Browserless gives you a raw headless browser. SnapAPI gives you a complete screenshot, PDF, video, and extraction API. Compare the two approaches.
Last updated: February 2026
SnapAPI wins on simplicity, pricing, and built-in features (AI analysis, video recording, markdown extraction). Browserless is a low-level headless browser service — you write all the Puppeteer/Playwright code yourself. SnapAPI handles everything with a single API call.
Choose SnapAPI if: You need screenshots, PDFs, videos, or data extraction without managing browser code.
Choose Browserless if: You need full browser automation (form filling, complex workflows) beyond screenshots.
| Feature | SnapAPI | Browserless |
|---|---|---|
| 📸 Screenshot API | ✓ One API call Simpler | ~ Write Puppeteer code |
| 📄 PDF Generation | ✓ Built-in endpoint | ~ DIY with Puppeteer |
| 🎬 Video Recording | ✓ MP4, GIF Exclusive | ✗ |
| 📝 Markdown Extraction | ✓ LLM-optimized | ✗ DIY scraping |
| 🤖 AI Analysis (BYOK) | ✓ OpenAI + Anthropic Exclusive | ✗ |
| 🚫 Cookie/Ad Blocking | ✓ 50,000+ rules built-in | ✗ Install extensions yourself |
| 📱 Device Presets | ✓ 26+ devices | ✗ Manual viewport config |
| 🌙 Dark Mode | ✓ One parameter | ~ CSS override needed |
| ☁️ Cloud Storage | ✓ Built-in + custom S3 | ✗ BYO storage |
| 🔧 Full Browser Automation | ✗ Screenshot/PDF/Extract focused | ✓ Full Puppeteer/Playwright |
| 💻 Setup Complexity | ✓ Zero — just an API key Easiest | ~ Connect + write scripts |
| 🆓 Free Tier | ✓ 200 screenshots/month | ✗ No free tier |
Browserless charges for browser units (concurrent sessions). SnapAPI charges per API call — simpler and more predictable.
5,000 screenshots
10 concurrent units
Prices as of February 2026. Visit each site for current pricing.
See the difference in developer experience. SnapAPI: one API call. Browserless: connect a browser, write Puppeteer code, handle the result.
const resp = await fetch(
"https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/screenshot?" +
"url=https://example.com&format=png&full_page=true",
{ headers: { "X-Api-Key": "YOUR_KEY" } }
);
const image = await resp.arrayBuffer();
// Done! Image ready to use.const puppeteer = require("puppeteer");
const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
browserWSEndpoint:
"wss://chrome.browserless.io?token=YOUR_TOKEN"
});
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.setViewport({ width: 1920, height: 1080 });
await page.goto("https://example.com", {
waitUntil: "networkidle0"
});
const image = await page.screenshot({
fullPage: true, type: "png"
});
await browser.close();
// Still need: error handling, retries,
// timeouts, ad blocking...Browserless gives you a browser — that's it. SnapAPI gives you AI analysis out of the box. Analyze any webpage with your own LLM key.
curl -X POST "https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/analyze" \
-H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_SNAPAPI_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"url": "https://competitor.com/pricing",
"prompt": "Extract all pricing tiers and features",
"provider": "openai",
"apiKey": "YOUR_OPENAI_KEY"
}'200 free screenshots per month. No credit card required. No Puppeteer code needed.
Get Free API Key →