The SerpApi Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SerpApi 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.
SerpApi
The Insider’s Guide
Real-time search results API for Google and dozens of other engines
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SERP and SEO data APIs, read from SerpApi’s own pages.
Made by SerpApi, LLC · 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 SerpApi’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SerpApi’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
2.4
GPA, above 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade
SerpApi returns search engine results as structured JSON, running each request in a full browser with CAPTCHA solving and a location parameter. Besides Google Search it covers Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, Maps, Shopping, Scholar and Trends, and engines and sites such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Baidu, YouTube, Amazon and Walmart. Plans are monthly allowances of successful searches.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SerpApi, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for Google plus many other engines from one key
SerpApi returns Google, with AI Mode and AI Overviews, and dozens of other engines and sites as JSON from one key.
- 2
Paid plans start at $25 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $25 per month for 1,000 searches, billed monthly.
- 3
There is a free plan
250 searches a month, up to 50 successful searches an hour. No U.S. Legal Shield.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Google and many other engines
Endpoints for Google Search, AI Mode, AI Overview, Maps, Shopping, Scholar, Trends, Flights and Hotels, plus Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Yandex, Baidu, Naver, YouTube, Amazon, eBay and Walmart.
- 6
Full browser and CAPTCHA solving
Each request runs immediately in a full browser through a proxy near the chosen location, and results come back as JSON or Markdown.
- 7
Only successful searches counted
Cached, errored and failed searches do not count against the monthly allowance, and a response with 100 results counts as one search.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 16 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 SerpApi 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.
SerpApi at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $25 per month for 1,000 searches, billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- SerpApi, LLC, since 2017
- Category
- SERP & SEO Data APIs
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for Google plus many other engines from one key
SerpApi returns Google, with AI Mode and AI Overviews, and dozens of other engines and sites as JSON from one key. Per search it's among the dearest in this category: $25 buys 1,000 a month, and the U.S. Legal Shield waits for Production at $150.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is $25 a month, on the line of this category's cheaper quarter, but it buys 1,000 searches: $25 per 1,000, where most rivals here charge $1 to $4. Developer is $75 for 5,000, still $15 per 1,000. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free plan for good: 250 searches a month, at most 50 an hour. Enough to build against, not to run anything on. |
| Features | B | Google Search, AI Mode, AI Overviews, Maps, Shopping, Scholar and Trends, plus Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Baidu, YouTube, Amazon and Walmart, each run in a full browser near the location you set. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | C | Judged on how fast a developer gets a first result: client libraries in eight languages, and cached or failed searches don't count against you. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with an API, libraries for Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java, Rust and .NET, and an MCP server. 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 SerpApi is for
- Fits if you need Google AI Overviews, AI Mode and other engines in one response format
- Works for low volumes that fit in 250 free searches or 1,000 paid ones a month
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you search in volume, at $25 per 1,000 on Starter where Serper charges $1
- Tight if you're on Free, with 250 searches a month and at most 50 an hour
- Skip it if you want the U.S. Legal Shield on a small plan, as it starts on Production at $150 a month
- Watch out: plans are month to month, and yearly billing is only set up by request
- Watch out: Ludicrous Speed costs twice the price, and refunds stop after 7 days or 20% of a plan's searches
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who need Google results, AI Overviews and AI Mode answers as JSON
- Projects that query many engines and sites through one API key
- Trying a SERP API on a free allowance before paying
Worth knowing
- Plans are month to month; the FAQ says yearly billing can only be set up by request while an official yearly plan is in the works.
- The U.S. Legal Shield is not included on the Free, Starter or Developer plans.
- Bigger self-serve plans run from Searcher at $725 for 100,000 searches a month to Cloud plans of 1 million searches and up from $3,750.
- Refunds are offered within 7 days of subscribing, unless more than 20% of the plan's searches have been used.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$25
A month to start. There is a free plan too
SerpApi has a free plan. Paid plans start at $25 per month for 1,000 searches, billed monthly.
Enough to build against, not to run anything on.
Free
$0
250 searches a month with a throughput of 50 an hour.
Starter
$25
per month for 1,000 searches, billed monthly
Throughput of 200 successful searches an hour. No U.S. Legal Shield.
Developer
$75
per month for 5,000 searches, billed monthly
Throughput of 1,000 successful searches an hour. No U.S. Legal Shield.
Production
$150
per month for 15,000 searches, billed monthly
Throughput of 3,000 an hour, and the U.S. Legal Shield with up to $2 million in coverage.
Big Data
$275
per month for 30,000 searches, billed monthly
Throughput of 6,000 an hour, with the U.S. Legal Shield.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom volume and throughput, ZeroTrace mode, which stores no search data, and priority support. Sold through sales.
