--- title: "6 SerpApi Alternatives in 2026, With Starting Prices" description: "SerpApi alternatives compared: Jsonify, Serper, DataForSEO, Exa, Bright Data and Firecrawl, on what each is best for, how it works and what it costs." url: "https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/" --- [Home](https://www.jsonify.com/)[Compare](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/)SerpApi alternatives # Best SerpApi alternatives in 2026 Call a search results API, or describe the dataset. Jsonify and 5 other web data tools compared with SerpApi. Sources reviewed 13 November 2026 **Why teams look for SerpApi alternatives.** SerpApi returns what a search engine shows: titles, links, snippets, prices and places. Teams look further when they need what’s on the pages behind those results, collected into rows on a schedule, or when the per-search price climbs with volume. Below, SerpApi is compared with Jsonify and the other web data tools on what each is best for, how it works and what it costs. ## Why teams leave SerpApi * **Searches cost more than on other search APIs.** Starter works out at $25 per 1,000 searches and Big Data at about $9. Serper sells prepaid credits at $1 per 1,000, and DataForSEO charges $0.60 per 1,000 Google results pages in its standard queue. * **Throughput is capped per hour.** Starter allows 200 searches an hour and Developer 1,000, so a large batch takes hours unless you move to a bigger plan. * **You get search results, not the pages.** Each response is the results page as JSON. Fetching the pages behind the results and extracting fields from them needs another tool. * **Everything around the API is yours to build.** The list of queries, scheduling, storage, deduplication and spotting changes between runs all live in your code. ## Quick comparison: SerpApi alternatives Select a name to jump to its review. | Product | Best for | Starting price | How it works | More | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Jsonify | Recurring datasets across many sites | Free 100 rows / month, then from $49 | You describe the dataset; Jason builds and repairs the pipeline | Review ↓ | | SerpApi | Developers who need search engine results as JSON | $25 / month | Search results API, billed per search in monthly allowances | Compare ↓ | | Serper | The cheapest Google results as JSON | $50 / 50,000 searches | Google search API, billed in prepaid credits | Review ↓ | | DataForSEO | Large scheduled batches of search results | $0.60 / 1,000 Google results pages | SERP and SEO data APIs, pay as you go per results page | Review ↓ | | Exa | Web search for AI agents | $4 / 1,000 searches | Own web index searched through an API, billed per request | Review ↓ | | Bright Data | Engineers who want scraping infrastructure | 5,000 free records / month | Proxies, unlocker and scraper APIs, priced per request or record | Compare → | | Firecrawl | Developers who want web content through an API | $19 / month | Scrape, crawl and monitor APIs, billed in credits | Compare → | Best for recurring, maintained datasets ## 1. Jsonify Describe the dataset you need: sources, fields and schedule. Jason, Jsonify’s AI data engineer, builds the pipeline and repairs it when a source changes. The pipeline then runs on schedule by itself, the same steps every time, and checks every row before delivery. **Best for** teams who need the same dataset every day or week, from several sites, without owning the scrapers. * Runs on your schedule * Extraction built and repaired by Jason * Every row checked before delivery * Source URL and read time on each row * Dataset version history * Delivery to Google Sheets, Snowflake, BigQuery, S3 or a webhook * Works inside ChatGPT and Claude From **$0** 100 rows a month free, no credit card. Then billed per verified row, $49 minimum. [Build something new](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Track+grocery+product+prices%2C+promotions+and+stock+across+retailer+websites+and+mobile+apps.+Match+identical+SKUs+and+pack+sizes+and+publish+a+daily+dataset+with+changes.) ![A Jsonify pipeline in Factory: a product list feeds fetch, extract, price-movement and validation steps that save a price observations dataset.](/assets/images/product/pipelines-steps.png) A price-tracking pipeline in Factory. Each step is visible, versioned and checked. ## Other SerpApi alternatives The tools SerpApi users most often consider, reviewed on the same terms. ![](/assets/images/competitors/serper.png) Best for the cheapest google results as json ### 2. Serper Serper is a Google search API: send a query and get organic results, images, news, maps, places, shopping or scholar results back as JSON in a second or two. It covers Google only, and sells prepaid credits instead of monthly plans. Pick Serper when You call Google search from your own code and want the lowest price per search. Pick Jsonify when You’d rather not build the collection around the API: describe the dataset and Jason builds, checks and repairs it. From **$50** / 50,000 searches · prepaid credits$1 per 1,000 searches at the Starter tier, falling to $0.75 at 500,000. Credits are valid for six months. 