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Cloudinary pros and cons

Vendor: Cloudinary
4.2 out of 5
Badge Ranked 1

Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Cloudinary efficiently automates asset optimization and media-specific tasks like re-encoding uploads.
The platform's integration is seamless and provides easy-to-use APIs for media management and storage.
Cloudinary supports ease of implementation and quick API integration, beneficial for both new and experienced developers.
The asset management capabilities, including tagging and categorizing images and videos, enhance media organization and management.
Cloudinary's automation features support advanced functionality, such as generating captions for images using AI.

CONS

Cloudinary's first paid plan is quite expensive, around one hundred dollars, which is more expensive than competitors like Dropbox.
The AI can't edit images; adding a module to generate images could be beneficial.
There are issues with how Cloudinary handles errors, as it throws its own errors without preserving the stack trace, complicating debugging.
The platform's API features need enhancement.
Cloudinary should support the hosting of very large video files, similar to platforms like YouTube, to improve its standing in the video upload space.
 

Cloudinary Pros review quotes

Josue BYIRINGIRO - PeerSpot reviewer
ATLP Technical Mentor at Andela
Jul 18, 2024
I like the tool best because it's straightforward and doesn't have too many complicated options like AWS. The dashboard is clear - you create a directory, get credentials, and then use those in your Node.js or Java application to access resources. With AWS, you have to consider many things, like bucket policies and user permissions. It doesn't have these complications. Everything on Cloudinary is clearer than other platforms I've seen. It is very easy to use. It's easier than the AWS platforms I've seen. Even general developers can use it, while AWS needs more experience.
Azmir Uddin Alif - PeerSpot reviewer
Full-stack Developer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Feb 12, 2025
I can create folders in the Cloudinary interface using the front end, allowing me to store profile pictures, post pictures, cover pictures, and other media files.
Teri Eyenike - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Andela
Jul 31, 2024
As a developer, I find Cloudinary valuable because it provides many opportunities for building applications. For example, I recently created an AI application that can read images and automatically generate captions, which helps in describing images or videos without manual input. Cloudinary's APIs support this functionality and enhance my development process. One of the most beneficial features of Cloudinary is its asset management capabilities. I can tag and categorize images and videos based on their content, such as tagging videos where a person is wearing glasses. This helps in organizing and managing media effectively. I have experimented with Cloudinary's automation capabilities, but I am still learning and haven't fully explored its potential. Currently, I want to use Cloudinary to improve user engagement with my videos, such as tracking who is viewing and interacting with my media. This is a feature I plan to explore more in the future.
Learn what your peers think about Cloudinary. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.
CollinsOmondi - PeerSpot reviewer
Mobile Application Developer at Uamuzi Foundation
Jul 17, 2024
The most valuable features of the solution revolve around image storage.
Roman Novosad - PeerSpot reviewer
Java Software Engineer at Art vs War Gallery
Jun 17, 2024
The automation tools were used most often. They are quite convenient and cover our requirements.
Edd Michira - PeerSpot reviewer
System Analyst at Axxis Systems
Jun 21, 2024
I like its ease of implementation. I can easily call the API into my platform and use it to upload images from the machine to the server.
Chukwu Innocent - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Developer at Softnotch Technology
Jul 18, 2024
One of the best features of the platform is that we have a generous free tire that I can use for some of my projects without worrying about the platform's cost.
Jurgen Geitner - PeerSpot reviewer
UI/UX Developer at adlicious
Jun 14, 2024
I have not seen any bugs or breakdowns. The tool's performance when the site loads up is good.
Roman Cinis - PeerSpot reviewer
Staff Mobile Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Jul 8, 2024
Unlike Firebase Storage, Cloudinary handles media-specific tasks like re-encoding uploads. For example, when users upload a video from an Apple device, it's often encoded in a proprietary Apple codec.
Romel Jr Zerna - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Pioneer Dev AI
Jul 12, 2024
The tool has tools designed for the average user, and the onboarding process is very easy, especially for aspiring junior developers. I love Cloudinary's automation feature. It automatically optimizes assets, so I don't have to do anything. When I store an image, their system already optimizes it. Its CDN is very powerful. The solution also has a default configuration that makes images load faster without losing quality. We haven't faced any issues in integrating the tool with other platforms.
 

Cloudinary Cons review quotes

Josue BYIRINGIRO - PeerSpot reviewer
ATLP Technical Mentor at Andela
Jul 18, 2024
I think Cloudinary has room for improvement, depending on the project you're working on. Changes might not be needed if your project fits what Cloudinary already offers. But if your project needs some changes, you can make them.
Azmir Uddin Alif - PeerSpot reviewer
Full-stack Developer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Feb 12, 2025
The user interface of Cloudinary needs improvement.
Teri Eyenike - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Andela
Jul 31, 2024
I haven't really thought about what improvements I’d like to see in Cloudinary recently. One thing that comes to mind is the capability for hosting very large video files, similar to platforms like YouTube. Cloudinary is not as widely known for video uploads as other platforms, and it would be great if it had a larger user base for this purpose. Apart from marketing and video uploading, I haven't identified specific features or functionalities that need improvement. It’s been a while since I actively used Cloudinary, and I’m just starting to get back into it. Once I’m more familiar with it again, I’ll have a better idea of any gaps or areas for enhancement. I’ll need to think more about this and might provide feedback later.
Learn what your peers think about Cloudinary. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.
CollinsOmondi - PeerSpot reviewer
Mobile Application Developer at Uamuzi Foundation
Jul 17, 2024
The AI can't edit the image. If Cloudinary can add a way or a module that can generate the image, then you won't need to upload images to it.
Roman Novosad - PeerSpot reviewer
Java Software Engineer at Art vs War Gallery
Jun 17, 2024
There are some things the product can improve in its UI.
Edd Michira - PeerSpot reviewer
System Analyst at Axxis Systems
Jun 21, 2024
For non-technical users, the initial setup could be made easier.
Chukwu Innocent - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Developer at Softnotch Technology
Jul 18, 2024
I believe there is some scope for improvement in areas like the dashboard, specifically the user dashboard and the browser where you can navigate the platform.
Jurgen Geitner - PeerSpot reviewer
UI/UX Developer at adlicious
Jun 14, 2024
When you open the product's management console, it can just be a little bit overwhelming at first until you figure it out.
Roman Cinis - PeerSpot reviewer
Staff Mobile Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Jul 8, 2024
The main issue with the package is how it handles errors. It swallows errors and throws its own, but without preserving the stack trace, making debugging nearly impossible.
Romel Jr Zerna - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Pioneer Dev AI
Jul 12, 2024
Looking at its credits, I think Cloudinary can be scalable. However, when you compare it to the AWS S3 bucket, you have more options for scalability with AWS.