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embisto vs Microlink
Microlink is a hosted API that turns URLs into metadata, screenshots and PDFs, running a headless browser. It publishes open-source pieces too, such as metascraper, an MIT-licensed metadata library for Node.js. embisto is a link preview server and Go library you run yourself.
| Feature | embisto | Microlink |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Yes, the whole service | The API is hosted; metascraper can be self-hosted as a library |
| License | MIT, source on GitHub | Hosted service; metascraper is MIT |
| Language and runtime | Go; one static binary | Hosted API; metascraper is Node.js |
| Library mode | Yes, a Go library | metascraper, a Node.js library |
| Iframely-compatible API | /iframely and /oembed |
No |
| JavaScript-rendered pages | Not yet; a headless browser is planned | Yes, through a headless browser |
| Screenshots, PDFs | No | Yes |
| Price | Free software; the hosted API is free, 60 requests a minute per IP address, best effort | Free tier with a daily quota, paid plans; see microlink.io/pricing |
Where Microlink is stronger
- Pages that need JavaScript. Its headless browser sees what a client-side app renders; embisto reads the HTML the server sends.
- More than previews. Screenshots, PDFs and other browser-based products in one API.
- Managed. No servers to run.
Where embisto fits
- The whole service in your network. Not only a parsing library: fetching with SSRF guards, caching, oEmbed and Iframely formats, one binary.
- Go. A server or a library for Go services, no Node.js.
- Image sizes on every card, measured when the page does not state them.