Polotno SDK embeds a full visual editor in your product; Creatomate is a hosted platform that renders videos and images from templates via API and no‑code tools. Use the editor when you want in‑product creation and automation. Use the hosted service when you want server‑side generation from templates.
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Core philosophy
Polotno SDK focuses on flexibility and control. You run the editor in your app, define the UI and permissions, and keep your data model as one JSON schema. Rendering backends are interchangeable — local, self‑hosted, or Cloud Render — with no changes to your project data. Plans are listed on Request API key.
Creatomate focuses on hosted automation. You design templates in their editor and trigger renders by API, feeds, or no‑code scenarios.
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Architecture and integration
Polotno SDK runs as a JavaScript editor in the browser and plugs directly into your product. Connect your auth, asset libraries, and business logic. Render in the browser for instant feedback, on your servers for privacy, or in the cloud for scale — all using the same schema and API surface. For element‑level control, see the video element schema; the image element and the text element follow the same model.
Creatomate runs on their infrastructure. Final export is service‑side, with preview SDKs for client‑side previews.
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Automation and templating
Polotno SDK represents projects as JSON. Generate layouts from code, bind variables to data, or integrate AI systems, then render locally, self‑hosted, or via Cloud Render. Interactive editing and batch pipelines use the same project model. For reusable layouts, build and manage templates inside your product.
Creatomate automates by applying parameters to hosted templates and returning URLs for finished media.
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Rendering and export
Polotno SDK supports PNG, JPEG, PDF, PPTX, GIF, and MP4, with three execution paths: in‑browser, self‑hosted, and cloud. For supported formats and workflows, see import and export.
Creatomate focuses on server‑side video and image generation on a credit system.
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Feature scope
Polotno SDK
Embeddable editor for images, templates, documents, and video
Schema‑defined motion, animation, and element‑level styling
Export to images, PDF, PPTX, GIF, and MP4 across browser, self‑hosted, or cloud
Creatomate
Hosted templates, REST API, feeds, and no‑code integrations
Final rendering on the service
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Use cases
Polotno SDK
SaaS and MarTech: build a first‑party editor with role‑based features and automate campaigns from your data
eCommerce: generate product visuals and personalized videos from catalog data
Social and content tools: let users create posts and shorts in‑app with automated rendering
Education and training: produce course visuals with self‑hosted rendering for privacy
Real estate and print/DAM: create listing sheets, flyers, and documents with on‑prem or cloud export
Creatomate
Marketing automation: render video and image variants from feeds or spreadsheets
Content ops: batch generate social visuals and clips without embedding an editor
eCommerce: produce simple product videos or image overlays from product feeds
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Feature comparison
Capability | Polotno SDK | Creatomate |
|---|---|---|
Primary model | Embeddable editor + JSON schema | Hosted templates + REST API |
Editor inside your app | Yes (customizable UI) | No (hosted editor, preview SDK) |
Automation | Programmatic via schema and code | API, feeds, no‑code |
Rendering modes | Browser, self‑hosted, cloud | Hosted service only |
Media types | Images, video, documents | Images, video |
Templates | Schema‑based in your product | Hosted in vendor account |
Typical fit | Own the editor and workflow | Outsource generation to a service |
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Pricing and licensing
Polotno SDK
Team $199/mo for organizations under 10 employees, one domain, 10,000 editor loads. Business $399/mo for organizations under 50 employees, unlimited domains and loads. Enterprise $599+/mo with custom terms and optional source access. Cloud rendering: $0.004 per image, $0.03 per video minute. See Request API key.
Creatomate
Subscription plans with monthly credit allowances; credits reset monthly.
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Conclusion
Polotno SDK gives you an embeddable editor and a single schema for editing and automation across browser, self‑hosted, and cloud rendering. Creatomate provides a managed service to render videos and images from templates via API.