Cloudinary is a cloud-based (SaaS) image and video processing and management solution. It allows users to upload images to the cloud, store, and manage them. Additionally, users can also quickly transform images to different formats and dimensions and apply filters and image enhancements. All in all, Cloudinary is an end-to-end solution for developers that helps deliver high-quality and optimized images and videos for web apps and websites. However, there are a few downsides. For instance, the paid plan of Cloudinary is quite expensive. Additionally, it doesn’t allow you to restrict the access of your media only to authenticated users. But, there are several tools available that you can use instead of Cloudinary. So, if you’re looking for a Cloudinary alternative, this article is the right place.
In this article, we’ll show you some of the best Cloudinary alternatives.
Filestack – The Best Cloudinary Alternative
Filestack is a powerful file upload service that allows developers to easily upload, transform and deliver files into their web apps.
Features
Here are the advanced features of Filestack that make it a great Cloudinary alternative:
- Filestack offers a powerful and easy-to-use API for quick and secure file upload.
- The Filestack file uploader has a beautiful UI and more than 20 integrated sources, including Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox, to improve user experience.
- With Filestack Content Ingestion Network (CIN), file uploads are highly reliable.
- Filestack also supports image manipulation and image transformations. It allows users to convert, optimize and transform files, such as images and documents.
- Filestack allows users to resize images, convert images to different image file types, apply filters and effects, and more.
- With Filestack image processing API, users can improve the resolution and quality of the images. For example, users can reduce noise in images, upscale images without losing quality, fix image resolution, and more.
- Filestack also allows users to make responsive images.
- Detailed documentation.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Filestack offers a free tier. Additionally, there are several paid pricing plans as well, starting from $59 per month.
PocketBase
PocketBase offers an open-source backend for SaaS apps in 1 file with a real-time database, authentication, file storage, and admin dashboard.
Features
- PocketBase offers a real-time database with data validations, schema builder, and real-time subscriptions.
- PocketBase also offers file storage that allows you to store files in S3 storage or locally.
- It also allows users to easily manage app users, emails, and passwords.
- PocketBase comes with a convenient dashboard UI.
Pricing
Open-source
AWS Amplify
Powered by AWS, AWS is one of the top alternatives to Cloudinary. It accelerates full-stack web and mobile app development.
Features
Some key features of AWS Amplify include:
- AWS Amplify lets you create an AWS backend for your web apps as well as iOS and Android apps with authentication, storage, and data quickly.
- With AWS Amplify, users can easily host high-performance and secure websites.
- AWS Amplify is easy to use and easy to scale.
- When you use AWS Amplify, you can get started quickly, even without any cloud expertise.
- The Amplify CLI offers a local toolchain that lets users configure and manage the backend of the app with only a few commands.
Pricing
AWS offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model. There is also a free tier for AWS Amplify.
Cyclic
Cyclic enables the creation of high-speed full-stack Javascript apps, both front-end and back-end, all running with zero-config.
Features
- Cyclic apps enable access to the best AWS features, such as NoSQL AWS DynamoDB and AWS S3 storage.
- Cyclic apps are always available instantly and on demand.
- Allows users to scale up and down as needed.
Pricing
Cyclic offers consumption-based pricing plans. There is a free tier as well.
Filebase
Filebase is a powerful Cloudinary alternative that lets you store data easily.
Features
- Filebase makes it quick and easy to store data on decentralized networks.
- With Filebase, you can instantly create a storage bucket and drag and drop your files.
- Filebase also offers an S3 Compatible API that supports a number of application SDKs, frameworks, and data backup tools.
Pricing
Filestack is free to use (up to 5 GB). Once you’ve used 5 GB storage, you can upgrade based on the pay-as-you-go pricing model.
ImgBB
ImgBB is a free image sharing and hosting solution that allows you to easily upload and share images.
Features
- Users can drag and drop or paste images to upload, or they can directly upload images from their computers.
- ImgBB also offers integration solutions for uploading images to forums.
Pricing
ImgBB is free to use (32 GB). However, if you want access to additional features like direct linking and unlimited features, you can subscribe to one of the paid pricing plans, starting from $3.99.
StaticBackend
StaticBackend is a free self-hosted backend API that enables web and mobile developers to use common backend building blocks for applications.
Features
- With StaticBackend, you get an efficient and highly available database.
- StaticBacked also helps with user management. You can let your users create accounts, and they can sign in to access data.
- With StaticBackend, users get a scalable WebSocket communication platform.
- With cloud storage, you can enable your users to upload files.
Pricing
Free and open-source
Uploadcare
Uploadcare is a simple yet powerful Cloudinary alternative that enables developers to efficiently handle file uploading, processing, and delivery.
Features
- Uploadcare is an easy-to-use tool that makes file uploads easy for both users and developers.
- Uploadcare offers a lightweight and responsive HTML5 uploading widget with a built-in image editor.
- With Uploadcare’s global CDN, uploads to storage are super quick.
