Screenshot API vs Puppeteer: when to self-host
I've done both. Here's the real answer.
Puppeteer is "free" the same way a puppy is free. Chrome leaks memory. Your queue dies at 3am. Fonts look weird. Some random Chromium update breaks your Docker image on a Tuesday for no reason. None of it is hard. All of it is annoying as hell.
A screenshot API just pays someone else to deal with that mess.
When to self-host:
- Low volume, like under 10k/month
- One site, one viewport, nothing fancy
- You actually like messing with infra
- A $5 VPS will do the job
When to grab an API:
- Traffic is spiky
- You need screenshots from different countries
- You'd rather ship features than babysit Chrome
- Your weekends are worth more than $20
Rough break even is around 50k screenshots a month. Below that, the API wins once you count the time you'd spend fixing stuff. Above it, self-hosting starts making sense only if you have enough time and you enjoy it.
Honestly, this isn't really a tech question. It's "what do I want to deal with on a bad day."
I built screenshotrender.com because I lost that fight one too many times. But if you're the type who likes tweaking servers, just self-host. Both work fine. Just know what you're signing up for.