Stow vs Cloudinary
Cloudinary is a media platform: it stores images and video, transforms them on the fly and delivers them through a CDN, with a deep set of AI add-ons. Stow (usestow.com) is a library for any file or text your apps and AI agents produce, with search, private files and automatic transcripts, starting at $19 a month.
Checked . Prices and features change, so confirm the details on Cloudinary’s own site before you decide.
At a glance
| Topic | Stow | Cloudinary |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A hosted library for the files and data your apps and AI agents use, with one HTTP API. | A media platform for images and video: upload, storage, transformations through the URL, and CDN delivery, plus a digital asset management product. |
| Uploading | One request with a file or with text as JSON. The file type is detected from its contents. Up to 25 MB per file. | The API and SDKs, signed or unsigned uploads from the browser, and a ready-made Upload Widget. |
| Transformations | Files are served exactly as uploaded: no resizing or format conversion. | The core product: images and video transformed on the fly through the URL and delivered over a CDN. |
| Finding files | Built-in search by tags (including key:value tags), text, folder and file type. | A Search API across tags, key-value context, structured metadata, folders, type, format, file names, dates and size. |
| Private files | Upload with visibility set to private: the file gets no link at all, and only your keys can read it. | Public by default. Private and authenticated files need signed URLs; token and cookie access needs the Advanced plan or higher. |
| Automatic analysis | On Pro and Scale: audio transcripts, summaries and tags, written automatically. | Add-ons for auto-tagging, OCR, moderation and video transcription. Most have a small free quota; more needs a paid plan. |
| AI agents | A plain HTTPS API any agent can call. A Stow MCP server is in early access. | Five official MCP servers (asset management, analysis, structured metadata and more), plus plugins for Claude and Cursor. |
| File size | Up to 25 MB per file, on every plan. | Free: 10 MB images, 100 MB video, 10 MB other files. Plus: 20 MB, 2 GB and 20 MB. |
| Free plan | Free: 500 files, 1 GB, 10,000 requests a day, 2 apps. | 25 credits a month. A credit is 1 GB of storage, 1 GB of image bandwidth or 1,000 transformations. |
| Paid pricing | Pro $19 a month (50,000 files, 100 GB, 10 apps). Scale $49 a month (500,000 files, 1,000 GB, unlimited apps). | Plus $99 a month ($89 a month billed yearly) for 225 credits. Advanced $249 a month. |
What each does better
Where Cloudinary is stronger
- Image and video transformations with CDN delivery, which Stow doesn’t offer.
- Deeper search, including structured metadata, and image-analysis fields on higher tiers.
- A wide range of AI add-ons: auto-tagging, OCR, moderation and video transcription.
- The most complete agent tooling of the products compared here: five official MCP servers and marketplace plugins.
- Much larger video files: up to 2 GB on Plus.
Where Stow is stronger
- Made for any file and for text, not mainly media: documents, data exports, transcripts, notes.
- Audio transcription is part of Pro; Cloudinary describes its transcription add-ons for video.
- A lower first paid plan: Stow Pro is $19 a month, Cloudinary Plus $99.
- Plain limits (files, storage, requests) instead of a shared pool of credits.
- A private file has no link of any kind, signed or not: only your keys can read it.
Which to choose
Choose Cloudinary if
- Your product revolves around images and video that need resizing, cropping or format changes on delivery.
- A media team needs a full digital asset management tool.
- You want official MCP servers and marketplace plugins today.
Choose Stow if
- Your apps and agents store documents, transcripts, exports and other files more than media to transform.
- You want search, tags and transcripts on a plan that starts at $19 a month.
- Several apps should share one library, each with its own key and folder.
Questions
- Does Stow resize or transform images?
- No. Stow serves every file exactly as it was uploaded. On-the-fly image and video transformation is Cloudinary’s core strength.
- How do the free plans compare?
- Stow’s free plan holds 500 files and 1 GB for up to 2 apps. Cloudinary’s gives 25 credits a month, where a credit is 1 GB of storage, 1 GB of image bandwidth or 1,000 transformations.
- Which is better for AI agents?
- Cloudinary has five official MCP servers today, built around media. Stow is a plain HTTPS API any agent can call for any kind of file or text; its MCP server is in early access, and uploads through it are private by default.
- Can both search by tags?
- Yes. Cloudinary’s Search API covers tags, context and structured metadata, folders and more. Stow searches by tags (including key:value tags), text, folder and type in one call.
Sources
Checked .
Try Stow free
The free plan holds 500 files for up to 2 apps, with no card needed. Upgrade when you want more room, or automatic transcripts, summaries and tags.
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