DataForSEO vs SEO API (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick DataForSEO: it is first in our ranking of SERP and SEO data APIs, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
DataForSEO grades higher on features and platforms. SEO API grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
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
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 SEO API if
- Fits if you need to check whether a visitor really is Googlebot or an AI crawler
- Works for technical SEOs who want a quick URL parser or HTTP status checker
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want rankings, keywords or SERP data: it does not provide them
- Watch out: no rate limits, uptime commitment or terms were stated on the pages we read
- Skip it if you need a company behind it: it is run by an individual consultant
- Too light for a team that needs support, as no support channel is listed
How we grade them
| 2.8GPADataForSEOGood | 2.4GPASEO APIFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BEverything listed is free of charge, which beats the $11.40 mark for data APIs. But the lists are small reference data rather than a data service, so we stop at a B. |
| 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. | AAll listed APIs and tools are free outright, with no plan or trial to run out. |
| 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. | DBot IP lists, a URL parse API and a handful of tools such as an HTTP status tester. It does one narrow job and does not give keywords, rankings or search results. |
| 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. | CNo store rating on record. Lists are easy to read, but using them as an API means calling them from your own code. |
| 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 pages and simple APIs only, with no integrations listed. |
| Best for | SEO data for building your own tools | free lists of search and AI crawler IPs |
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 SEO API. How we grade
Where they differ
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, AI search visibility and sERP API.
- SEO API also covers page speed.
In commonWebPublic API
At a glance
| DataForSEO | SEO API | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $50 minimum top-up, used as you go | Free |
| Free plan | None | The site describes its SEO APIs as free of charge. |
| Free trial | $1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | DataForSEO OU | Fili, technical SEO consultant |
| Price read from | dataforseo.com | seoapi.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
SEO API
- It is a set of free reference lists and small tools, not a keyword, ranking or SERP data service.
- The pages read do not state rate limits, an uptime commitment or terms of use.
- It is run by an individual technical SEO consultant, not a company with a pricing page.
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.
SEO API
- Search engine bot IPs
- Address lists for Googlebot, Bingbot, YandexBot, Applebot, Baiduspider, DuckDuckBot and other search crawlers.
- AI bot IPs
- Address lists for OpenAI GPTBot, Anthropic ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Amazonbot, Meta-ExternalAgent and CommonCrawl CCBot.
- URL Parse API
- A listed API marked new on the site; the pages read do not describe its output.
- SEO toolbox
- An HTTP Status Tester, a Cumulative Layout Shift debugger and a disavow file validator.
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.
SEO API
Free$0
All listed APIs and tools are offered free of charge.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DataForSEO or SEO API?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DataForSEO starts at $50 minimum top-up, used as you go, and SEO API is free.
Which has a free plan, DataForSEO or SEO API?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SEO API 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.