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The Serper Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Serper 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.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Serper

The Insider’s Guide

Google search results API sold in prepaid credit packs

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SERP and SEO data APIs, read from Serper’s own pages.

Made by Serper.dev · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Serper’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Serper’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

Serper is an API that returns live Google results as JSON, usually in one to two seconds, for web search, images, news, maps, places, videos, shopping, Scholar, patents and autocomplete. Results are fetched fresh for each call rather than cached. There is no subscription: credits are bought in packs, and larger packs cost less per query.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Serper, taken from its own pages and our grades.

No rating on record, and no client libraries named.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for live Google results on prepaid credits

    Serper returns live Google results as JSON from prepaid packs, at $1 per 1,000 queries on the smallest.

  2. 2

    What it costs

    Paid plans start at $50 one-time for 50,000 credits ($1.00 per 1,000 queries).

  3. 3

    You can try it first

    2,500 free queries, no credit card required

  4. 4

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  5. 5

    Ten Google result types

    Endpoints for Google web search, images, news, maps, places, videos, shopping, Scholar, patents and autocomplete.

  6. 6

    Live results

    Each call queries Google directly and nothing is cached; most results return in 1 to 2 seconds, sometimes 2 to 4 when a request is retried.

  7. 7

    Location and language

    Every pack lets you set the country and language a search is run from.

  8. 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. 9

    Keep it

    To replace Serper 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.

Serper at a glance

Pricing
Free trial, from $50 one-time for 50,000 credits ($1.00 per 1,000 queries)
Free plan
No
Free trial
2,500 free queries, no credit card required
Runs on
Web
Made by
Serper.dev
Category
SERP & SEO Data APIs
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for live Google results on prepaid credits

Serper returns live Google results as JSON from prepaid packs, at $1 per 1,000 queries on the smallest. It covers Google and nothing else, and credits expire 6 months after you buy them, so a big pack bought for the lower rate can go to waste.

ToolGPA report cardSerperGraded Oct 23, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyB$50 buys 50,000 Google queries, $1 per 1,000, one of the lowest rates in this category, and bigger packs fall to $0.30. The first spend is at the dear end of the usual $25 to $50, though, and the credits lapse after 6 months.
Free plan and trialCNo free plan, but 2,500 free queries with no card. They're a one-off, not a monthly allowance.
FeaturesCTen Google result types, from web and maps to Scholar, patents and autocomplete, fetched live with country and language set. Google only, though: no Bing, Yahoo or other engine, which the listing itself points out.
Ease of useCJudged on how fast a developer gets a first result: most results in 1 to 2 seconds and 2,500 free queries to test with. No rating on record, and no client libraries named.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, with an API and listed integrations with LangChain, CrewAI, Haystack and Jan AI. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

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 Serper is for

  • Fits if you only need Google and would rather pay per query than per month
  • Works for AI agents on LangChain or CrewAI that need current Google results

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you need Bing, Yahoo or any engine other than Google
  • Watch out: credits expire 6 months after purchase, so a big pack you don't use up is money lost
  • Tight if you're testing, as the 2,500 free queries come once and there's no monthly free plan
  • Watch out: refunds run 7 days from the first payment, and only with under 20% of the credits used

Good to know

Good for

  • AI chatbots and agents that need current Google results
  • High-volume jobs where a low price per query matters most
  • Developers who prefer prepaid credits to a monthly plan

Worth knowing

  • Its site lists Google endpoints only, with no Bing, Yahoo or other search engines.
  • Credits expire 6 months after purchase, so a large pack bought for a lower rate can go unused.
  • Refunds are given within 7 days of the first payment only if less than 20% of the credits are used.
  • The 2,500 free queries are a one-time allowance, not a monthly free plan.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$50 one-time

To start

Serper is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $50 one-time for 50,000 credits ($1.00 per 1,000 queries).

They're a one-off, not a monthly allowance.
From our grade for free plan and trial

  • Starter

    $50

    one-time for 50,000 credits, valid for 6 months

    50,000 queries at $1.00 per 1,000, up to 50 queries a second. Prices exclude sales tax or VAT.

  • Standard

    $375

    one-time for 500,000 credits, valid for 6 months

    500,000 queries at $0.75 per 1,000, up to 100 queries a second.

  • Scale

    $1,250

    one-time for 2.5 million credits, valid for 6 months

    2.5 million queries at $0.50 per 1,000, up to 200 queries a second.

  • Ultimate

    $3,750

    one-time for 12.5 million credits, valid for 6 months

    12.5 million queries at $0.30 per 1,000, up to 300 queries a second; a higher limit can be arranged.

Trying it first

2,500 free queries, no credit card required

Read from serper.dev 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

Google search results API sold in prepaid credit packs. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, sERP API.

Ten Google result types, from web and maps to Scholar, patents and autocomplete, fetched live with country and language set.
From our grade for features
Ten Google result types
Endpoints for Google web search, images, news, maps, places, videos, shopping, Scholar, patents and autocomplete.
Live results
Each call queries Google directly and nothing is cached; most results return in 1 to 2 seconds, sometimes 2 to 4 when a request is retried.
Location and language
Every pack lets you set the country and language a search is run from.
Rate limits by pack
From 50 queries a second on Starter to 300 on Ultimate, which Serper says is roughly 15,000 to 18,000 searches a minute.
Charged on success
Credits are deducted only for successful responses, and the API stops taking queries when the balance reaches zero.
AI framework integrations
Listed integrations with LangChain, CrewAI, Haystack and Jan AI for feeding search results to AI agents and chatbots.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • LangChain
  • CrewAI
  • Haystack
  • Jan AI

Serper is made by Serper.dev.

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

Serper'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 value for money (B, above 21 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. Serper’s own letter is outlined.

  • BValue for moneyAbove 21 of 38
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 38
  • CFeaturesAbove 1 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 Serper 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 $50, paid once.

What you could not

  • Search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.
  • It plugs into other products, LangChain, CrewAI and Haystack among them, and has an API.

What this rests on. Serper’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, SearchApi, DataForSEO, Scrapingdog and Brave Search API

The 5 tools Serper is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

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 Serper free?

No, Serper is a paid product, but you can try it first. 2,500 free queries, no credit card required.

How much does Serper cost?

Serper lists 4 plans. Starter: $50 one-time for 50,000 credits, valid for 6 months.

What platforms does Serper work on?

Serper is available on Web.

Does Serper have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Serper is listed for Web.

Does Serper have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Serper is listed for Web.

Is Serper open source?

Serper is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.

Does Serper have an API?

Yes. Serper offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Serper integrate with?

Serper's listing names LangChain, CrewAI, Haystack and Jan AI. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes Serper?

Serper is made by Serper.dev.

What are the alternatives to Serper?

The closest alternatives to Serper in our directory are SerpApi, SearchApi, DataForSEO, Scrapingdog and Brave Search API.

How does Serper compare with other SERP and SEO data APIs?

Serper's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 14.

Could I make my own version of Serper?

To replace Serper 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 Serper’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 Serper'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 Serper.dev. Prices change, so check serper.dev 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

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, "Serper: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/serper

Know someone choosing between SERP and SEO data APIs?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/serper/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded SERP and SEO data APIs after Serper, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Serper’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. Serper is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Serper.dev. Prices and plans change: check serper.dev before you buy.