rasterly vs Microlink — a cheaper screenshot & metadata API

Q: Is rasterly a drop-in for Microlink screenshots?

For the screenshot job, yes. Both take a URL and options as query params and return an image. Point at /v1/screenshot, pass your key, and keep your width, full-page and format options. Microlink's metadata/embed features map to rasterly's read and extract endpoints rather than one-to-one.

Q: Does rasterly return page metadata like Microlink?

Yes, via the read and extract endpoints: read returns clean Markdown of a page, and extract returns structured JSON for the fields you ask for, including title, description and images. It is the same key as the screenshot and PDF endpoints.

Q: Can rasterly screenshot internal or private URLs?

No. Every target is resolved and blocked if it points at localhost, a private range, or cloud metadata (169.254.169.254). SSRF protection is enforced, not optional.

Microlink is a clean, well-known API for screenshots, link previews and page metadata. For the everyday job (a URL to a PNG/JPEG/PDF, plus the page's title, description and content) rasterly does the same thing from $0.58 per 1,000 on Growth and keeps the request a plain query-param call. At volume the difference is the bill, not the output.

If you use Microlink for screenshots and metadata

Microlink bundles a screenshot service with a metadata/preview API. rasterly covers both jobs, on one key, and adds the content and crawl side that AI and SaaS products usually need next:

Same render. PNG/JPEG/PDF, full-page, retina scale up to 3× — a real headless Chromium, from $0.58/1,000 at the Growth tier.
Metadata without a second vendor. read returns clean Markdown of a page and extract returns structured JSON (title, description, images, and any fields you ask for) — the same job as Microlink's metadata, on the same key.
Crawl and change-monitoring live alongside, so a directory or preview product doesn't bolt on a third service.
MCP-native + x402. The primitives are exposed as agent tools via npx rasterly-mcp, and a pay-per-call x402 endpoint on Base gives agents a billed on-ramp with no signup.

Price, side by side

rasterly sells by monthly render tiers with the same all-formats feature set on every plan. Representative points:

Renders / month	rasterly	Microlink
10,000	$9 (Starter)	several times higher
50,000	$29 (Growth)	several times higher
250,000	$99 (Scale)	several times higher
Per 1,000 (at 50k)	$0.58	higher at volume
Free tier	100 / mo	free daily quota

We keep the Microlink column qualitative on purpose — check microlink.io for current numbers. The point isn't a single tier, it's that a cost-priced render runs cents where a category-priced one runs dollars.

Feature parity for the common job

	rasterly	Microlink
PNG / JPEG	Yes	Yes
PDF	Yes	Yes
Full-page capture	Yes	Yes
Retina / device scale	Yes, up to 3×	Yes
Page metadata / preview	read + extract	Yes
Markdown of a page	Yes	partial
Crawl & change-monitoring	Yes	no
SSRF protection	Enforced	Yes

Migrating from Microlink

The screenshot request is the same shape: a base URL, the target url, and options as query params. In most codebases it's a hostname and key swap.

before — Microlink screenshot

curl "https://api.microlink.io/?url=https://stripe.com&screenshot=true&meta=false"

after — rasterly

curl "https://api.rasterly.dev/v1/screenshot?url=https://stripe.com&full_page=true" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: sk_live_..." -o shot.png

Need the page's data instead of a picture? Call read for Markdown or extract for JSON on the same key. See a render before you sign up on the live proof page.

FAQ

Is rasterly a drop-in for Microlink screenshots?

For the screenshot job, yes — swap the base URL and auth, keep your full_page and format options. Microlink's metadata/embed features map to rasterly's read and extract rather than one-to-one.

Does rasterly return page metadata like Microlink?

Yes, via read (clean Markdown) and extract (structured JSON: title, description, images, any fields you ask for), on the same key as screenshot and PDF.

Why is rasterly cheaper at volume?

A render is a headless Chromium drawing a page. rasterly reuses one browser across requests, so a warm render is about a second of CPU. We price on that cost, from $0.58 per 1,000 on Growth.

Can rasterly screenshot internal or private URLs?

No — every target is resolved and blocked if it points at localhost, a private range, or cloud metadata (169.254.169.254). Enforced, not optional.

Start free — 100 renders See the full API

Microlink pricing and features are public information and shown for comparison only; the competitor column is kept qualitative and not a quoted figure — check microlink.io for current details. rasterly is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microlink.