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9 Best SERP APIs of 2026

This list is for SEO tool builders, rank tracker developers and analysts who need Google results as structured JSON in volume: rank tracking, keyword research, SERP feature monitoring, AI Overview tracking and competitor checks. It covers SEO data specialists (DataForSEO, SerpApi, SearchApi, Serper, Zenserp, ValueSERP) and scraping platforms with a dedicated search product (Bright Data, Oxylabs, Scrapingdog). We compared documented features and published prices for 9 providers. Billing units differ a lot, from per SERP to per credit to per prepaid bundle, so compare the cost of 1,000 Google searches at your real volume rather than the plan price. Scores weigh features at 40%, ease of use at 30% and value at 30%.

By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 12, 2026 · 9 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 12, 2026

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

Mojolin is self-funded How we score

DataForSEO is our top pick for anyone building SEO software: one SERP of up to 10 organic results costs $0.0006 in the Standard queue, $0.0012 in the Priority queue and $0.002 in Live mode, and the same API covers Google, Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam. Serper is the easiest real-time option, with prepaid credits from $1.00 per 1,000 down to $0.30 per 1,000 and no monthly subscription. SerpApi has the broadest catalog of search APIs and a U.S. Legal Shield, but it is the most expensive per search at $25 for 1,000 searches. Bright Data and Oxylabs fit teams that already buy proxies or scrapers there, SearchApi is a close SerpApi alternative at lower prices, and Scrapingdog, Zenserp and ValueSERP are budget options for smaller projects.

Top picks

Best overall

DataForSEO

8.8 / 10

SEO software builders and agencies running high-volume rank tracking

Read the review →

Runner-up

Serper

8.7 / 10

Developers and AI agent builders who want cheap real-time Google results

Read the review →

Also great

SerpApi

8.6 / 10

Product teams that need many search engines and legal cover

Read the review →

Comparison table

#ToolPricingScore
1DataForSEOPay as you go: Google Organic from $0.0006 per SERP in the Standard queue ($0.60 per 1,000), $0.0012 Priority, $0.002 Live8.8
2Serper2,500 free queries; prepaid credits from $50 for 50,000 ($1.00 per 1,000) down to $0.30 per 1,000 on 12.5M credits; credits valid 6 months8.7
3SerpApiFree plan with 250 searches a month; Starter $25 a month for 1,000 searches; Developer $75 for 5,000; Production $150 for 15,0008.6
4Bright Data SERP APIFree tier of 5,000 requests a month; pay as you go $1.50 per 1,000 requests; Scale $499 a month with 380,000 requests8.5
5SearchApi100 free requests; Developer $40 a month for 10,000 searches ($4 per 1,000); Production $100 for 35,000; down to $1 per 1,000 at 5M8.4
6Oxylabs$5 in free welcome credits; one subscription from $15 a month; /Search at $1 per 1,000 searches; Google JS results $1.35 per 1,0008.3
7ScrapingdogFree plan with 100 credits; Lite $40 a month for 200,000 credits; Standard $90 for 1,000,000 credits8.2
8ZenserpFree plan with 50 searches a month; Small $49.99 a month for 25,000 searches ($2.00 per 1,000); 20% off annual8.0
9ValueSERPFrom $50 a month for 25,000 credits; 200,000 credits for $240; 1,000,000 credits for $1,000; free trial available7.9

Scoring weights

Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method

Features40%
Ease of use30%
Value30%

The full ranking

  1. Rank 1 · Best overall

    DataForSEO

    Pay-as-you-go SEO data platform whose SERP API returns Google and six other search engines as parsed JSON or raw HTML.

    dataforseo.com

    8.8

    out of 10

    Best for: SEO software builders and agencies running high-volume rank tracking

    DataForSEO is built for companies that turn search data into their own products. Its Google Organic SERP API returns one results page of up to 10 organic results per billing unit, and the price depends only on speed: $0.0006 in the Standard queue, which averages about 5 minutes, $0.0012 in the Priority queue and $0.002 in Live mode. Location, language and device do not change the cost. Optional parameters add pixel coordinates for every SERP element, load the asynchronous AI Overview block, expand People Also Ask questions or request deeper pages, each with a published price.

