IMG.LY vs CHILI GraFx
Looking for full customization, scalability, and enterprise-grade features? With IMG.LY, you get it all. See why CreativeEditor SDK is the best alternative to CHILI GraFx.
What makes IMG.LY the best CHILI GraFx alternative?
Full customization & white-labeling
A fully customizable, white-label solution where you control the UI, branding, and functionality
Extensibility & plugin system
Supports custom plugins and extensibility, allowing businesses to tailor the editor to specific use cases.
Advanced print & digital design editing
Provides powerful design tools for print and digital media, enabling rich template-based customization and automation.
Cross-platform support
Runs on Web, iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, macOS, Electron, and Node.js for maximum flexibility.
Trusted by 100+
industry leaders
What our clients say about us
Integrating IMG.LY’s editor meant we didn’t have to build or maintain a complex editing layer ourselves. That kept our team focused on our core AI ad engine and saved us countless development hours — while still giving our customers the ability to polish and customize creatives at scale.
Hikari Senju
CEO, Omneky
With IMG.LY we built a central creative portal that now powers over 140 dealer campaigns across multiple automotive brands. Before this, asset creation was slow and inconsistent.
Martin Röhr
Product Owner, Digitas
By embedding IMG.LY’s editor we were able to hit key RFP requirements and deliver a template-based creative experience that now serves 1,000+ customers. It helped us win more deals and exceed enterprise expectations without needing to hire dedicated design teams.
Rob Driscoll
Director of PM, Optimizely
Since integrating IMG.LY’s editor, we now deliver 30,000+ ad creatives per month, dramatically shorten time-to-launch, and help our clients cut design spend by up to $10,000 per month.
Logan Welbaum
Founder, Plai
Our customers create over a million personalized postcards each year choosing from over hundreds of templates with IMG.LY’s SDK. It’s the only solution that allows us to build our own specialized, on-brand UI that integrates seamlessly with our platform.
Jeanine Zaalberg
Product Manager, SwissPost
From a developer’s perspective, the most powerful feature of the photo editor is the integration process. It was completely flawless, quick, and easy to integrate.
Stefano Fornari
CTO, Funambol
We compared IMG.LY SDK with other solutions and found that it would be the best fit for us since it provides all the features that are crucial for our use case.
Carem Pereira
SCRUM Manager, HP
IMG.LY vs. CHILI GraFx at a glance
| Feature | IMG.LY | CHILI GraFx | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Use Case | SDK enabling in-app content editing and large-scale automated asset generation. Supports commercial print workflows, graphic design, and video creation. Handles both user-driven editing and backend automation through a single engine that serves interactive and headless use cases. | Cloud platform automating multichannel content production through templates. Supports print, digital, and animated outputs. Combines browser-based template design (GraFx Studio) with automated PDF generation (GraFx Publisher) in an API-first architecture. | IMG.LY offers one SDK for editing and automation across video, design, and print. CHILI GraFx focuses on cloud-based template automation for marketing and publishing. |
| Target Audience | Designed for teams building creative tools and automation workflows. Used by print platforms, marketing systems, e-learning solutions, and enterprises combining user editing with automated content generation. | Built for marketing, brand, and design teams producing high volumes of print and digital assets. Supports distributed content creation through brand-managed templates. | IMG.LY targets developers and product teams integrating creative functionality. CHILI GraFx serves marketing organizations focused on template-based production at scale. |
| Technical Approach | Single SDK supporting three integration modes: ready-to-use editor, custom UI via APIs, or headless automation. Operates across web, mobile, desktop, and server environments under full infrastructure control. | Cloud-native SaaS platform hosted on Microsoft Azure with API-first design. Browser-based GraFx Studio embeds via JavaScript SDK; all rendering handled server-side on CHILI infrastructure. | IMG.LY provides flexible client-side and server-side deployment. CHILI GraFx operates exclusively as a cloud service. |
