The DataForSEO Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about DataForSEO in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
DataForSEO
The Insider’s Guide
Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SERP and SEO data APIs, read from DataForSEO’s own pages.
Made by DataForSEO OU · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from DataForSEO’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on DataForSEO’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 35 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade
DataForSEO sells search marketing data through APIs: live and queued search results from Google, Bing, YouTube and other engines, keyword volumes, backlinks, site crawls, app store, review and business listing data, and mentions of brands in AI answers. It is aimed at teams building their own SEO software and reports, and is paid for from a prepaid balance with no subscription.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about DataForSEO, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, and each API is billed per SERP, task, row or page, which takes reading before you start.
- 1
Best for SEO data for building your own tools
DataForSEO sells search results, keyword volumes, backlinks, site crawls and AI answer mentions through APIs, paid from a balance with no subscription.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $50 minimum top-up, used as you go.
- 3
You can try it first
$1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 35 of 38
That is against the other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace DataForSEO you would be making search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
DataForSEO at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $50 minimum top-up, used as you go
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- $1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- DataForSEO OU, since 2016
- Category
- SERP & SEO Data APIs
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for SEO data for building your own tools
DataForSEO sells search results, keyword volumes, backlinks, site crawls and AI answer mentions through APIs, paid from a balance with no subscription. The rates per result are low, but every endpoint is priced its own way, the first top-up is $50, and there's no dashboard: you get JSON and write the rest yourself.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No 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. |
| Features | A | Search 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. |
| Ease of use | C | Judged 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who DataForSEO is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Developers building their own rank trackers, keyword tools or backlink checkers
- Agencies pulling SEO data into Google Sheets, n8n or Make without a monthly plan
- Batch jobs where a queued result in minutes is fine and costs less
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$50
To start
DataForSEO is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $50 minimum top-up, used as you go.
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.
Trying it first
$1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses
Read from dataforseo.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, AI search visibility, sERP API.
No other API in this category covers that much of the SEO job from one key.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Sheets
- n8n
- Make
- Zapier
- Airtable
- Postman
- Pabbly
- Lindy.ai
DataForSEO is made by DataForSEO OU, and has been around since 2016.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/38
Other SERP and SEO data APIs it is graded above
DataForSEO's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on features (A, above 38 of 38) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 39 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, cut by the letter each got. DataForSEO’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 21 of 38
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 38
- AFeaturesAbove 38 of 38
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 38
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 38
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace DataForSEO you would be making search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade.
What you could not
- Search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- An index of the links between billions of web pages.
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
- The same prompts asked of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI answers every day, and the answers kept.
- It plugs into other products, Google Sheets, n8n and Make among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. DataForSEO’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
SerpApi, Serper, SearchApi, Bright Data SERP API and Brave Search API
The 5 tools DataForSEO is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
SerpApi
Free plan · from $25/mo
Real-time search results API for Google and dozens of other engines.
- SerpApi has a free plan. DataForSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- 2.4GPA
Serper
Free trial · from $50 one-time
Google search results API sold in prepaid credit packs.
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- 2.4GPA
SearchApi
Free trial · from $40/mo
Real-time SERP API for Google, AI answers and dozens of other sites.
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- 2.6GPA
Bright Data SERP API
Free plan · from $499/mo
Search results API on Bright Data's proxy network, with AI engines.
- Bright Data SERP API has a free plan. DataForSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- 2.2GPA
Brave Search API
Free plan
Web search API from Brave's own index, built for AI agents and apps.
- Brave Search API has a free plan. DataForSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- DataForSEO also covers keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is DataForSEO free?
No, DataForSEO is a paid product, but you can try it first. $1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses.
How much does DataForSEO cost?
DataForSEO lists one plan. Pay as you go: $50 one-time top-up, used as you go.
What platforms does DataForSEO work on?
DataForSEO is available on Web.
Does DataForSEO have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. DataForSEO is listed for Web.
Does DataForSEO have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. DataForSEO is listed for Web.
Is DataForSEO open source?
DataForSEO is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does DataForSEO have an API?
Yes. DataForSEO offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does DataForSEO integrate with?
DataForSEO's listing names Google Sheets, n8n, Make, Zapier, Airtable, Postman, Pabbly and Lindy.ai.
Who makes DataForSEO?
DataForSEO is made by DataForSEO OU. It dates from 2016.
What are the alternatives to DataForSEO?
The closest alternatives to DataForSEO in our directory are SerpApi, Serper, SearchApi, Bright Data SERP API and Brave Search API.
How does DataForSEO compare with other SERP and SEO data APIs?
DataForSEO's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 3.
Could I make my own version of DataForSEO?
To replace DataForSEO you would be making search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from DataForSEO’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DataForSEO's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by DataForSEO OU. Prices change, so check dataforseo.com before you buy.
- dataforseo.com/pricing
- dataforseo.com/
- dataforseo.com/pricing/serp
- dataforseo.com/pricing/google-serp/google-organic-serp-api
- dataforseo.com/pricing/backlinks/backlinks
- dataforseo.com/pricing/dataforseo-labs/dataforseo-google-api
- dataforseo.com/pricing/ai-optimization/llm-mentions
- dataforseo.com/about-us
- dataforseo.com/terms-of-service
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- DataForSEO, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/dataforseo
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "DataForSEO: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/dataforseo
Know someone choosing between SERP and SEO data APIs?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/dataforseo/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded SERP and SEO data APIs after DataForSEO, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- SERP & SEO Data APIs Insider's GuideEvery one of the 39 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, compared
- Apify Insider's GuideScraping platform with a store of ready-made Actors, Google included2.8 GPA
- Decodo SERP Scraping API Insider's GuideSERP scraping for Google, Bing and more, inside a web data API2.8 GPA
- SerpBase Insider's GuideSearch, social and shopping data API with 47 endpoints on one key2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what DataForSEO’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. DataForSEO is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by DataForSEO OU. Prices and plans change: check dataforseo.com before you buy.