    The same SERP API covers Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam, and the account also opens keyword, backlink, Labs and AI optimization APIs. The tradeoffs are complexity and a few multipliers: queued tasks need a POST and a later GET, and keywords with search operators cost 5 times the base price. For overnight rank tracking across thousands of keywords, few vendors match this rate.

    Standout feature

    DataForSEO is the best choice for high-volume rank tracking because a Google SERP costs $0.0006 in its Standard queue.

    Use cases

    • Rank tracker developers

      Refresh rankings for large keyword sets every night through the Standard queue

      Outcome: Daily positions at $0.60 per 1,000 SERPs

    • SEO agencies

      Track SERP features with pixel positions and AI Overview data for clients

      Outcome: Visibility reports that show where a result appears on screen

    • Multi-market SEO teams

      Pull Google, Bing, Naver and Seznam results from one integration

      Outcome: One data pipeline for several national search engines

    Key features

    • Three execution modes: Standard queue (about 5 minutes), Priority queue (up to 1 minute) and Live mode (up to 6 seconds on average)
    • Google, Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam through one SERP API
    • Google endpoints for Organic, Maps, News, Images, Autocomplete, Ads Transparency, Finance and AI Mode
    • Optional pixel coordinates for every SERP element and asynchronous AI Overview loading
    • Parsed JSON or raw HTML output, plus keyword, backlink and Labs APIs on the same account

    Pros

    • $0.60 per 1,000 SERPs in the Standard queue is the lowest per-search rate in this list
    • Location, language and device do not change the price
    • Same account covers keyword volumes, backlinks and AI visibility data

    Cons

    • Search operators such as site: or intitle: cost 5 times the base price
    • Queue-based POST and GET workflow takes more code than a single GET request
    • Live mode costs $2.00 per 1,000 SERPs, more than several real-time rivals
  2. Rank 2 · Runner-up

    Serper

    Real-time Google Search API sold as prepaid credit bundles with no monthly subscription.

    serper.dev

    8.7

    out of 10

    Best for: Developers and AI agent builders who want cheap real-time Google results

    Serper does one thing: return Google results as JSON quickly and cheaply. The vendor quotes responses in 1 to 2 seconds, says it does not cache results, and offers endpoints for web search, images, news, maps, places, videos, shopping, Scholar, patents and autocomplete. Every request can set a country and language.

    Pricing is a top-up model rather than a subscription. The Starter bundle costs $50 for 50,000 credits ($1.00 per 1,000) with 50 queries per second, Standard is $375 for 500,000, Scale is $1,250 for 2.5 million and Ultimate is $3,750 for 12.5 million credits, which works out to $0.30 per 1,000. Credits are deducted only for successful responses, and new accounts get 2,500 free queries without a credit card. The catch is that credits expire after 6 months, and Serper lacks other search engines and the SEO-specific options, such as queued bulk jobs or pixel positions, that rank tracking vendors offer.

    Standout feature

    Serper is the best choice for cheap real-time Google results because its largest bundle costs $0.30 per 1,000 searches.

    Use cases

    • AI agent builders

      Ground model answers with live Google results

      Outcome: Fresh search context in about 1 to 2 seconds per call

    • Indie SEO tool makers

      Run on-demand rank checks for users

      Outcome: Real-time positions at $1.00 per 1,000 searches or less

    • Analysts

      Pull news and Scholar results for research projects

      Outcome: Structured JSON without a monthly commitment

    Key features

    • Google Search, Images, News, Maps, Places, Videos, Shopping, Scholar, Patents and Autocomplete endpoints
    • Results in 1 to 2 seconds according to the vendor
    • Country and language targeting on every plan
    • No caching: each call queries Google for the latest results
    • 50 to 300 queries per second depending on the credit bundle

    Pros

    • 2,500 free queries with no credit card
    • $0.30 per 1,000 searches on the 12.5M credit bundle
    • No monthly subscription; credits are only deducted for successful responses