2,500 free queries to try, no card needed. [Visit Serper ↗](https://serper.dev/) ![](/assets/images/competitors/dataforseo.png) Best for large scheduled batches of search results ### 3. DataForSEO DataForSEO sells SEO data through APIs, including search results from Google, Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu and Naver. You choose per task between a cheap standard queue, a faster priority queue and live results. Pick DataForSEO when You run large batches of searches on a schedule and can wait minutes for results to save on price. Pick Jsonify when You want rows rather than an API to integrate: describe the dataset and Jason builds, checks and repairs it. From **$0.60** / 1,000 Google results pages · standard queueOne results page is up to 10 organic results. The priority queue is $1.20 per 1,000 and live mode $2.00. Search operators cost five times the base price, and each extra page of results is billed as another page. [Visit DataForSEO ↗](https://dataforseo.com/) ![](/assets/images/competitors/exa.png) Best for web search for ai agents ### 4. Exa Exa is a search engine built for AI applications. It runs its own web index and returns results with page text and highlights, so an agent can read them directly, and its monitors rerun a search on a schedule. Pick Exa when You’re building an AI agent or app that needs web search with page content, not a copy of Google’s results. Pick Jsonify when You want a maintained dataset rather than search results: describe it and Jason builds, checks and repairs the pipeline. From **$4** / 1,000 searches · LiteAuto search is $7 per 1,000 and deep search $12, each with up to 10 results; page contents cost $1 per 1,000 pages. Free: $10 of credit every month, no card needed. [Visit Exa ↗](https://exa.ai/) ![](/assets/images/competitors/bright-data.png) Best for engineers who want scraping infrastructure ### 5. Bright Data Bright Data supplies proxy infrastructure, scraping APIs and data products. Jsonify gives teams a pipeline built around their requested dataset, from sources through verification and publishing. Pick Bright Data when Your engineers want scraping APIs or infrastructure, or you are evaluating Bright Data’s ready-made or managed data products. Pick Jsonify when Your team wants to define the dataset and its checks, with the extraction workflow built and maintained around that brief. From **5,000 free** records / month · Web Scraper APIPaid API usage is priced per successful record; infrastructure and managed datasets have separate rates. Compare your selected endpoint, source coverage and delivery terms, rather than a proxy bandwidth price. [Jsonify vs Bright Data →](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/bright-data/) ![](/assets/images/competitors/firecrawl.png) Best for developers who want web content through an api ### 6. Firecrawl Firecrawl gives developers APIs for scraping, crawling and monitoring the web. Jsonify builds a pipeline around the dataset you describe, including processing, verification and repairs. Pick Firecrawl when You are building an application and want web content, structured extraction or change events through an API. Pick Jsonify when You want to describe a recurring dataset and have its collection, checks and delivery run as one maintained pipeline. From **$19** / month · Hobby5,000 credits per month on monthly billing. Free: 1,000 credits monthly. Basic scrape/crawl uses 1 credit per page; structured Monitor extraction uses 7 credits per page per check. [Jsonify vs Firecrawl →](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/firecrawl/) [Browse all comparisons →](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/) ## How to switch from SerpApi 1. **List what you collect.** Write down the queries, engines, locations, fields and how often you run them. Keep a recent output as the yardstick. 2. **Decide who maintains it.** If you want to keep your code and only cut the cost per search, Serper and DataForSEO also return Google results as JSON. If you’d rather stop maintaining the collection, give Jsonify the job and Jason builds the pipeline. 3. **Run both for one cycle.