| Advanced Design Editing | Canvas engine supporting vector graphics, typography, layout tools, and image manipulation for digital and print outputs. Includes CMYK and Pantone color support, adaptive layouts, and multi-page documents. Available for both interactive editing and automated generation. | GraFx Studio editor for creating templates with text, images, and animations. Dynamic layouts respond to content variables. GraFx Publisher outputs print-ready PDFs supporting CMYK, Pantone, and spot colors for commercial printing. | Both support professional print workflows. IMG.LY enables interactive design and automation with one engine. CHILI GraFx emphasizes brand-controlled template editing. |
| File Format Support | Imports and exports a wide range of creative and production formats including JPEG, PNG, SVG, WebP, PDF, PDF X, MP4, and native template formats. Supports direct import of Adobe InDesign (IDML) and Photoshop (PSD) files for seamless integration with existing design workflows. Ensures consistent rendering and format parity across both interactive and automated pipelines. | Imports and exports common digital and print formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG, MP4, INDD, IDML, PDF, EPS, and EPUB. Extensive print support for legacy publishing workflows. | IMG.LY supports modern print digital and video formats. CHILI GraFx offers print and publishing compatibility. |
| Templating & Dynamic Editing | Templates automatically adapt when content changes. Supports both manual editing and programmatic population through APIs using the same structure. Access controls define editable regions. | Templates centralize brand assets and control editable fields. Dynamic layouts and property formulas allow responsive design and variable data population from external sources. | Both offer adaptive, data-driven templates. IMG.LY emphasizes flexibility across workflows; CHILI GraFx focuses on strict brand governance. |
| Creative Automation | Headless mode running on Node.js for automated asset generation using the same templates as in-app editors. Connects to databases, CRMs, and spreadsheets for personalized outputs. | API-first automation platform supporting batch output generation (up to 10,000 variations per request) and variable data publishing through REST and SOAP APIs. | IMG.LY unifies editing and automation under one SDK on any infrastructure. CHILI GraFx provides cloud-only automation with batch size limits. |
| AI Capabilities | Extensible framework for integrating custom AI models alongside built-in layout optimization. Smart layout features automatically rebalance designs when content changes. | GraFx Genie AI assistant accelerates template creation and scripting tasks. Focused on improving workflow speed rather than generating new creative content. | Both provide AI-driven layout assistance. IMG.LY supports custom AI integration; CHILI GraFx focuses on guided template setup. |
| Advanced Video Editing | Timeline-based editor supporting multiple tracks for video, audio, images, and graphics with frame-accurate control. Enables programmatic video generation and interactive editing across web, mobile, and server environments. | Animation tools for basic motion graphics in digital templates. Exports MP4 and GIF formats for web and social use. Not designed for full video editing workflows. | IMG.LY supports advanced video editing with automation. CHILI GraFx focuses on lightweight animation for marketing graphics. |
| Asset Management | Connects directly to Getty Images, Unsplash, and Airtable with optional custom asset source integration. Assets remain within the user’s infrastructure and under full data control. | GraFx Media manages assets on CHILI’s cloud and integrates with external DAMs such as Acquia DAM and Canto. Supports metadata preservation and brand compliance. | IMG.LY allows local or custom-managed assets. CHILI GraFx provides cloud-based asset storage with DAM integrations. |
| User Interface | Ships with a ready-to-deploy editor that can be customized or replaced using APIs. Headless mode available for automation without UI. | Browser-based GraFx Studio embeds via JavaScript SDK with configurable interface elements. Accessible only through web browsers. | IMG.LY supports full UI customization and headless operation. CHILI GraFx provides configurable browser-based editing. |
| White-labeling | Delivered with no vendor branding. All interface elements and visual components can be fully customized or restructured. | Enables fully branded deployments with no CHILI references in user-facing interfaces or outputs. Used by agencies and brands for white-labeled solutions. | Both provide complete white-labeling. IMG.LY includes zero branding by default. |
| Interactive Editing | Real-time, GPU-accelerated editing with instant feedback across web, mobile, and desktop. Consistent performance for drag, resize, and playback operations. | Real-time browser-based editing with immediate visual feedback in GraFx Studio. Final rendering handled in the cloud. | Both offer interactive editing. IMG.LY supports cross-platform operation; CHILI GraFx is browser-only. |
