Video generation is experiencing a boom thanks to advances in AI and no-code tools that make it easier than ever to build automated media pipelines for social media, educational content, TV content, ads creation and more.
As the team behind rendi.dev, we're persnickety about video generation. In this post, we list the different things to consider when picking a video generation API for your use case. The top available APIs in the market:
- Rendi
- Cloudinary
- Json2Video
- Creatomate
- Shotstack
Video APIs, including all the ones listed in this post, use FFmpeg behind the scene. FFmpeg is the go-to developer tool for processing, analyzing and generating videos. Video APIs, including all the ones listed in this post, use FFmpeg behind the scene. You can use FFmpeg commands to create any media asset you require, in any output you require. It supports all possible editing features, transition, trimming, transcoding, image generation, audio processing and more.
What to Consider When Choosing a Video Generation API for No-Code Workflows?
Get the job done
Will you be able to generate the videos you require using the API? Does it have all the editing and transcoding features you need to create your content? Can you use your media assets the way you like? Make sure you know what the API cannot do before committing to it.
API flexibility
You may want to create thumbnails from videos today, but tomorrow you may want to create gifs, trim videos, or merge two videos into one. Will you be able to grow your automation with the API?
Scalability and reliability
Can the API reliably handle large volumes and grow with your usage?
Ease of use
How easy it is to use the API and integrate it within your no-code workflow? How well is the API documented? How hard is it to learn the product?
Pricing
Are the costs easy to understand, predictable and aligned with your usage? Does it make sense when creating bulk videos at scale? How much does it cost to process 1GB of media?
API lock-in
Related to the previous item: If you find that the API doesn't support a new use case, what will be the costs of switching? How hard will it be to change your workflow to accommodate a different API?
Support
In case of issues, errors and integration trouble: Is there someone available to talk to? Is the support able to solve your issues in a timely manner?
The APIs
Rendi
Rendi is a simple API for FFmpeg. Using Rendi is as straightforward as using FFmpeg locally, but except you run FFmpeg online, without having to install anything.
You can use Rendi either through our simple RESTful HTTP API - or - use our Zapier and Make native integrations to simplify the no-code integration even more.
Pros
- Uses the full syntax and abilities of FFmpeg.
- Works not only for video but also for audio and image generation.
- Built for scale and high loads.
- High compute power for fast and efficient processing.
- The commands are all FFmpeg, with no lock-in. You can run these commands on any other installation or server you choose.
- ChatGPT and other LLMs are specifically trained on FFmpeg data and are quite good at constructing FFmpeg commands that can run according to your requirement.
- Simple to integrate with a RESTful HTTP endpoint.
- Native Zapier and Make integrations.
- Built-in media asset storage and delivery: you don't need to deal with serving the output media.
- System status page for monitoring Rendi's past and current availability with uptime of 99.98%.
Cons
- Complicated to set up for those not familiar with FFmpeg.
- No pre-built templates or UI editor to them.
- If you're storing media in Rendi, there is a lock-in because it is difficult to transfer out large sums of files to another CDN (content delivery network).
Pricing
- No complicated credit system or limitations on different encodings, resolutions, video length or quality. *Paid plans start at $59/month, for which you can process up to 400GB of video - with a high compute of 16 vCPU cores. Cost per 1GB is $0.15
- Paid plans start at a 10-minutes processing time cap per command, and can grow as required.
- High quality in-person support for paying subscribers.
Cloudinary
A well-established brand in the space, Cloudinary is a comprehensive media management platform with built-in video transformation features. Cloudinary's strong suit is its CDN capabilities.
Pros
- Reliable platform with different product lines.
- Cloudinary is great for transforming and hosting media, making it a solid choice for apps that serve content to many users in various formats.
- Built for scale and high loads.
- Has automated AI features - like auto cropping, image upscaling and more.
- Good and elaborate documentation.
Cons
- Video input size cap of 2GB for the Plus paid plan and higher caps for more expensive plans.
- Not built for video generation. It is complicated to combine different media assets or carry out multiple different editing processes on the same asset.
- Since Cloudinary's main selling point is their CDN, you will be using its media storage and distribution features, which amount to a lock-in because it is difficult to transfer out large sums of files to another CDN.
- Hard integration which requires learning Cloudinary's syntax of HTTP get request parameters.
- No pre-built templates or UI editor to create them.
