URL-to-PNG Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Generate link previews, social cards and thumbnails from your own backend without a third-party screenshot service — every request must carry an encrypted hash made with your install's own key, so your endpoint never becomes a public proxy. xCloud configures the pinned URL-to-PNG image, a generated encryption key and the HTTPS reverse proxy in minutes.

  • No terminal
  • No technical skills needed
  • No lock-in, cancel anytime

From Sign-Up to a Live Screenshot API In Just 3 Easy Steps

Self-hosting a screenshot service normally means a container, a headless browser pool, an encryption scheme and a certificate before a single PNG renders. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

  1. Step 01

    Sign Up

    Create your xCloud account and pick URL-to-PNG from the OneClick catalog. There are no extra fields — xCloud generates the encryption key.

  2. Step 02

    We Deploy It For You

    One click. We bring up the pinned URL-to-PNG v2.1.4 image with encryption mode turned on, tune the browser pool for the server size, and publish the HTTP API over HTTPS on your domain.

  3. Step 03

    Encrypt A Request And Render Your First PNG

    Save the Encryption key (CRYPTO_KEY) from your installation page, check https://<your-domain>/ping, then encrypt a request with the @jmondi/string-encrypt-decrypt library and call https://<your-domain>/?hash=<hash> to receive a PNG.

Everything URL-to-PNG Does, On Your Own Server

URL-to-PNG runs in full here — the same screenshot rendering as any hosted API, on infrastructure you control.

  • Per-Request Rendering Options

    Control viewport size, output width, full-page capture, mobile emulation and dark mode on every request.

  • Link Previews And Social Cards

    Generate thumbnails and social cards from your own backend instead of paying a third-party screenshot service.

  • Encrypted Requests Only

    Every render request must carry an encrypted hash made with your install's AES-256 key — plain ?url= requests are refused.

  • Stateless By Design

    A single container with no database. Every request renders the page fresh, with no screenshots stored by default.

  • A Tuned Browser Pool

    One Chromium instance kept warm, with up to three renders at once — sized for small servers.

  • Your Endpoint, Your Server

    The encryption key is rebuilt from the same stored secret after a restart, so hashes you've already issued keep working.

Everything You Need To Run Your Screenshot API 24/7

Managed hosting for URL-to-PNG, so the parts that keep it online are not your problem.

  • URL-to-PNG v2.1.4 deployed instantly
  • Generated AES-256 encryption key
  • Tuned headless-Chromium browser pool
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Server backups and snapshots
  • Server security updates included
  • 30+ server locations
  • Unused balance refunded

Simple Pricing. Everything Included.

Dedicated Cloud VPS sizes, pre-configured for URL-to-PNG hosting. Pick the one that fits, and resize any time.

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Most popular

A screenshot API for one backend or product.

$24.99per month

  • 6 GB RAM
  • 4 vCPU cores
  • 100 GB NVMe SSD
  • 30 TB
  • Unlimited
Get started

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More concurrent renders for higher-traffic backends.

$59.99per month

  • 16 GB RAM
  • 6 vCPU cores
  • 200 GB NVMe SSD
  • 30 TB
  • Unlimited
Get started

Cloud VPS 24 GB

URL-to-PNG alongside a whole self-hosted stack.

$84.99per month

  • 24 GB RAM
  • 8 vCPU cores
  • 300 GB NVMe SSD
  • 30 TB
  • Unlimited
Get started

Every size is a dedicated Cloud VPS we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Billed monthly with no lock-in — delete the server and the unused balance comes back to your account. URL-to-PNG itself is free under the MIT licence.

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect any VPS — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Hetzner or bare metal — and deploy URL-to-PNG on it through the same panel, for a per-server management fee instead of a Cloud VPS rental.

Free

Start your journey without cost.

$0forever

  • 1 server
  • 10 sites
Start free

Starter

Most popular

Your rate with 2–5 servers connected.

$5per server / month

  • 2–5 servers
  • Unlimited sites
  • All features included
  • Bring any VPS provider
Get started

Professional

The same platform, discounted at 6–10 servers.

$4per server / month

  • 6–10 servers
  • Unlimited sites
  • All features included
  • Bring any VPS provider
Get started

Agency

The same platform, discounted at 11+ servers.

$3per server / month

  • 11+ servers
  • Unlimited sites
  • All features included
  • Bring any VPS provider
Get started

Priced per connected server, so your rate adjusts automatically as you add or remove servers. You pay your own provider for the server itself.

Ready To Own Your Screenshot API?

URL-to-PNG on xCloud runs on a dedicated Cloud VPS that we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Deploy faster. Own the server. Stay in control.