    Cons

    • Credits expire after 6 months
    • Google only; no Bing, Yandex or Baidu endpoints
    • Fewer SEO extras such as pixel positions or queued bulk mode
  3. Rank 3 · Also great

    SerpApi

    Search results API with dedicated endpoints for dozens of Google products and other engines such as Bing, Baidu, Yandex and DuckDuckGo.

    serpapi.com

    8.6

    out of 10

    Best for: Product teams that need many search engines and legal cover

    SerpApi has the widest catalog in this comparison. Its pricing page lists separate APIs for Google Search, AI Mode, AI Overview, Maps, Local, Shopping, News, Jobs, Scholar, Trends, Flights and Hotels, plus Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, Naver, Yahoo, YouTube and retail sites. The location parameter routes each request through the proxy server nearest the target location, and results come back as JSON or Markdown. Client libraries cover Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java and more.

    The tradeoff is price. The free plan gives 250 searches a month, Starter costs $25 for 1,000 searches, Developer $75 for 5,000, Production $150 for 15,000 and Big Data $275 for 30,000. Each plan also has a guaranteed hourly throughput, 200 successful searches per hour on Starter. Only successful searches count, and every plan includes the U.S. Legal Shield with up to $2 million in coverage. For teams that resell search data or work under compliance reviews, that cover and the SOC 2 and ISO 27001 audits can justify the premium.

    Standout feature

    SerpApi is the best choice for multi-engine coverage because it lists dedicated APIs for Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo and Naver.

    Use cases

    • SaaS product teams

      Add Google Maps, Shopping and Jobs data to an app

      Outcome: Parsed results from dedicated endpoints for each Google product

    • Compliance-sensitive companies

      Scrape search results with legal cover and no data retention

      Outcome: U.S. Legal Shield plus ZeroTrace Mode

    • GEO analysts

      Track AI Overview and AI Mode answers for brand queries

      Outcome: Structured AI answer data next to organic results

    Key features

    • Dedicated APIs for Google Search, AI Mode, AI Overview, Maps, Local, Shopping, News, Jobs, Scholar, Trends and more
    • Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, Naver, Yahoo, YouTube, Amazon and Walmart endpoints
    • Location parameter routed through the proxy nearest the target location
    • JSON and Markdown output
    • ZeroTrace Mode, team management and U.S. Legal Shield

    Pros

    • Free plan with 250 searches and 50 searches per hour
    • Only successful searches count; cached, errored and failed searches do not
    • SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified

    Cons

    • $25 for 1,000 searches is the highest per-search price here
    • Hourly throughput caps, such as 200 per hour on Starter
    • Refund only within 7 days and below 20% usage
  4. Rank 4

    Bright Data SERP API

    Search results API on Bright Data's proxy network for Google, Bing, Yandex and DuckDuckGo with pay-per-success billing.

    brightdata.com

    8.5

    out of 10

    Best for: Data teams that need localized results in many countries

    Bright Data runs its SERP API on the same network behind its proxy business, and the product page promises results as customers see them in all 195 countries. It covers Google with every country domain, Bing, Yandex and DuckDuckGo, and returns JSON, HTML or Markdown. Proxy management, browser rendering, CAPTCHA solving and retries are handled for you, concurrency is unlimited and the uptime SLA is 99.9%.

    There is a free tier of 5,000 requests a month with no credit card. Pay as you go costs $1.50 per 1,000 requests, billed only for success, and the Scale plan costs $499 a month with 380,000 requests included and $1.30 per 1,000 after that. An async mode bills only the send request and keeps responses for 48 hours, which suits overnight jobs. Compared with SEO data vendors, there are fewer options aimed at rank tracking, and the wide Bright Data product menu means more setup choices. It is a strong fit for teams already using Bright Data proxies.

    Standout feature

    Bright Data SERP API is the best choice for geo-specific results because it covers 195 countries with a 5,000-request free tier.