| Multi-Layer Editing | Supports unlimited stacking of video, image, audio, and graphic layers with blending, grouping, and masking. Layer system identical across all platforms and workflows. | Layer-based document structure managing content variants for different outputs. Used mainly for organization rather than compositing effects. | Both use layered structures. IMG.LY supports advanced visual composition; CHILI GraFx manages layout variants. |
| Component Architecture | Modular engine with separate editor and rendering components. Supports plugin extensions and three integration modes: full editor, custom UI, or headless automation. | JavaScript SDK with modular applications (Studio, Publisher, Media, Brand Kits) integrated through API and connector frameworks. | IMG.LY offers modular architecture with extensible components. CHILI GraFx provides modular web applications connected by APIs. |
| Cross-Platform Support | Compatible with major web frameworks (React, Angular, Vue, Svelte, Next.js) and native mobile (iOS, Android), desktop (Electron, macOS), and server (Node.js). Templates render identically across all platforms. | Web-based platform accessed through modern browsers. JavaScript/TypeScript SDK supports browser integration; rendering occurs on Azure servers. No native mobile or desktop SDKs. | IMG.LY delivers true cross-platform deployment. CHILI GraFx operates exclusively through web browsers and APIs. |
| Customizability | Full customization of toolbars, workflows, and permissions through APIs. Supports CMYK and Pantone for print and role-based configurations for multi-tenant systems. | Template-level customization using Brand Kits, variables, and property formulas. API and SDK provide control over template logic and embedding. | IMG.LY supports deep architectural customization. CHILI GraFx focuses on brand and template configuration. |
| Extensibility | Plugin framework extending UI components, export formats, asset sources, and processing pipelines without altering SDK source. | Connector framework for integrations with external systems (DAM, PIM, CMS) and scripting in JavaScript for template automation. | IMG.LY offers plugin-based extensibility with version stability. CHILI GraFx provides connector-based integrations and scripting. |
| Ease of Integration | Comprehensive documentation with platform-specific guides and ready-to-use examples across web, mobile, and server environments. Full SDK access available during evaluation. | Documentation covering SDK usage, API integration, and connector development. Includes code samples, demo projects, and AI-assisted scripting via GraFx Genie. | IMG.LY offers multi-platform documentation and sample integrations. CHILI GraFx provides detailed web integration resources. |
| Flexible Rendering Approach | Flexible rendering architecture: client-side mode leverages device GPUs for interactive editing with local data, while server-side rendering via the CE.SDK Renderer supports automated generation on Node.js infrastructure. A unified engine guarantees consistent, pixel-identical output across browsers and backend workflows. The choice depends on the use case—not technical limitations. | All rendering processed on Microsoft Azure servers with elastic scaling. No client-side or on-premise rendering. | IMG.LY supports client- and server-side rendering under user control. CHILI GraFx renders exclusively in the cloud. |
| Production Readiness | Proven at enterprise scale generating over 500 million assets monthly. Continuous updates ensure backward compatibility. Offers multi-tier support and solution engineering assistance. | Used by brands and agencies for campaign automation, print production, and web-to-print workflows. | Both production-ready at enterprise scale. IMG.LY supports diverse deployment types; CHILI GraFx proven in marketing automation use cases. |
| Scalability | Distributes processing between client devices and server infrastructure. Scales horizontally for both individual editing sessions and automated batch generation without performance loss. | Elastic cloud scaling through Azure infrastructure. Batch generation limited to 10,000 variations per API request, requiring multiple requests for large jobs. | IMG.LY scales through distributed client and server workloads. CHILI GraFx scales elastically within batch limits. |
| Storage & Data Ownership | Processes and stores all data within user infrastructure. No mandatory external storage or cloud dependencies. Full control over data location and access. | Stores content on Microsoft Azure in selected data center regions with encryption and compliance. No on-premise option. | IMG.LY provides full data control and local processing. CHILI GraFx relies on secure cloud storage only. |