The free plan
250 searches a month, up to 50 successful searches an hour. No U.S. Legal Shield.
Read from serpapi.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Education
Special pricing for students and educators
SerpApi's FAQ says universities, students and educators can email about their project and budget to arrange special pricing.
Stated on serpapi.com
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
Real-time search results API for Google and dozens of other engines. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, sERP API.
Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job.
- Google and many other engines
- Endpoints for Google Search, AI Mode, AI Overview, Maps, Shopping, Scholar, Trends, Flights and Hotels, plus Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Yandex, Baidu, Naver, YouTube, Amazon, eBay and Walmart.
- Full browser and CAPTCHA solving
- Each request runs immediately in a full browser through a proxy near the chosen location, and results come back as JSON or Markdown.
- Only successful searches counted
- Cached, errored and failed searches do not count against the monthly allowance, and a response with 100 results counts as one search.
- Ludicrous Speed
- An option on every paid plan that sends parallel requests for faster responses, at twice the price; Ludicrous Speed Max is four times the price.
- U.S. Legal Shield
- From the Production plan up, SerpApi says it takes on liability for the lawful collection of public search data, with up to $2 million in coverage.
- Teams and client libraries
- Unlimited team members with admin, developer, billing and viewer roles, and libraries for Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java, Rust and .NET, plus an MCP server.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Python
- JavaScript
- Ruby
- Go
- PHP
- Java
- .NET
- MCP
SerpApi is made by SerpApi, LLC, and has been around since 2017.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
16/38
Other SERP and SEO data APIs it is graded above
SerpApi's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on features (B, above 26 of 38) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $29.49 for the category: 9 of the 25 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 39 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, cut by the letter each got. SerpApi’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 38
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 38
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 38
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 38
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 38
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 26 SERP and SEO data APIs. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. SerpApi is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
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 SerpApi 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 costs $300 a year.
What you could not
- Search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.
- It plugs into other products, Python, JavaScript and Ruby among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. SerpApi’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
Serper, SearchApi, DataForSEO, Bright Data SERP API and Scrapingdog
The 5 tools SerpApi is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Serper
Free trial · from $50 one-time
Google search results API sold in prepaid credit packs.
- SerpApi has a free plan. Serper does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.4GPA
SearchApi
Free trial · from $40/mo
Real-time SERP API for Google, AI answers and dozens of other sites.
- SerpApi has a free plan. SearchApi does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.8GPA
DataForSEO
Free trial · from $50
Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data.
- 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.
- 2.6GPA
Bright Data SERP API
Free plan · from $499/mo
Search results API on Bright Data's proxy network, with AI engines.
- 2.4GPA
Scrapingdog
Free trial · from $40/mo
Web scraping and Google SERP APIs on one shared credit plan.
- SerpApi has a free plan. Scrapingdog does not, though it has a free trial.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
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 SerpApi free?
SerpApi has a free plan. 250 searches a month, up to 50 successful searches an hour.
How much does SerpApi cost?
SerpApi lists 6 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does SerpApi work on?
SerpApi is available on Web.
Does SerpApi offer any discounts?
SerpApi publicly lists the following: Special pricing for students and educators.
Does SerpApi have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. SerpApi is listed for Web.
Does SerpApi have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. SerpApi is listed for Web.
Is SerpApi open source?
SerpApi is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does SerpApi have an API?
Yes. SerpApi offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does SerpApi integrate with?
SerpApi's listing names Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java, .NET and MCP.
Does SerpApi have a student discount?
Special pricing for students and educators. SerpApi's FAQ says universities, students and educators can email about their project and budget to arrange special pricing.
Who makes SerpApi?
SerpApi is made by SerpApi, LLC. It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to SerpApi?
The closest alternatives to SerpApi in our directory are Serper, SearchApi, DataForSEO, Bright Data SERP API and Scrapingdog.
How does SerpApi compare with other SERP and SEO data APIs?
SerpApi's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 14.
Is SerpApi good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SerpApi C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $29.49 for the category: 9 of the 25 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SerpApi?
To replace SerpApi 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 SerpApi’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 SerpApi'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 SerpApi, LLC. Prices change, so check serpapi.com before you buy.
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
- SerpApi, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/serpapi
- 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, "SerpApi: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/serpapi
Know someone choosing between SERP and SEO data APIs?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/serpapi/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded SERP and SEO data APIs after SerpApi, 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
- 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 SerpApi’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. SerpApi is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SerpApi, LLC. Prices and plans change: check serpapi.com before you buy.