Cloudinary
A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.
Image and video hosting with transformation in the URL: resize, crop, convert format and optimise on the fly, cached at the edge.
Build image transformation on your own storage.
STACK
- S3-compatible storage, a small Node service with sharp, a CDN in front
THE URL
- /img/{width}x{height}/{fit}/{path} — signed, or an allow list of sizes
- Never accept arbitrary dimensions from the internet: that is a way to melt your own server
TRANSFORMING
- sharp resizes and converts; cache the result in storage keyed by the full parameter set
- Second request for the same URL is served by the CDN and never touches your service
FORMATS
- Read the Accept header; serve AVIF, then WebP, then JPEG
- Vary on Accept so the CDN caches each separately
VIDEO
- Do not transcode on request. Transcode once on upload with ffmpeg into two or three renditions
Include the URL scheme, the cache key and the signing.What you lose
- Format negotiation that serves AVIF, WebP or JPEG based on what the browser actually accepts
- Smart cropping that keeps the subject in frame at any aspect ratio
- Video transcoding into a ladder of resolutions, which is genuinely heavy work
If you would rather not build
- Thumbor, the long-standing option
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
imgproxy
$0Fast on-the-fly image resizing with signed URLs, one binary.
imgproxy/imgproxyfree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
58/100
Verdict kinda at 58. Images are a weekend with sharp; video transcoding and smart cropping are what keep this from being a yes.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about Cloudinary
answered from the record above
Is Cloudinary free?
No — the plan we track is $89 a month. Plus from around $89/month billed monthly, priced on credits covering storage, transformations and bandwidth.
Can you replace Cloudinary by building your own?
ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 58 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does Cloudinary cost?
$89 a month on Plus — $1,068 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing Cloudinary?
Format negotiation that serves AVIF, WebP or JPEG based on what the browser actually accepts; Smart cropping that keeps the subject in frame at any aspect ratio; Video transcoding into a ladder of resolutions, which is genuinely heavy work. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Cloudinary?
Yes: imgproxy, sharp. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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