Migrate from Screenshotlayer to ScreenshotAPI

Replace Screenshotlayer with ScreenshotAPI. Modern features, better pricing, and no monthly subscription. Complete migration guide with code examples.

Last updated: 2026-03-25

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Screenshotlayer is one of the older screenshot APIs, but it has fallen behind modern alternatives in features, rendering quality, and pricing flexibility. If you are using Screenshotlayer and encountering limitations, migrating to ScreenshotAPI gives you modern Chromium rendering, dark mode support, WebP output, SPA waiting strategies, and credit-based pricing.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Screenshotlayer	ScreenshotAPI
Pricing	$19.99-$99.99/month	$20-$750 one-time (credits)
Credits expire	Monthly	Never
Rendering engine	Older WebKit	Modern Chromium
Output formats	PNG, JPEG	PNG, JPEG, WebP
Full-page screenshots	Yes	Yes
Dark mode	No	Yes
SPA support	Basic	waitForSelector, networkidle
WebP support	No	Yes
HTTPS on free tier	No	Yes
Custom viewport	Yes	Yes
Wait for content	Basic delay	Selector + networkidle + delay
SDKs	PHP, Python	JS, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, cURL

Parameter Mapping

Screenshotlayer	ScreenshotAPI	Notes
`access_key=xxx` (query param)	`x-api-key: xxx` (header)	Auth method changed
`url`	`url`	Same
`viewport=1440x900`	`width=1440&height=900`	Separate params
`fullpage=1`	`fullPage=true`	Different format
`format=PNG`	`type=png`	Lowercase, renamed
`quality=80`	`quality=80`	Same
`delay=5` (seconds)	`delay=5000` (milliseconds)	Unit changed
`force=1`	N/A	Not needed
`css_url=...`	N/A	Not yet supported
`accept_lang=en`	N/A	Not yet supported

Before: Screenshotlayer (JavaScript)


javascript
const ACCESS_KEY = 'your_screenshotlayer_key';

async function takeScreenshot(url) {
  const params = new URLSearchParams({
    access_key: ACCESS_KEY,
    url,
    viewport: '1440x900',
    format: 'PNG',
    fullpage: '0',
  });

  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.screenshotlayer.com/api/capture?${params}`
  );

  return Buffer.from(await response.arrayBuffer());
}

After: ScreenshotAPI (JavaScript)


javascript
async function takeScreenshot(url) {
  const params = new URLSearchParams({
    url,
    width: '1440',
    height: '900',
    type: 'png',
    waitUntil: 'networkidle'
  });

  const response = await fetch(
    `https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot?${params}`,
    { headers: { 'x-api-key': process.env.SCREENSHOT_API_KEY } }
  );

  if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot failed: ${response.status}`);
  return Buffer.from(await response.arrayBuffer());
}

Before: Screenshotlayer (PHP)


php
$params = http_build_query([
    'access_key' => 'your_screenshotlayer_key',
    'url' => 'https://example.com',
    'viewport' => '1440x900',
    'format' => 'PNG',
]);

$image = file_get_contents("https://api.screenshotlayer.com/api/capture?{$params}");
file_put_contents('screenshot.png', $image);

After: ScreenshotAPI (PHP)


php
$params = http_build_query([
    'url' => 'https://example.com',
    'width' => 1440,
    'height' => 900,
    'type' => 'png',
]);

$ch = curl_init("https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot?{$params}");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key'],
]);

$image = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
file_put_contents('screenshot.png', $image);

Before: Screenshotlayer (Python)


python
import requests

params = {
    "access_key": "your_screenshotlayer_key",
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "viewport": "1440x900",
    "format": "PNG",
}

response = requests.get("https://api.screenshotlayer.com/api/capture", params=params)
with open("screenshot.png", "wb") as f:
    f.write(response.content)

After: ScreenshotAPI (Python)


python
import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot",
    params={
        "url": "https://example.com",
        "width": 1440,
        "height": 900,
        "type": "png",
        "waitUntil": "networkidle",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": "sk_live_your_api_key"},
)

with open("screenshot.png", "wb") as f:
    f.write(response.content)

New Features Available After Migration

After switching, you gain access to features Screenshotlayer does not offer:

Dark mode


javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  url: 'https://github.com',
  width: '1440',
  height: '900',
  colorScheme: 'dark',
  type: 'png'
});

WebP output (smaller files)


javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  url: 'https://example.com',
  width: '1440',
  height: '900',
  type: 'webp',
  quality: '85'
});

SPA support with selector waiting


javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  url: 'https://myreactapp.com',
  width: '1440',
  height: '900',
  waitForSelector: '#content-loaded',
  waitUntil: 'networkidle',
  type: 'png'
});

Migration Steps

Sign up at screenshotapi.to for 5 free credits
Update endpoint: api.screenshotlayer.com/api/capture → screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot
Update auth: Move from access_key query param to x-api-key header
Update params: viewport → width+height, format → type, fullpage → fullPage
Update delay: Convert seconds to milliseconds
Test: Compare screenshot output visually
Cancel Screenshotlayer subscription

Next Steps

Browse the API documentation for all available parameters
See the best screenshot APIs for a broader comparison
Check pricing for the right credit package
Try the cURL guide for quick testing

Frequently asked questions

Why switch from Screenshotlayer?

Screenshotlayer uses subscription pricing starting at $19.99/month, offers only basic screenshot features, has no dark mode support, and is part of a 100+ API ecosystem with limited focus on screenshot quality. ScreenshotAPI offers credit-based pricing, modern features, and SDKs for all major languages.

Is the migration difficult?

No. Both are REST APIs. You update the endpoint URL, switch from access_key query parameter to x-api-key header, and rename a few parameters. Most migrations take under 30 minutes.

Does ScreenshotAPI have a free tier like Screenshotlayer?

ScreenshotAPI provides 5 free credits on signup. Screenshotlayer offers 100 free screenshots per month on its free tier, but with significant limitations (low resolution, limited format options, no HTTPS capture on free plan).

Will my screenshots look better?

Likely yes. ScreenshotAPI uses modern Chromium for rendering with full CSS Grid, Flexbox, and web font support. Screenshotlayer's rendering engine may not support the latest CSS features.

Start capturing screenshots today

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