Pricing
- The most complicated credit system of all the tools listed. Credit costs change with encoding, transformation feature, resolution, storage, bandwidth, and special features used.
- Paid plans start at $89/month, which provides 225K transformation credits. These amount to about 75GB of HD H264 encoded video processing. Cost per 1GB is $1.2
- Use can get expensive at scale, especially with bandwidth and transformation overages.
- High quality support for those paying for the higher tier plans.
Json2Video
Json2Video is an API for programmatic video generation. Users can define video content, layout, and style using a JSON format. Then send the JSON as an API request via an HTTP request, using their NodeJS\PHP SDKs or use the native Make integration.
Pros
- Dynamically create output videos based on media assets input.
- Simple and intuitive template library.
- Visual editor that simplifies static templates creation.
- Integration with ElevenLabs for voice overs.
- Simple to integrate with a RESTful HTTP endpoint
- Unless you store many different templates, low lock-in, switching providers is simple because the only dependence is on the JSON object construction.
- Native Make integration.
Cons
- Strong limitation on output video length based on plan.
- Poor support for high load and heavy video generation.
- Complicated JSON structure to learn and use.
- Clunky UI. For example, could not use variables in the visual editor.
- Documentation is complicated, and it takes a while to understand the concepts of elements, scenes, movie and the interactions between them. The AI assistant doesn't work.
- No Zapier integration.
- No clear explanation in the documentation on how assets are stored and served. It looks like you need to integrate your own SFTP file system with them.
- No system status reporting to track system availability
Pricing
- Complicated credit system.
- $50 per month to generate 5 minutes of 4K video, which comes to about 3.5GB video created, and 10 minutes output limit. Cost per 1GB is $14.3
- Has pre-paid plans for consumption based pricing.
- Different support plans based on paid plan.
Creatomate
Customers can define video content, layout, and style using a UI editor or JSON formats, then send an API request to generate the video, either via an HTTP request, using the NodeJS\Python SDKs, or through the native Zapier or Make integration.
Pros
- Simple visual editor for static template creation.
- Simple and intuitive template library and documentation.
- Automatic transcription generation
- Creates output videos based on interchanging media assets input.
- Native Make and Zapier integration.
- Simple to integrate with a RESTful HTTP endpoint
Cons
- Heavily reliant on template creation through the UI, therefore there is lock-in and switching costs for recreating the templates on a different platform.
- Dynamic video generation requires using their JSON format which is complicated to learn and use.
- No built-in media asset management; You must handle storage and delivery separately.
- No system status reporting to track system availability
Pricing
- Complicated credit system.
- Starts at $41 per month for generating about 1 hour and 6 minutes of 1080P video at 25 FPS, which comes to around 4GB total processed video. Cost per 1GB is $10.25
- Support available to the highest paying plan.
Shotstack
Shotstack is the most comprehensive of the three APIs for programmatic video generation listed in this post. It offers both a UI editor and JSON format for defining video content, layouts, styles and edits. Capabilities include allowing for AI generation, video editor SDK, different integration options and API endpoints.
Pros
- Simple visual editor for static template creation.
- Intuitive template library and documentation.
- Generative AI features with third parties such as - text to speech, text to image, image to video.
- Elaborate storage options and CDN for generated files.
- Built for scale
- Creates output videos based on inter-changing media assets input.
- Has SDKs for NodeJS, Python, and PHP
- Native Make and Zapier integrations.
Cons
- Source footage and output video cannot exceed 10GB
- Slow rendering cap of 20 seconds per 1 minute of video.
- No historical data about system status even though promised uptime with 99.9% SLA.
- Complex API structure: takes a long while to go over and understand what the tool can (and cannot) do.
- Using Shotstack's storage features or UI for template editing creates a lock-in for transferring files and templates to a different product later.
Pricing
- Pricing is based on video duration rendered up to 1080p.
- Starter plan at $39/month includes 200 credits which amounts to 200 minutes of video. Cost per 1GB is $2.3
- Different support levels available for various paid tiers.
How to choose the right video automation API?
Each of these tools brings something different to the table. If you need full control and scalability, Rendi’s raw FFmpeg access may be your best bet. For templated workflows and UI-based editing, Shotstack, Json2Video, and Creatomate offer appealing options. If your focus is on going with a large brand and high quality CDN delivery, Cloudinary is worth a look.
Match the tool to your use case, and be aware that you might need to set a side a few days to test the tools' limits and pick the right one for you.
Top comments (0)