Headless Chrome vs Screenshot API: Which Should You Use?
The Screenshot Dilemma You need to capture website screenshots programmatically. Maybe it’s for link previews, visual testing, or monitoring. You have two paths: run your own headless Chrome setup or use a managed Screenshot API. Both work. But the right choice depends on your scale, budget, and tolerance for operational headaches. Option 1: Self-Hosted Headless Chrome Headless Chrome runs a full browser without a visible window. Libraries like Puppeteer (Node.js) and Playwright (multi-language) provide APIs to control it. ...