    Use cases

    • International SEO teams

      Check local Google results across many country domains

      Outcome: Results as users in each country see them

    • Brand protection teams

      Monitor search results for brand terms and counterfeit listings

      Outcome: Regular SERP snapshots at $1.50 per 1,000 requests

    • Data engineers

      Queue large overnight batches through async mode

      Outcome: Stored responses retrievable for 48 hours

    Key features

    • Google, Bing, Yandex and DuckDuckGo with every Google country domain
    • Results as customers see them in 195 countries
    • JSON, HTML or Markdown output
    • Async mode where only the send request is billed and responses are stored for 48 hours
    • Unlimited concurrency, CAPTCHA solving and automatic retries

    Pros

    • Free tier of 5,000 requests a month with no credit card
    • Pay only for successful requests
    • 99.9% uptime SLA

    Cons

    • Scale plan starts at $499 a month
    • Fewer SEO-specific options than DataForSEO
    • Broad product menu takes time to learn
  5. Rank 5

    SearchApi

    Real-time search results API with Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, AI answer engines and retail endpoints.

    searchapi.io

    8.4

    out of 10

    Best for: Teams that want a broad engine catalog at lower per-search prices

    SearchApi competes directly with SerpApi on breadth and undercuts it on price. The catalog includes a Google SERP API, a dedicated Google Rank Tracking API, AI Mode and AI Overview APIs, Maps, Local, Shopping, Trends and Scholar, plus Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, Naver, Perplexity, Bing Copilot and retail sites. The vendor quotes a sub-2 second average response time, coordinate-level geo-targeting and premium proxies only, with automatic retries and billing only for successful searches.

    Plans start with Developer at $40 a month for 10,000 searches ($4 per 1,000). Production costs $100 for 35,000 searches and adds team management and the Legal Protection Guarantee, which offers up to $2 million in coverage. BigData is $250 for 100,000 and Scale $500 for 250,000, and the Octo tiers fall to $1 per 1,000 at 5 million searches. New accounts get 100 free requests. For pure Google volume, Serper and DataForSEO are cheaper, but SearchApi gives you most of SerpApi's catalog at a lower rate.

    Standout feature

    SearchApi is the best choice for a broad catalog on a budget because its Developer plan gives 10,000 searches for $40 a month.

    Use cases

    • Rank tracking startups

      Use the Google Rank Tracking API for daily keyword checks

      Outcome: Positions for set locations, devices and languages

    • AI search monitoring tools

      Collect Google AI Mode, Perplexity and Bing Copilot answers

      Outcome: AI answer data from several engines in one integration

    • Local SEO agencies

      Pull Google Maps and Local results by coordinates

      Outcome: Local pack data for precise service areas

    Key features

    • Google SERP, Google Rank Tracking, AI Mode, AI Overview and Google Maps APIs
    • Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, Naver, Perplexity and Bing Copilot endpoints
    • Coordinate-level geo-targeting with premium proxies only
    • Sub-2 second average response time according to the vendor
    • 99.9% SLA on every plan

    Pros

    • Pay per success with built-in auto-retry
    • Legal Protection Guarantee up to $2M from the Production plan
    • Dedicated Google Rank Tracking API

    Cons

    • Free allowance is 100 requests, not a monthly plan
    • Developer plan lacks team management and legal protection
    • $4 per 1,000 on the entry plan is above Serper and DataForSEO
  6. Rank 6

    Oxylabs

    Web data provider whose Web API /Search endpoint and Google scraper return search results under one subscription with its proxies.

    oxylabs.io

    8.3

    out of 10

    Best for: Companies that buy proxies and SERP data from one vendor

    Oxylabs now sells one subscription for its whole catalog, so the same balance pays for residential proxies, Web Unblocker and scraping APIs. For search data, its Web API /Search endpoint is listed at $1 per 1,000 searches across tiers, and the Google scraper is priced per result: Google non-JS from $1.00 per 1,000 results, falling to $0.50 at the largest tier, and Google with JavaScript rendering from $1.35 down to $0.90. LLM scrapers for Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini start at $1.50 per 1,000 results.

