Sendtric

YES

Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.

Animated countdown timers for email: an image URL that renders the remaining time at the moment the message is opened, since email cannot run scripts.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Build a countdown image endpoint.

STACK
- One serverless function, sharp or gifencoder, a cache

HOW IT WORKS
- Email cannot run scripts, so the timer is an image generated when the mail is opened
- GET /t/:id.gif computes the remaining time now and renders frames

THE GIF
- Sixty frames, one per second, then stop. A looping timer that restarts is worse than a static number
- Keep it under 100KB or mobile clients will not load it
- Palette of eight colours; a countdown does not need more

WHEN IT EXPIRES
- Render a static "this offer has ended" frame, never a negative number

CACHING, CAREFULLY
- Cache for at most one second, or every recipient sees the first person's time
- This is the mistake that makes home-made timers wrong

Include the frame renderer, the expiry state and the cache headers.

What you lose

A hosted image endpoint fast enough that a mail client does not give up waiting
GIF generation tuned so the file stays small enough to load on mobile data
Designs and fonts already set up

If you would rather not build

gifencoder with a serverless function
A static image with a date, which is honest and free

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

gif-encoder-2

Encodes animated GIFs in Node from rendered frames.

benjaminadk/gif-encoder-2free · open source

sharp

Renders each frame from an SVG template before encoding.

lovell/sharpfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

90/100

Verdict yes at 90. A GIF encoder and a date subtraction. The cache header is the one thing that will silently break it.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

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 Sendtric

answered from the record above

Is Sendtric free?

No — the plan we track is $5 a month. Around $5/month billed monthly for branded countdown timers in email.

Can you replace Sendtric by building your own?

YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 90 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Sendtric cost?

$5 a month on Pro — $60 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Sendtric?

A hosted image endpoint fast enough that a mail client does not give up waiting; GIF generation tuned so the file stays small enough to load on mobile data; Designs and fonts already set up. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Sendtric?

Yes: gif-encoder-2, sharp. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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