AnonShot vs Postimages: which host should you choose?
Postimages excels at durable hosting and hotlinking for forums; AnonShot at private, ephemeral sharing. A detailed comparison.
Published by AnonShot · Updated
The short answer
Postimages is a free image host geared toward hotlinking: generating a stable direct link to paste into a forum post, blog, or listing. AnonShot serves a different need: sharing a photo or short video privately, with password protection, burn-after-read, and EXIF metadata stripping (including GPS location) by default.
Both can be used without an account, but their logic differs on link lifetime and intended audience. Always check the service's exact options when you choose.
Intended use
Postimages is built for a reusable direct link, embedded in a page or message, with hosting meant to last.
AnonShot is built for a one-off send to a specific recipient: the link isn't meant to be embedded publicly on a permanent basis.
Privacy and metadata
A smartphone photo often carries EXIF metadata (GPS location, device model, date). If the host doesn't strip it, it travels with the file once published.
AnonShot strips sensitive EXIF data before generating the link, with no action required from you. If that matters to you, check that the service you use applies the same treatment.
Point-by-point comparison
Beyond the general positioning, here are the concrete differences between the two services.
| Criterion | Postimages | AnonShot |
|---|---|---|
| Direct link for hotlinking | Yes, main use case | No, not the intended use |
| Account required | No | No, always optional |
| Automatic EXIF/GPS stripping | Not guaranteed | Yes, every time |
| Password protection | No | Yes, optional |
| Burn-after-read | No | Yes, optional |
| Link lifetime | Built to last | Choice between durable and ephemeral |
Which one to pick
To durably illustrate a forum post or page with a stable direct link, a host like Postimages remains a good fit.
Choose AnonShot for a private, one-off send, when you want control over who opens the link and want the content to disappear after it's viewed.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Postimages strip EXIF metadata from images?
- It's not guaranteed by default. If stripping metadata (GPS location, device model) matters, check this or use a service that does it every time.
- Can a Postimages link be password-protected?
- That's not a feature the service advertises — it's built around public direct links for forums and blogs rather than confidential sending.
- Does a Postimages link expire automatically?
- No, the service is built for durable hosting and a stable link. For content that must disappear after being viewed, AnonShot's burn-after-read fits that need better.