The Linkup Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Linkup 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.
Linkup
The Insider’s Guide
Pay-per-request web search and fetch API for AI agents
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SERP and SEO data APIs, read from Linkup’s own pages.
Made by Linkup · checked Nov 12, 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 Linkup’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Linkup’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 21 of the 48 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade
Linkup is an API that gives AI agents and applications web search, page fetching and asynchronous deep research. It bills each successful request against a prepaid account balance instead of selling monthly plans, and it publishes the per-request price of every endpoint and depth setting.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Linkup, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is an API with a key and code to write.
- 1
Best for web search with sources for AI agents
Linkup is a web search API for AI agents with sourced answers, a fetch endpoint and a research endpoint.
- 2
There is a free plan
New accounts with a professional email get $20 of credit, topped back up to $20 each month for eligible accounts.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Search endpoint
Web search for agent tool calls. Flash, fast and standard depths cost $0.005 a call and deep costs $0.05 for raw results.
- 5
Sourced answers and structured output
The search endpoint can return a sourced answer or output shaped to a schema, at $0.001 to $0.005 more than raw results.
- 6
Fetch endpoint
Gets a URL's content as Markdown, from $0.001 per call without JavaScript rendering up to $0.01 with pro mode and rendering.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 21 of 48
That is against the other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Linkup 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.
Linkup at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Linkup
- Category
- SERP & SEO Data APIs
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for web search with sources for AI agents
Linkup is a web search API for AI agents with sourced answers, a fetch endpoint and a research endpoint. There is no monthly plan, so you pay per call from a prepaid balance, and the free $20 credit needs a professional email.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pay per call from a prepaid balance at about $0.005 a search, with no flat plan to compare with this category's $19 to $44. |
| Free plan and trial | B | $20 of credit on sign-up, topped back up to $20 each month for eligible accounts, about 4,000 searches. One person could live on that. |
| Features | C | Search, sourced answers, fetch and research endpoints. Zero data retention is only on the Enterprise plan. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It is an API with a key and code to write. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, but it lists LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI, Vercel AI SDK, Composio, Hugging Face and Agno. |
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 Linkup is for
- Fits if an agent needs web search with sources attached
- Works for people who would rather pay per call than per month
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want a fixed monthly bill, since spend follows usage
- Skip it if you have no work email, as the free credit asks for a professional one
- Watch out: zero data retention and the private environment are Enterprise only
- Watch out: the page says 4,000 free queries while the docs call it $20 of credit
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want to pay per request with no subscription
- AI agents that need search, fetch and research behind one API
- Teams moving off another search API, with docs on migrating from Tavily, Exa and SerpAPI
Worth knowing
- There is no monthly plan: each successful call draws down a prepaid balance, so spend follows usage.
- The pricing page says 'Run 4,000 queries for free'; the docs describe it as $20 of credit, which covers 4,000 searches at $0.005.
- Zero-data retention is offered only on the Enterprise plan; SOC 2 Type II is stated to be on all plans.
- It is a general web search API, not an SEO tool: it has no rank tracking or keyword data.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
2
plans to choose from
Linkup has a free plan.
Free credit
$0
$20 of credit on sign-up with a professional email; docs say eligible accounts are topped back up to $20 monthly.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom pricing, private environment, SOC 2 Type II, zero-data retention, SLA and dedicated support.
The free plan
New accounts with a professional email get $20 of credit, topped back up to $20 each month for eligible accounts.
Read from linkup.so on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Startups
$5,000 in free credits for startups
The pricing page invites startups to apply for $5,000 in free credits.
Stated on linkup.so
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-per-request web search and fetch API for AI agents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI search, AI agents, research, sERP API.
Search, sourced answers, fetch and research endpoints.
- Search endpoint
- Web search for agent tool calls. Flash, fast and standard depths cost $0.005 a call and deep costs $0.05 for raw results.
- Sourced answers and structured output
- The search endpoint can return a sourced answer or output shaped to a schema, at $0.001 to $0.005 more than raw results.
- Fetch endpoint
- Gets a URL's content as Markdown, from $0.001 per call without JavaScript rendering up to $0.01 with pro mode and rendering.
- Research endpoint
- Asynchronous deep research billed by reasoning depth: $0.25 for S, $0.50 for M, $1.50 for L and $2.50 for XL.
- Agent integrations
- Docs cover an MCP server and guides for LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI, the Vercel AI SDK and Composio.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- LangChain
- LlamaIndex
- CrewAI
- Vercel AI SDK
- Composio
- Hugging Face
- Agno
Linkup is made by Linkup.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
21/48
Other SERP and SEO data APIs it is graded above
Linkup's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 21 of the 48 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 43 of 48) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, cut by the letter each got. Linkup’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 48
- BFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 48
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 48
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 48
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 48
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 Linkup 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.
What you could not
- Search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- It plugs into other products, LangChain, LlamaIndex and CrewAI among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Linkup’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
Tavily, Firecrawl, Brave Search API, Serper and DataForSEO
The 5 tools Linkup is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Tavily
Free plan · from $30/mo
- 2.6GPA
Firecrawl
Free plan · from $16/mo
Web search, scrape and crawl API that returns LLM-ready data.
- Firecrawl is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Linkup also covers AI search and research.
- 2.2GPA
Brave Search API
Free plan
Web search API from Brave's own index, built for AI agents and apps.
- Linkup also covers AI search, AI agents and research.
- 2.4GPA
Serper
Free trial · from $50 one-time
Google search results API sold in prepaid credit packs.
- Linkup has a free plan. Serper does not, though it has a free trial.
- Linkup also covers AI search, AI agents and research.
- 2.8GPA
DataForSEO
Free trial · from $50
Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data.
- Linkup has a free plan. DataForSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- Linkup also covers AI search, AI agents and research.
- 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
13
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 Linkup free?
Linkup has a free plan. New accounts with a professional email get $20 of credit, topped back up to $20 each month for eligible accounts.
How much does Linkup cost?
Linkup lists 2 plans. Free credit: $0.
What platforms does Linkup work on?
Linkup is available on Web.
Does Linkup offer any discounts?
Linkup publicly lists the following: $5,000 in free credits for startups.
Does Linkup have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Linkup is listed for Web.
Does Linkup have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Linkup is listed for Web.
Is Linkup open source?
Linkup is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Linkup have an API?
Yes. Linkup offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Linkup integrate with?
Linkup's listing names LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI, Vercel AI SDK, Composio, Hugging Face and Agno.
Who makes Linkup?
Linkup is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Linkup?
The closest alternatives to Linkup in our directory are Tavily, Firecrawl, Brave Search API, Serper and DataForSEO.
How does Linkup compare with other SERP and SEO data APIs?
Linkup's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 21 of the 48 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 17.
Could I make my own version of Linkup?
To replace Linkup 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 Linkup’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Linkup's own pages on 12 November 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 Linkup. Prices change, so check linkup.so before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Linkup, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/linkup
- 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, "Linkup: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/linkup
Know someone choosing between SERP and SEO data APIs?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/linkup/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded SERP and SEO data APIs after Linkup, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- SERP & SEO Data APIs Insider's GuideEvery one of the 49 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, compared
- Apify Insider's GuideScraping platform with a store of ready-made Actors, Google included2.8 GPA
- DataForSEO Insider's GuidePay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data2.8 GPA
- Decodo SERP Scraping API Insider's GuideSERP scraping for Google, Bing and more, inside a web data API2.8 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 Linkup’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. Linkup is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Linkup. Prices and plans change: check linkup.so before you buy.