Hear what people are saying about us

See why agencies, developers, startups, and growing businesses choose xCloud to power their projects.

xCloud works really well, I am surprised by its performance being this the release version, I have tried many paid platforms such as runcloud, cloudpages or serveravatar, as well as free platforms such as CyberPanel, CloudPanel or Hestia Control Panel and direct competitors such as SpinupWP and FlyWP. Of all those that I have tried, the platform that works best for WordPress is SpinupWP and I believe that xCloud can reach and surpass that development, its roadmap is promising. Congratulations to the xCloud team, I hope they become the leading platform in the segment, it has all the potential to achieve it!
Brian Geovanny
I've been with runcloud for the last 3 years. However, after trying xcloud for the last month, I'm switching over. They are on a roll with their setup.
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I'm moving my servers to xCloud, a cloud control panel by M Asif Rahman and the WPDeveloper team. Their roadmap looks interesting and no, there are no team mates nor API limits with xCloud! #xCloud #wordpress #hosting
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How Cloud Nine Web Elevated Client Experience While Streamlining Hosting Operations using xCloud
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xCloud is like having an expert server team on call — without the big agency costs. It's given me back my time and given my clients peace of mind. Highly recommended for freelancers and small teams who want reliable performance and security.
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xCloud isn't just a solution. It's like one of that friend who got your back when you screw things up pretty bad.
Waqar Ahmed
Trust me when I say, once people explore the potential of xCloud they gonna switch from other panels, just keep delivering the best tech, lots of love for the team 😍😍
Rahul Singh
So far my experience has been smooth like silk. I didn't imagine that configuring and managing a VPS would be so easy. As of today, I have deployed 8 sites. The support is good, and they treat users with respect, even if they ask stupid questions (myself included). For the future, I hope for greater flexibility in scheduled backups and more comprehensive and consistent documentation. I'm sure that within a few months, xCloud will become the leader in its segment. This community is amazing, and the Staff here is super helpful.
Massimo Villa
Came from cloudways then to runcloud then to xcloud. Looks like I'm staying here.
Gerson El
I've recently taken all of my Vultr-hosted sites and gotten rid of cPanel for them to substitute it with xCloud. I have to say, I'm really impressed with xCloud so far! The interface is definitely the standout feature for me.
Tony Lewis
I came from Cloudways and won't go back. Highly impressed with xCloud. Glad I gave them a chance.
Jared McDowell
I like xCloud better than RunCloud, but one thing I'll point out is that some years ago RunCloud was hungry for business, the support was outstanding, and the community was active and helped each other. Maybe it was sold, there was a change in management, or they stopped being hungry, but the quality of the RunCloud offering declined and it hasn't been moving forward quickly. My point is that currently the xCloud team has the edge and it is theirs to keep or lose
David McCan
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Kevin Heinrichs
I had 150 sites on cloudways and am in the process of moving them to xcloud. Much faster and better priced.
Dan Spinoza
Dear xCloud Team, I have been using xCloud for some time now and am genuinely impressed with its capabilities and the flexibility it offers by allowing users to bring their own VPS for management. It's a fantastic service, and my experience so far has been very positive. Successful migrated 5 sites on a single server. Xcloud migration tool worked great. There were few hiccups with security plugin like MalCare but disabling the plugin prior to migration worked just fine.
Rahil Maknojia
Came from runcloud. Tried xcloud and never came back.
Karl Fanega
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Gary Moody
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Jorge de los Reyes Martínez
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How Newman Web Solutions Ensured Perfect Uptime and Seamless Scaling For 120+ WordPress Sites with xCloud
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I too have moved over to xCloud. It's pretty sweet. One click n8n and uptime Kuma apps
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I went from Cloudways to xCloud. No intention on switching in the foreseeable future.
Blaine Moore

Frequently Asked Questions

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

What is URL-to-PNG?

URL-to-PNG is a self-hosted screenshot API: send it a URL and it returns a PNG rendered by headless Chromium. This template deploys version 2.1.4.

Can anyone use my screenshot endpoint?

No. Requests without a valid hash made with your install's key are rejected with 400. Only /ping answers openly.

How do I make a request?

Encrypt a small JSON document — url, viewport, width and options — with the key from the installation credentials, using the upstream @jmondi/string-encrypt-decrypt library, and pass the result as ?hash=.

Are screenshots stored?

No. The service is stateless, and each request renders the page again. Optional filesystem caching exists upstream but is off by default.

What should I back up?

Only the encryption key. There is no database and no stored data.

How big can images be?

Width and height are capped at 1920 pixels by upstream.

How do I keep the endpoint from being abused?

Keep the encryption key on your server, never in browser code — anyone holding it can make the service render any reachable http(s) address, including internal ones. Use the optional ALLOW_LIST setting to limit rendering to the hosts you expect.

Do hashes expire?

No. A hash never expires, so treat issued hashes like URLs you're willing to share. Changing the key invalidates every existing hash.

Why did my request return a 500 instead of a 400?

A hash that doesn't decrypt returns a 500 error rather than a 400 — this is upstream behaviour, not an xCloud configuration issue.

Does xCloud automatically update URL-to-PNG?

No. The template pins v2.1.4; a catalog re-sync affects new installations only. To upgrade, read upstream's release notes, then change the readable tag and digest together.

What are the server requirements?

The template manifest asks for 2048 MB of RAM, 1 CPU core and 6 GB of disk as a floor. This page sells the 6 GB tier, which clears that floor and matches the measured peak of about 1.7 GiB with three full-page 1920px renders in parallel.

Is xCloud officially partnered with URL-to-PNG?

No. No official partnership or endorsement between xCloud and the URL-to-PNG project has been verified. This is a deployment and server-management option for the open-source URL-to-PNG project.

Can I run other apps on the same server?

Yes. It's a dedicated Cloud VPS, not a locked appliance, so you can deploy other OneClick apps or your own sites beside it as long as the resources are there.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. There is no lock-in — cancel any time. Hosting is billed monthly and charged for what you actually use, so when you delete the server the unused balance is refunded to your account, less up to 10% in payment-processing fees.

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