Switching from Rendi to FFmpeg Micro: a 10-Minute Migration

Originally published at ffmpeg-micro.com

If you're on Rendi and thinking about switching, this guide walks through the migration. You can move your video processing pipeline from Rendi to FFmpeg Micro in about 10 minutes. No downtime, no rewrite. Just swap the API calls.

TL;DR

Both Rendi and FFmpeg Micro are FFmpeg-as-a-service APIs. The request format is different, but the underlying FFmpeg operations are the same. Replace the endpoint, restructure the JSON body, and your existing FFmpeg commands work identically.

Why People Switch

Three reasons come up repeatedly:

Pricing model. Rendi charges per GB of data processed (input + output). FFmpeg Micro charges per minute of video processed. For short, large files (like 4K raw footage), per-minute billing saves money. For long, small files (like compressed screen recordings), per-GB might be cheaper. Know your workload.

Free tier. FFmpeg Micro's free tier includes 100 processing minutes with no credit card required. Rendi's free tier requires a $5 refundable hold and limits processing to 50 GB per month with a 1-minute maximum runtime per job. If you're evaluating before committing, FFmpeg Micro has less friction.

Simplicity. FFmpeg Micro has fewer concepts. You send a video URL, specify options, get a result. No file storage management, no chained command orchestration. If you're building simple transcode-and-deliver pipelines, the simpler API is faster to integrate.

API Request Translation

The same operation (compress a video with H.264 CRF 28) on both platforms.

Rendi:

curl -X POST https://api.rendi.dev/v1/ffmpeg/run \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RENDI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "inputs": {"video": "https://storage.example.com/input.mp4"},
    "command": "-c:v libx264 -crf 28 -preset fast -c:a aac output.mp4",
    "outputName": "output.mp4"
  }'

FFmpeg Micro:

curl -X POST https://api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FFMPEG_MICRO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "inputs": [{"url": "https://storage.example.com/input.mp4"}],
    "outputFormat": "mp4",
    "options": [
      {"option": "-c:v", "argument": "libx264"},
      {"option": "-crf", "argument": "28"},
      {"option": "-preset", "argument": "fast"}
    ]
  }'

Key differences:

• Rendi takes inputs as a named object ({"video": "url"}). FFmpeg Micro takes an array of URL objects ([{"url": "..."}]).
• Rendi accepts a raw FFmpeg command string. FFmpeg Micro uses structured option/argument pairs. More verbose, but eliminates command injection risks and makes validation easier.
• Rendi requires you to specify outputName. FFmpeg Micro derives it from outputFormat.

Endpoint Mapping

Operation	Rendi	FFmpeg Micro
Start a job	POST /v1/ffmpeg/run	POST /v1/transcodes
Check job status	POST /v1/ffmpeg/poll	GET /v1/transcodes/{id}
List jobs	POST /v1/ffmpeg/list	GET /v1/transcodes
Cancel a job	(not documented)	PATCH /v1/transcodes/{id}/cancel
Upload a file	POST /v1/files/store	POST /v1/upload/presigned-url then PUT then POST /v1/upload/confirm
Get file info	GET /v1/files/{id}	(included in transcode response)

The biggest structural difference: Rendi uses POST for status polling. FFmpeg Micro uses standard REST (GET for reads, POST for creates, PATCH for updates).

Pricing Comparison

	Rendi Free	Rendi Pro	FFmpeg Micro Free	FFmpeg Micro Starter
Monthly cost	$0 (with $5 hold)	$25/mo	$0 (no card)	$19/mo
Billing unit	Per GB processed	Per GB processed	Per minute processed	Per minute processed
Included processing	50 GB	100 GB	100 minutes	2,000 minutes
Max runtime per job	1 minute	10 minutes	No per-job limit	No per-job limit
Max file size	Not published	Not published	250 MB	1,024 MB

Per-GB vs per-minute billing makes direct price comparison hard. It depends on your content:

• A 100 MB, 3-minute video at Rendi Pro costs roughly $0.03 (0.2 GB at $0.15/GB). The same job on FFmpeg Micro Starter uses 3 of your 2,000 minutes.
• A 2 GB, 3-minute 4K clip costs roughly $0.60 on Rendi. Same 3 minutes on FFmpeg Micro.

For large files with short durations, per-minute billing wins. For small files with long durations, per-GB might win.

Migration Checklist

1. Sign up at ffmpeg-micro.com and grab your API key from the dashboard (free, no credit card)
2. Swap the endpoint URL from api.rendi.dev/v1/ffmpeg/run to api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes
3. Restructure the request body: change inputs from named object to URL array, convert command string to options array, replace outputName with outputFormat
4. Update status polling from POST /v1/ffmpeg/poll to GET /v1/transcodes/{id}
5. Update the output download logic (FFmpeg Micro returns the output URL in the completed transcode response)
6. Run a test job on the free tier to verify output matches expectations
7. Switch production traffic

That's it. Same FFmpeg operations, different JSON structure.

What FFmpeg Micro Doesn't Have (Yet)

Be honest about the gaps:

• Chained commands. Rendi lets you run multi-step FFmpeg pipelines in a single request. FFmpeg Micro handles one operation per request. For multi-step workflows, you chain API calls or use an automation tool like n8n or Make.com.
• Persistent file storage. Rendi stores your files until you delete them. FFmpeg Micro retains output files for 8 hours. If you need longer retention, download the output or store it in your own bucket.
• Zapier integration. Rendi has one. FFmpeg Micro has native integrations with n8n and Make.com but not Zapier yet.

None of these are dealbreakers for most pipelines. But if your workflow depends heavily on chained commands or long-term file storage, check whether the workaround fits your use case before switching.

FAQ

Will my FFmpeg commands produce the same output on FFmpeg Micro?
Yes. Both services run the same FFmpeg binary. The same flags produce the same output. The only difference is how you pass those flags to the API.

Can I run both services during migration?
Absolutely. Sign up for the free tier, run your test jobs on FFmpeg Micro while keeping Rendi active, and switch production traffic once you've verified the output.

Does FFmpeg Micro support webhooks?
Yes. You can configure a webhook URL that gets called when a job completes, instead of polling for status.

What if I'm using Rendi's n8n or Make.com integration?
FFmpeg Micro has native integrations for both platforms. For n8n, use the FFmpeg Micro community node. For Make.com, FFmpeg Micro is an official app in the Make.com marketplace. The setup is different from Rendi's modules, but the functionality is equivalent.

Is there a bulk migration tool?
No automated migration tool exists. But since the migration is just restructuring JSON payloads, a find-and-replace in your codebase covers most of it. The endpoint mapping table above has everything you need.

Last verified: 2026-06-17 against FFmpeg Micro API v1 and Rendi API documentation