DocFast session 84: all staging fixes verified, mobile + competitive audit

projects/snapapi/memory/competitive-analysis.md

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+# SnapAPI Competitive Analysis — Feb 2026
+
+## Market Overview
+
+The screenshot API market has matured. Key players (from recent comparison article):
+
+| Service | Starting Price | CPM | Rate Limits | Key Strength |
+|---------|---------------|-----|-------------|-------------|
+| CaptureKit | $7/mo | $1.78-$7 | No strict limits | Frictionless scaling |
+| ScreenshotOne | $17/mo | $5.2-$9.6 | 40-150 req/min | Premium quality |
+| ScreenshotAPI.net | $9/mo | $1.75-$9 | 20-80 req/min | Scheduled bulk capture |
+| ApiFlash | $7/mo | Variable | Per plan | Speed and simplicity |
+| **SnapAPI (us)** | **€9/mo** | **€9** | **120 req/min** | **EU-hosted, GDPR** |
+
+## Our Differentiators
+
+1. **EU-hosted (Germany)** — unique in the market. No competitor emphasizes GDPR/EU hosting.
+2. **GDPR compliant** — critical for EU companies processing personal data in screenshots.
+3. **No free tier** — playground demo instead. Reduces abuse, focuses on paying customers.
+
+## Pricing Competitiveness
+
+- Our Starter (€9/1K) is mid-range. CaptureKit and ScreenshotAPI.net are slightly cheaper.
+- Our Pro (€29/5K = €5.80 CPM) and Business (€79/25K = €3.16 CPM) scale well.
+- Volume discount is competitive.
+
+## Gaps vs Competition
+
+1. **No SDKs** — many competitors offer Node.js, Python, etc. SDKs
+2. **No caching** — some competitors cache results for repeat requests
+3. **No webhook/async mode** — for long-running captures
+4. **No cookie banner blocking** — CaptureKit advertises this
+5. **No PDF export** — some competitors offer this
+6. **No S3/cloud storage integration** — direct delivery only
+7. **No no-code integrations** (Zapier, Make, n8n)
+
+## Priority Features to Consider
+
+1. **SDK for Node.js/Python** — low effort, high developer trust signal
+2. **Response caching** — reduces cost, improves speed for repeat URLs
+3. **Cookie banner blocking** — high value for EU customers especially
+4. **PDF export** — natural extension of screenshot functionality
+
+## Target Market
+
+EU-based companies that:
+- Need screenshots of pages containing personal data (GDPR requires EU processing)
+- Want data residency guarantees
+- Are building SaaS products that need screenshot functionality