DataForSEO vs Outscraper (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick DataForSEO: it is first in our ranking of SERP and SEO data APIs, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
DataForSEO grades higher on value for money, features and platforms. Outscraper grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DataForSEO
Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data
Free trial · from $50
Outscraper
Pay-as-you-go Google Maps, Search and review scraping with a free tier
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick DataForSEO if
- Fits if you're building your own rank tracker, keyword tool or backlink checker and want one bill for the data
- Works for batch jobs that can wait minutes for a queued result at $0.60 per 1,000
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want reports to look at, since it returns JSON with no SEO dashboard
- Tight if you're only testing, as the $1 trial credit goes fast and the next step is a $50 top-up
- Watch out: search operators multiply the price of a Google query by five
- Pricey if you pull backlinks or AI mentions in bulk, at $0.024 a task plus $0.000036 a row, and $0.1 a task plus $0.001 a row
Pick Outscraper if
- Fits if your local SEO work or lead lists start from Google Maps listings and reviews
- Works for small, occasional Google pulls without a monthly plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if search is the point, at $5 per 1,000 Google searches until you pass 100,000
- Watch out: a task that costs more than your balance still runs and is invoiced
- Watch out: the pricing page gives 10 free Google searches, the Google Search API page 25 and $3 from 5,000
- Tight if something goes wrong, as refunds run 3 days and only when its tools fail to get the data
- Skip it if you need Bing or other engines, which the listing doesn't name
How we grade them
| 2.8GPADataForSEOGood | 2.2GPAOutscraperFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$50 is the smallest top-up and the balance never expires, a first spend at the dear end of this category's usual $25 to $50. The rate lifts it: Google results are $0.60 per 1,000 in the standard queue and $2 live, where most rivals here charge $1 to $4. | CNo subscription and no minimum on record: Google searches are $5 per 1,000 after the free 10, then $3 after 100,000, the dear end of what this category charges per search. Maps places are $3 per 1,000 after 500. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. New accounts get $1 of trial credit and a Sandbox that returns sample responses, enough to wire up your code, and then it's a $50 top-up. | CA free allowance on every service each 30 days: 500 Maps places, 500 reviews and 25 email checks, but only 10 Google searches. Fine for Maps, thin for search. |
| Features | ASearch results from Google, Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam, plus keyword volumes, its own backlink index back to 2019, site crawls and brand mentions in ChatGPT and AI Overviews. No other API in this category covers that much of the SEO job from one key. | CGoogle results with organic, ads, shopping and related questions, beside Maps places and reviews, News, Amazon, YouTube and Trustpilot scrapers and contact finding. For search it's the basics: the listing names no other engine and no location or device setting. |
| Ease of use | CJudged on how fast a developer gets a first result: a Sandbox, spending limits per API and connectors for Sheets, n8n and Make. No rating on record, and each API is billed per SERP, task, row or page, which takes reading before you start. | BNo rating on record, but the web app takes a list of Google or Maps queries and hands back a CSV or Excel file, with no code. The API is there if you want it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with an API and connectors for Google Sheets, n8n, Make, Zapier, Airtable, Postman and Pabbly. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top. | CWeb only, with an API and webhooks for bulk results, and no integrations named in the listing. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | SEO data for building your own tools | Google Maps and review data without code |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DataForSEO and Outscraper. How we grade
Where they differ
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
In commonWebPublic APISERP API
At a glance
| DataForSEO | Outscraper | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $50 minimum top-up, used as you go | Not published |
| Free plan | None | A free allowance on each service that resets every 30 days: 500 Google Maps places and 500 reviews, 10 Google searches, 50 News or Shopping searches and 25 email checks. |
| Free trial | $1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | DataForSEO OU | Outscraper |
| Price read from | dataforseo.com | outscraper.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DataForSEO
- Google organic results cost $0.0006 per SERP in the standard queue, $0.0012 in the priority queue and $0.002 live; search operators multiply the price by five.
- Backlinks API calls cost $0.024 per task plus $0.000036 per row, and LLM Mentions $0.1 per task plus $0.001 per row.
- There is no free plan: after the $1 trial credit, the account needs a top-up of at least $50.
- It is a data API with no ready-made SEO dashboard; results come back as JSON for your own code or a connector.
Outscraper
- Google searches cost $5 per 1,000 after the free 10, then $3 after 100,000; its Google Search API page shows 25 free and $3 from 5,000.
- Google Maps places cost $3 per 1,000 after the first 500 and $1 after 100,000; News and Shopping searches cost $9 per 1,000 after 50.
- Pay with prepaid credits that never expire or a card billed monthly; a task that costs more than the balance still runs and is invoiced.
- Refunds are offered only within 3 days of purchase, and only when its tools fail to retrieve the data.
Key features
DataForSEO
- SERP API
- Search results from Google (organic, Maps, AI Mode, News, Images, Jobs and more), Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam, in queued or live modes.
- Keyword data
- Search volume and keyword metrics from Google Ads, Bing Ads, Google Trends and clickstream sources, plus the Labs API for keyword and competitor research.
- Backlinks API
- Backlink profiles, referring domains, anchors and link history back to 2019 from DataForSEO's own continuously crawled index, with bulk endpoints for up to 1,000 targets.
- On-Page and Lighthouse
- Crawls websites, audits pages, parses content and takes screenshots, priced from $0.00015 a page.
- AI Optimization API
- LLM Mentions draws on a database of over 280 million prompts and answers from ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews; other endpoints return LLM responses and AI search volume.
- Spending controls
- The dashboard tracks usage and cost, sets daily spending limits per account, API or endpoint, and can top up the balance automatically.
Outscraper
- Google Search API
- Real-time Google results for a list of queries, with organic results, ads, shopping results and related questions, as JSON, CSV or Excel.
- Google Maps places and reviews
- Business listings with optional enrichments, plus reviews, photos, directions and geocoding, each with its own API.
- Other Google and review sources
- Google News, Images, Shopping and Play reviews, Amazon products and reviews, YouTube comments, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot and Yellow Pages.
- Contacts and email checks
- Find emails, phone numbers and social profiles for a list of domains, and verify email addresses or look up phone numbers.
- No-code app or API
- Run tasks from the web app and download files, or call the API and use a webhook to collect bulk results when they are ready.
- Universal AI Scraper
- A Universal AI-Powered Web Scraper, with a matching API, sits beside the site-specific scrapers for other websites.
Plans
DataForSEO
Pay as you go$50
one-time top-up, used as you go
No subscription: the balance never expires and each API is billed at its own rate per SERP, task, row or page.
Outscraper
Free Tier$0
The monthly free allowance on every service; usage beyond it is billed per 1,000 records from prepaid credits or a card on file.
Ways to pay less
DataForSEO
No public discounts listed.
Outscraper
- Education
Discount for student researchers
Outscraper's pricing page invites student researchers to contact it for a discount; the amount is not stated.
- Nonprofit
Discount for nonprofit organizations
Outscraper's pricing page invites nonprofit organizations to contact it for a discount; the amount is not stated.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DataForSEO or Outscraper?
As of Oct 23, 2026, DataForSEO starts at $50 minimum top-up, used as you go, and Outscraper publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, DataForSEO or Outscraper?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only Outscraper has a free plan. DataForSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.