Originally published at ffmpeg-micro.com
You've decided to use a video processing API instead of self-hosting FFmpeg. Good call. But now you're staring at five different pricing pages, and every service bills differently.
Some charge per minute of video processed. Others use a credit system where you need a spreadsheet to figure out how many credits a single transcode actually burns. And a few bundle encoding, storage, and delivery into separate line items that look cheap until your usage grows.
This post breaks down how FFmpeg Micro, Shotstack, Mux, Cloudinary, and AWS MediaConvert actually charge you, with real math for three workload sizes.
How Video Processing APIs Charge You
There are three pricing models in this space. Understanding them matters more than comparing sticker prices.
Per-minute plans allocate a monthly bucket of processing minutes. FFmpeg Micro, Shotstack, and AWS MediaConvert all use variations of this. Process a 2-minute video, consume 2 minutes from your allocation.
Credit-based pricing is what Cloudinary uses. You buy credits, and different operations consume different amounts. A video transcode eats more credits than an image resize. The problem is figuring out exactly how many credits a specific video job will cost.
Platform bundles stack encoding, storage, and delivery into separate line items. Mux does this. Encoding can be free at the basic quality tier, but you pay separately for every minute of video stored and every minute delivered to viewers.
What Each Service Actually Costs
| Service | 500 min/mo | 6,000 min/mo | 60,000 min/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg Micro | $19 (Starter) | $89 (Pro) | $349 (Scale) |
| Shotstack | ~$100 | ~$1,200 | Custom pricing |
| AWS MediaConvert | ~$8 + infra | ~$90 + infra | ~$900 + infra |
| Mux (Basic) | ~$2 storage only | ~$18 storage only | ~$180 storage only |
| Cloudinary | $99 (Plus) | $249+ (Advanced) | Custom pricing |
FFmpeg Micro has the most predictable pricing. $19/mo gets you 2,000 minutes, $89 gets 12,000, and $349 gets 60,000. No separate storage or delivery charges.
Shotstack charges $0.20/minute on their subscription tier. At 6,000 minutes, that's $1,200/month. Built for template-based video generation.
AWS MediaConvert has the lowest per-minute rate at ~$0.015/minute. But infrastructure costs (S3, CloudFront, IAM, CloudWatch) often double the effective price.
Mux offers free encoding but is a full video platform. Storage ($0.003/min/month) and delivery fees add up.
Cloudinary uses a credit system where video operations consume credits at a higher rate than images.
Costs the Pricing Page Won't Show You
Setup time. FFmpeg Micro: API key and go. AWS MediaConvert: IAM roles, S3, output presets, CloudWatch.
Overage behavior. FFmpeg Micro hard-caps usage. AWS and Mux scale with no ceiling.
Vendor lock-in. Mux and Cloudinary store your assets. FFmpeg Micro and Shotstack are stateless.
FFmpeg Micro Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Price | Minutes | $/min | Max File |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 | Free | 250 MB |
| Starter | $19/mo | 2,000 | $0.0095 | 1 GB |
| Pro | $89/mo | 12,000 | $0.0074 | 2 GB |
| Scale | $349/mo | 60,000 | $0.0058 | 5 GB |
No storage fees. No delivery fees. Annual plans save 40%.
FAQ
What's the cheapest video processing API?
FFmpeg Micro's free tier (100 min/mo) requires no credit card. For 1,000-10,000 minutes, the Starter ($19) and Pro ($89) plans are the best value.
Do I need Mux?
Only if you need hosting, a player, analytics, and DRM. For transcoding, a dedicated API costs less.
FFmpeg Micro vs self-hosting?
Self-hosting costs $50-100/month plus maintenance and on-call time. FFmpeg Micro Pro handles 12,000 minutes for $89/month with zero infrastructure.