Cloudinary
Cloud-based image and video management platform with on-the-fly transformations, CDN delivery, and AI-powered media features. Zero-config optimization for web performance.
Why Cloudinary?
You need image/video upload, transformation, and CDN in one service
Optimizing media for web performance (WebP, AVIF, lazy loading)
Building user-generated content with moderation and resizing
Signal Breakdown
What drives the Trust Score
Download Trend
Last 12 months
Tradeoffs & Caveats
Know before you commitOnly serving static files — S3 + CloudFront is cheaper
Simple avatar uploads — Uploadthing is lighter
Self-hosted requirement — Cloudinary is managed only
Pricing
Free tier & paid plans
25 credits/mo (1 credit = 1000 transformations)
From $89/mo
Free tier is generous for small projects
Alternative Tools
Other options worth considering
Type-safe file uploads for Next.js and full-stack TypeScript apps. Handles S3 under the hood, works in serverless environments, and provides a strongly-typed router with built-in auth callbacks.
Often Used Together
Complementary tools that pair well with Cloudinary
Learning Resources
Docs, videos, tutorials, and courses
Get Started
Repository and installation options
View on GitHub
github.com/cloudinary/cloudinary_npm
npm install cloudinarypip install cloudinaryQuick Start
Copy and adapt to get going fast
import { v2 as cloudinary } from 'cloudinary';
cloudinary.config({
cloud_name: process.env.CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME!,
api_key: process.env.CLOUDINARY_API_KEY!,
api_secret: process.env.CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET!,
});
const result = await cloudinary.uploader.upload('path/to/image.jpg', {
folder: 'my-app',
transformation: [{ width: 800, crop: 'scale' }, { quality: 'auto', fetch_format: 'auto' }],
});
console.log(result.secure_url);Code Examples
Common usage patterns
Responsive image with auto-format
Serve WebP/AVIF automatically based on browser
import { CldImage } from 'next-cloudinary';
// In your Next.js component:
export function ProductImage({ publicId }: { publicId: string }) {
return (
<CldImage
src={publicId}
width={800}
height={600}
crop="fill"
gravity="auto"
format="auto"
quality="auto"
alt="Product image"
/>
);
}Upload from browser with signed preset
Secure direct upload from client
// Server: generate signature
import { v2 as cloudinary } from 'cloudinary';
export async function GET() {
const timestamp = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000);
const signature = cloudinary.utils.api_sign_request(
{ timestamp, folder: 'uploads' },
process.env.CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET!
);
return Response.json({ timestamp, signature });
}Community Notes
Real experiences from developers who've used this tool