Pricing
One API. Send JSON, get screenshots. Results returned directly.
Browser Compute
Billed per second
30-second minimum
Multiple screenshots in one job
What's Included
Sync by Default
Send a request, get PNG bytes back. No polling, no job IDs to track. Results in 3-10 seconds.
4 Input Modes
url, urls, steps, script — from simple screenshots to full Playwright automation.
Built for AI Agents
Steps mode outputs JSON your LLM can generate. Cookie injection for authenticated pages. Console logs captured automatically.
No Infrastructure
No Chrome to manage, no memory leaks, no version conflicts. Works from Lambda, Vercel, anywhere.
The True Cost of Self-Hosting
| Cost Factor | Self-Hosted | Riddle |
|---|---|---|
| Per-screenshot compute | ~$0.001 | ~$0.004 |
| Lambda/EC2 overhead | $20-100/mo baseline | $0 |
| Engineering setup | 4-8 hours @ your rate | 10 minutes |
| Monthly maintenance | 2-4 hours/mo debugging | $0 |
| Runtime update fixes | Random production fires | We handle it |
| Real monthly cost | $200-500+ (including your time) | Pay only for usage |
Why 30-Second Minimum?
Fresh Browser Context
Every job gets a clean, unpolluted browser. No cookies, localStorage, or cache from previous sessions. Your AI agent won't hallucinate data from someone else's session.
Covers Startup Overhead
Browser initialization, page load, and render typically takes 3-5 seconds. The minimum keeps per-screenshot pricing low while covering this overhead.
Encourages Batching
Use workflows to take multiple screenshots in one 30-second job. That gets you below $0.001 per screenshot.
Example Costs
| Job Type | Actual Time | Billed Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple screenshot | 5-10s | 30s (minimum) | ~$0.004 |
| Screenshot with auth | 10-15s | 30s (minimum) | ~$0.004 |
| 4 screenshots (batched) | 25-30s | 30s | ~$0.001 each |
| Multi-page script (2 min) | 120s | ~125s | ~$0.017 |
| Complex automation (10 min, with 8MB egress) | 600s | ~605s | ~$0.084 |
Storage & Egress (At Cost)
Storage
Free: Up to 10MB for 24 hours
Over 10MB: $0.02/GB per month (prorated)
Auto-delete: Files removed after 24 hours
Egress (Downloads)
Rate: ~1 second per 1.5MB
Example: 15MB download = ~$0.0014
No markup: Passed through at AWS cost
Buy Browser Time
$5
~1,200 jobs
$10
~2,400 jobs
$50
~12,000 jobs
Credits expire 12 months from purchase. No auto-renewal. Batch multiple screenshots per job to maximize value.
FAQ
Do I pay for failed jobs?
You pay for browser time used. If validation fails before the browser starts (e.g., malformed request), no charge. If the browser runs but encounters an error, you pay for the time it ran.
What if my script runs 10 minutes?
You pay for actual time: 600 seconds = ~$0.083 (plus egress for downloads).
How long are screenshots stored?
24 hours. Poll for completion and download promptly. Auto-deleted after 1 day.
Is there a free trial?
Yes! Confirm your email to get 5 minutes of free browser time (~10 jobs). Enough to test the API before purchasing.
Learn how to maximize value with batching and workflow optimization →
Choose Your Use Case
AI Agents
Vision for LLMs, cookie injection for authenticated pages, visual grounding.
Serverless
Works on Lambda, Vercel, Cloudflare Workers. No Chrome binary needed.
Authenticated Pages
Screenshots behind login with cookies, headers, or localStorage.
vs Self-Hosted
Compare Riddle to running your own Puppeteer on Lambda.
Ready to Start?
No subscriptions. No commitments. Pay for what you use.