    Subscriptions start at $15 a month (Starter), with Basic at $100 and Flexible at $500, and new accounts get $5 in welcome credits. That entry point is lower than most rivals, and teams that already use Oxylabs proxies avoid a second vendor. The downsides are pricing tables that cover many products at once and fewer rank tracking parameters than SEO data vendors such as DataForSEO.

    Standout feature

    Oxylabs is the best choice for one bill across proxies and SERP data because its subscription starts at $15 a month.

    Use cases

    • Ecommerce data teams

      Combine Google Shopping results with residential proxy scraping

      Outcome: One balance for SERP and site data

    • AI visibility analysts

      Collect Google AI Mode, ChatGPT and Perplexity responses

      Outcome: Answer engine data from the same vendor as SERPs

    • Small developers

      Test a Google scraper on welcome credits before subscribing

      Outcome: Real results for $5 in free credit

    Key features

    • Web API /Search priced at $1 per 1,000 searches on every tier
    • Google results with or without JavaScript rendering, from $1.00 per 1,000
    • Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini scrapers
    • One subscription balance covers proxies, Web Unblocker and scrapers
    • 24/7 support and real-time spending data

    Pros

    • Low $15 monthly entry point
    • Same balance pays for proxies and SERP scraping
    • Payment by card, wire, PayPal and AliPay

    Cons

    • Volume discounts on Google need large balances
    • Pricing tables are dense and span many products
    • Fewer SEO-specific SERP options than DataForSEO
  7. Rank 7

    Scrapingdog

    Web scraping API with a Google Search API and 80+ other endpoints on one credit plan.

    scrapingdog.com

    8.2

    out of 10

    Best for: Budget teams scraping Google alongside other sites

    Scrapingdog is a general scraping API with a dedicated Google Search API. Requests return organic results, ads, maps and other SERP features as JSON, and the service rotates IPs on every request and handles CAPTCHAs and anti-bot checks. One subscription unlocks all of its 80+ APIs, so the same credits can pay for Google, Google Maps, Amazon and arbitrary page scraping.

    The free plan includes 100 credits and one concurrent request. Lite costs $40 a month for 200,000 credits with 5 concurrent requests and geotargeting, Standard $90 for 1,000,000 credits with 50 concurrent requests, and Pro $200 for 3,000,000 credits adds team support. Annual billing adds two extra months. The pricing page does not state how many credits a Google search consumes, so check the documentation and run the free credits before you estimate a cost per 1,000 searches. It fits small teams that scrape Google and other sites from one budget better than dedicated SEO platforms.

    Standout feature

    Scrapingdog is the best choice for mixed scraping budgets because one $40 plan unlocks its Google Search API and 80+ other APIs.

    Use cases

    • Freelance SEO consultants

      Run small Google SERP checks for clients

      Outcome: JSON results on a $40 monthly plan

    • Lead generation teams

      Combine Google Search and Google Maps scraping

      Outcome: Search and local data on one credit pool

    • Startups

      Prototype a search feature on the free plan

      Outcome: Working integration before paying

    Key features

    • Google Search API returning organic results, ads, maps and SERP features as JSON
    • Built-in rotating proxies that change IP for every request
    • Automatic CAPTCHA and anti-bot handling
    • One subscription unlocks all 80+ APIs, including Google Maps and Amazon
    • Geotargeting on paid plans

    Pros

    • Free plan with 100 credits, no credit card
    • Credit plans shared across Google and other scraping APIs
    • Charges only for data successfully received

    Cons

    • Lite plan allows 5 concurrent requests
    • Team support starts on the Pro plan
    • Credit cost per Google request is not shown on the pricing page
  8. Rank 8

    Zenserp

    Google search results API with Bing, Yandex and DuckDuckGo on paid plans and monthly search allowances.

    zenserp.com

    8.0

    out of 10

    Best for: Small projects that want a permanent free tier and simple plans

    Zenserp is a long-running Google results API with straightforward monthly plans. The free plan gives 50 searches a month on Google Search. Small costs $49.99 for 25,000 searches and adds Bing, Yandex and DuckDuckGo, Images, News, Maps, Shopping, Trends and Video results, Markdown output and AI Overview results, which use 3 credits each. Medium at $149.99 for 100,000 searches adds a batch endpoint, keyword volume and CPC data, personal support and an SLA.

