Design and diagrams decision
MakeShots - Appstore Screenshots
A technically capable developer can build a working screenshot generator and export pipeline (prior-art projects exist), but reproducing the polished hosted product, template library, previews, and UX that justify the paid plans is non-trivial so keeping the commercial service may still be sensible.
Visit website↗Built by Mehroz Sheikh, who ships 4 products in this index
$9/mo
$108/yr
Read off the official pricing page.
$100one-off52 h to build
$50/mo6 h/mo upkeep
On cash alone, building overtakes the subscription at 7 seats.
Open-source builds that already do this
Every project below is open source and already does this job today. Fork one, self-host it, or take the parts you need - the build prompt further down assumes an empty file, and this is the shortcut past that. Licences differ; check the one on each card before you ship. All MakeShots - Appstore Screenshots alternatives, with the arithmetic →
What a replacement has to do
- Upload raw app screens → generate styled layouts and AI-written headlines → export store-ready sizes and localized folders
What it still won’t have
- Host-managed UI/UX polish and ongoing template library
- Built-in App Store preview and one-click locale exports
- Affiliate and referral ecosystem
- Customer support and hosted uptime guarantees
What remains hard
- Product polish and ongoing maintenance
First-year cost
Keep paying
Paying is—cheaper in year one.
On cash alone, building overtakes the subscription at 7 seats.
Money you would actually spend
Time you would spend
—
What you would spend
What we assumed
The verdict above measures whether you could build it. This one is only about money.
Runnable build prompt
Build a minimal Makeshots replacement using React (frontend) + Node/Express (API) + PostgreSQL (optional for users/credits) deployed on Vercel (frontend) and Render (API). Core features in scope: 1) authenticated file upload and storage (S3 or object storage), 2) integrate OpenAI (or similar) for per-screen headline generation, 3) image composition pipeline using Sharp or headless Chromium to place screenshots into selectable templates and device frames, 4) export/resizing into App Store and Play Store pixel dimensions and per-locale folders, 5) simple web preview, style picker, and Stripe monthly plan with credits. Out of scope: building a large template marketplace, affiliate program, enterprise billing, and an advanced App Store live-preview editor. Include error handling, input validation, rate limits, logging, and unit/integration tests for upload, API calls, and export pipeline.
How we checked
How the score was reached
- Partly verdict base52
- An open-source build was found+5
- 3 cited sources+3
- Price verified on pricing page+3
- Evidence score63
The base comes from the verdict. Everything under it is a check that either happened or did not, and each one is a fact frozen in this record rather than a judgement made at render time - so the same evidence always produces the same number.
How scoring works →Cited sources · 3
Every page the run actually retrieved.
- official pricingMakeshots homepage
- official productMakeshots features and feedback
- open sourcericcardoperra/codeimage
Integrity checks
What held up, and what did not.