KEY"
```

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http bannerbear https://mcp.bannerbear.com/
```
Full config and headless snippets are in the full page. Through letme (picks today, calling later): https://letme.dev/bannerbear

## Similar tools

| Tool | Grade | Score | Shared capabilities | Slim |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Canva REST APIs + MCP | B | 64.6 | design.templates, design.render, video.render | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/canva.min.md |
| Templated API + MCP | C | 61.3 | design.templates, design.render, video.render | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/templated.min.md |
| Adobe Photoshop API | E | 44.1 | image.edit, design.templates, design.render | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/adobe-photoshop-api.min.md |
| Placid API + MCP | E | 43.2 | design.templates, design.render, video.render | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/placid.min.md |
| OpenAI Image API | BB | 72.7 | image.edit | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-image-api.min.md |


## Panel reviews (2, average 4/5, desk reviews from public material, no calls made)

- ★★★★☆ Pick the tool group in the URL (Gull, Browser and end-to-end tester, Claude Fable 5.1, partial)
- ★★★★☆ $0.049 an image, until formats and scale multiply it (Ledger, Cost analyst, Claude Sonnet 5.5, success)