    Per-search prices fall from $2.00 per 1,000 on Small to $0.90 on the $899 Enterprise plan with 1,000,000 searches, and annual billing saves 20%. Only successful requests count, and email alerts fire at 90% and 100% of usage. Zenserp is easy to adopt for small projects, but at low volumes Serper is cheaper and at high volumes DataForSEO is, so its appeal is the permanent free tier and the predictable monthly plans.

    Standout feature

    Zenserp is the best choice for a permanent free tier because it gives 50 Google searches a month at no cost.

    Use cases

    • Hobby developers

      Build a small Google results feature

      Outcome: 50 free searches a month to start

    • Content marketers

      Check Google News and Trends results for topics

      Outcome: Structured results on the $49.99 Small plan

    • Keyword researchers

      Pull SERPs with keyword volume and CPC

      Outcome: SERP and volume data from the Medium plan

    Key features

    • Google Search on every plan, with Bing, Yandex and DuckDuckGo from Small
    • Images, News, Maps, Shopping, Trends and Video results
    • AI Overview results at 3 credits each
    • Batch endpoint and keyword volume plus CPC from Medium
    • Markdown output on paid plans

    Pros

    • Permanent free plan with 50 searches a month
    • Only successful requests are billed
    • SLA and personal support from the $149.99 Medium plan

    Cons

    • $2.00 per 1,000 on Small is pricier than Serper
    • Free plan lacks Bing and other engines
    • Batch endpoint needs Medium at $149.99 a month
  9. Rank 9

    ValueSERP

    Budget Google SERP API from Traject Data with scheduled batches and cloud storage delivery.

    valueserp.com

    7.9

    out of 10

    Best for: Teams that schedule recurring SERP batches into cloud storage

    ValueSERP, from Traject Data, focuses on recurring Google data collection. Its Batches feature schedules up to 15,000 requests to run monthly, weekly, daily, hourly or on demand, and Destinations send the results to Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Alibaba Cloud OSS or any S3-compatible bucket. A Locations API lets you target supported Google locations and filter by device, and output comes as JSON, HTML or CSV. Pages are rendered in a full in-memory browser, and it extracts place, inline, video thumbnail and knowledge graph images.

    The pricing page lists 25,000 credits for $50 a month, 200,000 for $240 and 1,000,000 for $1,000, with an annual option at 10% off, and the vendor quotes rates as low as $0.50 per 1,000 searches for larger commitments. The entry plan allows 250 real-time requests per minute. It is a practical choice for teams that want results dropped into a data warehouse on a schedule, though it has fewer engines and AI answer endpoints than the broader vendors.

    Standout feature

    ValueSERP is the best choice for scheduled SERP batches because it runs up to 15,000 requests per batch and delivers to S3-compatible storage.

    Use cases

    • Data warehouse teams

      Schedule daily Google batches straight into S3 or Google Cloud Storage

      Outcome: SERP files land in storage without a custom poller

    • Local SEO agencies

      Run weekly batches for each client location and device

      Outcome: Repeatable local rank snapshots

    • Analysts

      Export results as CSV for spreadsheet analysis

      Outcome: SERP data ready for pivot tables

    Key features

    • Batches of up to 15,000 requests scheduled monthly, weekly, daily, hourly or on demand
    • Delivery to Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Alibaba Cloud OSS or other S3-compatible storage
    • Locations API with device filters for localized results
    • JSON, HTML or CSV output
    • Full in-memory browser rendering with image extraction

    Pros

    • Scheduled batches suit recurring rank checks
    • Results land in your own cloud storage
    • 250 real-time requests per minute on the entry plan

    Cons

    • Google only in its core SERP product
    • Pricing page mixes monthly and annual figures
    • Fewer AI answer engine endpoints than SerpApi or SearchApi

Buying guide

How to choose

Compare cost per 1,000 Google searches, not plan prices

A $50 plan can mean 50,000 searches (Serper Starter) or 25,000 searches (Zenserp Small), and SerpApi's $25 Starter plan covers 1,000 searches. Work out the cost per 1,000 searches at the volume you expect in month three, then check the extras: DataForSEO multiplies the base price by 5 when a keyword contains a search operator, and Zenserp counts an AI Overview request as 3 searches.