| Offline Capabilities | Fully functional offline after initial SDK load. Supports local editing, rendering, and exporting for mobile and desktop applications. | Requires internet connectivity for all operations including editing and rendering. No offline functionality. | IMG.LY supports offline workflows. CHILI GraFx requires constant connectivity. |
| Variable Data Publishing | Supports both manual data entry and automated data population through APIs. Unlimited batch generation on user infrastructure with the same template structure. | Dedicated VDP engine populates templates from XML, spreadsheets, or databases with batch output up to 10,000 rows per API request. | Both support variable data publishing. IMG.LY offers unlimited scalability; CHILI GraFx provides structured VDP with batch limits. |
| Clear Pricing Model | Enterprise licensing based on deployment scale, features, and usage volume. Includes access to the full SDK during evaluation with no per-user limits. | Usage-based SaaS pricing model with sandbox and production environments. Charges scale with output volume and active usage. | IMG.LY uses enterprise licensing covering all platforms and features. CHILI GraFx operates on a pay-as-you-go SaaS model. |
| Community & Support | Platform documentation across web, mobile, desktop, and server SDKs. Offers enterprise SLAs and direct engineering support for integrations and optimization. | Documentation at with learning materials, webinars, support portal, and ticketing system. Includes community and training resources. | Both offer enterprise-level support and documentation. IMG.LY provides cross-platform technical guidance; CHILI GraFx offers structured learning and community tools. |
Key capabilities
Learn more about some of the functionalities of IMG.LY’s SDK.
Editing
Printing
Templating
Text variables.
Enable mass personalization and creative automation by embedding variables.
Placeholders & lockable designs.
Constrain templates to guide your users’ design and ensure brand consistency.
Configurable presets.
Enforce a consistent aesthetic across all creations by using preset filters, adjustments, fonts, and crop ratios.
Customizability
Build custom UIs.
Use the headless API powering all creative operations to implement an entirely custom UI.
Theming.
Change the editor theme to fit seamlessly with your app.
Media libraries.
Set up custom libraries that are easily sortable.
Toolbar customization.
Reposition toolbar elements, change icons, or rename tools to fit your use case.
Internationalization.
Add support for additional languages, and customize any button label.
Export options.
Export designs in JPG, PNG, or PDF with custom quality, page ranges, and dimensions.
Check out other use cases
Learn more about related solutions.
Photo Prints
Provide seamless design experience and inspire users with easily personalized templates.
Apparel Designer
Whether t-shirts, hoodies or caps, build for any use case, deploy on any platform.
Get in touch
Contact our sales team to learn more about licensing options and get access to our AI plugins for CE.SDK.
FAQs
If you're looking for a comprehensive, customizable alternative to CHILI GraFx, IMG.LY's CreativeEditor SDK is a strong option. It offers advanced digital and print design editing, AI-powered automation, and multi-platform support.
IMG.LY provides a broader feature set, supporting both digital and print design workflows, AI-powered creative automation, and extensive third-party integrations. CHILI GraFx is primarily optimized for print customization and automation.
CHILI GraFx is primarily designed for print production workflows and template-based automation. IMG.LY, on the other hand, supports both print and digital design with extensive customization and automation capabilities.
Yes, CHILI GraFx offers automation tools for print workflows, but IMG.LY provides broader AI-powered automation, including dynamic content insertion, batch processing, and generative AI features.
IMG.LY supports Web, iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, macOS, Electron, and Node.js, making it highly versatile. CHILI GraFx is primarily web-based and optimized for print use cases.
IMG.LY integrates with third-party libraries like Unsplash and Getty Images for seamless asset management, whereas CHILI GraFx primarily integrates with print asset management tools.
IMG.LY provides a robust plugin system for deep customization. CHILI GraFx has API access but is more focused on print workflow automation rather than broad extensibility.
IMG.LY supports translation and internationalization, including multi-language UI support, localization tools, and RTL text handling for global audiences. CHILI GraFx offers localization for print workflows but lacks advanced multi-language UI support.