- Uploadcare also offers image transformations, such as resize, crop, and adjust colors, and image optimization features.
Pricing
Uploadcare comes with a completely free plan that offers 3000 uploads per month. There is also a pay-as-you-go subscription plan with a base fee of $20 per month.
Dedicated Container Registry
Dedicated Container Registry is a harbor based Container Registry Service for teams, individuals, and software vendors looking for ways to distribute images instead of ZIP files.
Features
- The service allows developers to distribute their software as container images to their customers.
- The Container Registry also supports several CI/CD workflows.
- The registry scans images for vulnerabilities before they reach your web servers.
- Users can also create rules to avoid the deployment of vulnerable images.
- The service offers unlimited and free private repositories.
Pricing
The costs of the Dedicated Container Registry as a Service are predictable, and there is no bandwidth fee. There is a free plan, a paid plan (49 €), and a custom plan.
Degoo Cloud
Degoo uses AI technology to provide cloud storage that helps you rediscover your best memories through pictures. Additionally, it offers a high level of data security.
Features
- Degoo offers 100 GB cloud storage.
- All your memories and precious moments automatically appear on your Degoo feed.
- Compatible with Android, iOS, and the web.
Pricing
Degoo is free to use.
BlackHole
BlackHole uses blockchain technology to enable users to share any file quickly and privately.
Features
- BlackHole uses blockchain technology. As a result, it is highly secure.
- BlackHole offers high-performance file transfer around the web.
- When you use BlackHole, you can get started without any registration.
Pricing
BlockHole is completely free to use.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a popular file hosting service and a great Cloudinary alternative that offers useful features like cloud storage, personal cloud, file synchronization, and more.
Features
- Dropbox makes file storing and sharing super quick and easy.
- Users can store files, such as images and documents, in one place.
- Dropbox also allows users to store very large files (up to 2 TB).
- Easy to use and highly reliable.
Pricing
Dropbox offers several pricing plans, starting from $11.99 per month.
My Mind
My Mind offers a private and secure place to save your most important notes, links, quotes, images, and highlights.
Features
- When you want to find something (notes, images, etc.), you can quickly search for it using a word, color, etc.
- Uses AI to help you remember without wasting time on categorizing & organizing.
- My Mind doesn’t track any of your activity, and it’s also ad-free.
Pricing
My Mind offers three paid plans starting from $5.99 per month.
ImageKit
ImageKit is another powerful Cloudinary alternative that offers real-time image optimization, resizing, image upload, and a fast Image CDN.
Features
- ImageKit offers integrations with Magento, WordPress, and Shopify.
- Built-in performance issues alert.
- Offers many features for image manipulation, such as resize, crop, text overlay, watermark, and more.
- ImageKit also enables users to automate image optimization.
- ImageKit also offers storage for all your digital assets.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, ImageKit offers a free plan that allows 20GB bandwidth usage. There are also two usage-based paid plans.
Appwrite
Next on the list of Cloudinary alternatives is Appwrite. Appwrite provides web and mobile developers with a set of easy-to-use and integrated REST APIs to manage their core backend needs.
Features
- Appwrite comes with all the core APIs that developers need to build any high-performance application.
- Multiple sign-in methods to authenticate and manage users.
- Appwrite also offers storage to upload, preview, and download your app and users’ files.
- When you use Appwrite, you get end-to-end security for backend APIs.
Pricing
Open-source
Bookmark OS
Bookmark OS is an efficient bookmark manager that lets you organize your digital content easily.
Features
- Provides a Windows-inspired UI to enable users to easily organize their bookmarks.
- Bookmark OS works on any modern device, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
- Bookmark OS is also customizable. For instance, users can customize icon sizes and folder colors.
- Users can also upload files to keep all their digital assets in one place.
Pricing
Bookmark OS comes with a free plan. There is also a paid plan ($60/year).
Firebase
Backed by Google, Firebase helps you build and run successful apps.
Features
- Firebase offers a fully managed infrastructure, such as extensions, authentication, real-time database, and more, to accelerate app development.
- It also allows users to monitor the performance of their apps using features.
- Firebase can also be integrated with Google ads, Google Play, Data Studio, Jira, and many other tools.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Firebase comes with a free plan and a pay-as-you-go subscription plan.
Supabase
Supabase is not only a Cloudinary alternative, but also an open-source Firebase alternative.
Features
- Allows developers to create the backend of their apps in less than 2 minutes.
- Supabase also offers useful features like a Postgres database, storage, authentication, instant APIs, and real-time subscriptions.
Pricing
Open-source
Conclusion
There are several tools available in the market that you can use instead of Cloudinary, such as Filestack, Uploadcare, BlackHole, and many more. It’s best to review the features and pricing of these tools before you decide which one is the right option.
Sign up free and try the Filestack File Upload API today!
Sidra is an experienced technical writer with a solid understanding of web development, APIs, AI, IoT, and related technologies. She is always eager to learn new skills and technologies.