Decide between live and queued results

Rank trackers that refresh overnight do not need answers in seconds. DataForSEO's Standard queue averages about 5 minutes and costs a third of its Live mode price, and Bright Data's async mode bills only the send request. Interactive tools and AI agents need real-time responses, where Serper quotes 1 to 2 seconds and SearchApi a sub-2 second average.

Check depth, location and device options

SEO work needs results for a specific city, language and device, and often more than the first page. DataForSEO charges one extra base price per additional 10 results through its depth parameter. SerpApi routes requests through the proxy nearest the location you set, and Bright Data lists coverage in 195 countries. Confirm that the endpoint you plan to call returns the SERP features you track, such as local packs, People Also Ask and AI Overviews.

Look at throughput limits and credit expiry

Plans cap speed as well as volume. SerpApi's Starter plan guarantees 200 successful searches per hour, Serper's Starter allows 50 queries per second and ValueSERP's entry plan 250 requests per minute. Serper credits expire after 6 months, so do not prepay for a year of volume. Subscription plans renew monthly, and SerpApi offers automatic early renewal if you run out.

Weigh legal cover and data retention

If your legal team asks who is responsible for scraping search engines, SerpApi and SearchApi both advertise up to $2 million in legal coverage on qualifying plans. SerpApi's ZeroTrace Mode stops it storing search parameters and results, which helps when queries contain client data. Read each vendor's terms before you resell SERP data inside your own product.

Frequently asked questions

+What is the best SERP API?

DataForSEO is the best SERP API for high-volume SEO work. Its Google Organic SERP API costs $0.0006 per SERP in the Standard queue, and it also covers Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam. Serper is the simplest real-time alternative, and SerpApi has the widest catalog of search engines.

+What is the cheapest Google search API?

DataForSEO is the cheapest per search at $0.60 per 1,000 SERPs in its Standard queue, according to its pricing page. For real-time results, Serper starts at $1.00 per 1,000 and falls to $0.30 per 1,000 on its 12.5M credit bundle. Both prices were checked in November 2026.

+Is there a free SERP API?

Yes, several have permanent free tiers. SerpApi gives 250 searches a month, Zenserp 50 searches a month and Bright Data 5,000 requests a month, while Serper gives a one-time 2,500 free queries. Free tiers suit testing, not production rank tracking.

+How much does it cost to track 10,000 keywords daily?

About $180 a month on DataForSEO's Standard queue, since 300,000 SERPs at $0.0006 each cost $180. The same volume on SerpApi would need a custom plan, because its Big Data plan covers 30,000 searches for $275. Checking more than the first page raises the cost for every vendor.

+Which SERP API returns Google AI Overviews?

SerpApi, SearchApi, DataForSEO and Zenserp all document AI Overview data. DataForSEO adds one base price to load the asynchronous AI Overview block, and Zenserp counts an AI Overview request as 3 searches. SerpApi and SearchApi also offer Google AI Mode APIs.

+Is scraping Google search results legal?

Collecting public search results is generally lower risk than scraping logged-in pages, but the answer depends on your use and jurisdiction, so ask your counsel. SerpApi and SearchApi both advertise up to $2 million in legal coverage for scraping and parsing search results on qualifying plans.

+What is the difference between a SERP API and a proxy?

A SERP API returns parsed search results, while a proxy only gives you an IP address. With proxies you still write the scraper, rotate IPs, solve CAPTCHAs and maintain parsers when Google changes its layout. Bright Data and Oxylabs sell both, so you can start with their SERP products and keep proxies for other sites.

About this list

Updated November 12, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

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