Last updated: June 08, 2026 · Updated quarterly to reflect current pricing and features.

Tutorial · Image Generation API

Bannerbear API Tutorial (2026): Setup, Examples, and a Simpler Alternative

June 08, 2026 5 min read Image Generation API

This tutorial covers how to get started with the Bannerbear API — authentication, key parameters, and code examples. We also show why developers often end up choosing a simpler alternative.

Getting started with the Bannerbear API

Bannerbear (Auto-generate social media visuals and banners) provides a REST API for visual template editor. Here's how to set it up and make your first API call.

Authentication

Most Bannerbear API requests require authentication via API key. You'll find your key in the Bannerbear dashboard after signing up.

Making your first request

# Bannerbear — example request curl -X POST https://api.bannerbear.com/v1/render \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_BANNERBEAR_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"url": "https://example.com", "width": 1200, "height": 630}'

Key parameters

width / height — output image dimensions
format — PNG, JPEG, or WebP
url — URL of the page to capture

Limitations to be aware of

No raw HTML input — you must host the content before capturing it. No native n8n or Make.com node.

A simpler alternative for HTML rendering

If you're using Bannerbear specifically for HTML-to-image rendering and find the setup complex, RenderPix offers a simpler API with native n8n support:

# One API call. That's all. curl -X POST https://renderpix.dev/v1/render \ -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "html": "<div style=\"width:1200px;height:630px;background:#0f0f0f;color:#fff;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:48px\">Hello, RenderPix</div>", "width": 1200, "height": 630, "format": "png" }' --output card.png

Feature	Bannerbear	RenderPix
Starting price	$49/mo	$9/mo
Free tier	trial	100 renders/mo
Raw HTML input	✗	✓ Full HTML/CSS
n8n native node	✗	✓ Native node
Batch rendering	✓	✓ Built-in
Template variables	✗	✓ {key} syntax
Async callback	✗	✓
PNG / JPEG / WebP	✓	✓
Primary use case	Visual template editor	HTML image generation