** Compare the new rows with your current output for a week, then cancel. SerpApi plans are month-to-month and can be cancelled at any time. ## Why teams choose Jsonify Since 2023 we’ve extracted billions of data points for teams at Bacardi, PwC, Geopost and more. > “The opportunity is validated. You did a very good job: your flexibility, the extractions, the speed… it’s quite impressive. This could really become a new capability for Bacardi.” ![](/assets/images/jesus-checa.jpg)**Jesus Checa**Chief Innovation Officer, Bacardi > “The speed, adaptability, and precision of Jsonify have truly stood out. It’s been impressive to see how quickly the product delivers real value in a dynamic environment.” ![](/assets/images/philipp-hodl.png)**Philipp Hodl**Plug and Play Ventures ## Look at the run after the source changes. A retailer moves its price field. Jason diagnoses the failed step, repairs the extraction and checks a sample before activating a new revision. Look for the revision, the verification result and the next published run. Repairs that cannot be verified need further investigation. [How repairs work →](https://www.jsonify.com/docs/data-agents) retail\_pricesv24 1. Monday · 06:00v23 ### Published 8,412 verified rows delivered. 2. Tuesday · 06:00v23 → v24 ### Repaired Price field moved. Extraction step updated. Sample verified before activation. 3. Wednesday · 06:00v24 ### Published again 8,427 verified rows delivered with the repaired pipeline. Illustrative run history. Revisions and counts are example data, not a customer incident or a measured comparison. ## The pipeline behind the rows. Collect websites and apps in parallel, then match and check the results. Pipeline revision v24 00 / BRIEF Track grocery product prices, promotions and stock across retailer websites and mobile apps. Match identical SKUs and pack sizes and publish a daily dataset with changes. Make this pipeline yours. Choose your sources, fields and refresh schedule. [Build this](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Track+grocery+product+prices%2C+promotions+and+stock+across+retailer+websites+and+mobile+apps.+Match+identical+SKUs+and+pack+sizes+and+publish+a+daily+dataset+with+changes.) [Learn more](https://www.jsonify.com/solutions/retail) Product catalog through Read retailer websites, Read retailer apps and Match products to Retail prices 1. 01 / Sources **Product catalog**SKUs, brands and retailers 2. 02 / Collect in parallel **Read retailer websites**Price and promotion details **Read retailer apps**Stock and app-only offers 3. 03 / Process & verify **Match products**Pack size, SKU and brand 4. 04 / Publish **Retail prices**Comparable shelf prices Email reportSnowflakeXLSX Illustrative pipeline. Customize the sources, fields, schedule and delivery. ## Jsonify vs SerpApi The differences that matter when you choose between them. | Feature | Jsonify | SerpApi | | --- | --- | --- | | Best for | Recurring datasets across many sites | Developers who need search engine results as JSON | | How it works | You describe the dataset; Jason builds and repairs the pipeline | Search results API, billed per search in monthly allowances | | Starting price | Free 100 rows / month, then from $49 | $25 / month | ## When SerpApi fits You’re a developer who needs search results as JSON inside your own product, such as rank tracking or web search for an AI agent. [Read SerpApi’s product information ↗](https://serpapi.com/pricing) ## When Jsonify fits You want the pages behind the results turned into structured rows on a schedule, without building the collection, extraction and checks yourself. [How Jsonify pipelines work →](https://www.jsonify.com/docs/how-jsonify-works) ## What to compare in an evaluation SerpApi counts one search per successful request, however many results it returns, and cached or failed searches are free. Plans are monthly allowances, from 1,000 searches for $25 to 30,000 for $275, with hourly throughput limits. The response is the results page: visiting each result and extracting its fields is a separate step. [SerpApi: product details](https://serpapi.com/pricing) ## SerpApi alternatives: questions What is the best SerpApi alternative? It depends on the job. Stay with SerpApi if you’re a developer who needs search results as JSON inside your own product, such as rank tracking or web search for an AI agent. Choose Jsonify if you want the pages behind the results turned into structured rows on a schedule, without building the collection, extraction and checks yourself. The other 5 options are reviewed above. How much does SerpApi cost? SerpApi starts at $25 / month · Starter. Starter includes 1,000 searches a month at up to 200 an hour; Developer is $75 for 5,000 and Production $150 for 15,000. Only successful searches count. Free: 250 searches a month. Full refund within 7 days if you’ve used less than 20% of your searches. Prices reviewed 13 November 2026; check SerpApi’s pricing page for current rates. [SerpApi pricing ↗](https://serpapi.com/pricing) Can I migrate from SerpApi to Jsonify? Yes. Describe your current SerpApi job or share its setup, and Jason rebuilds it as a Jsonify pipeline. You start free with 100 rows a month. [Start a migration →](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#jsonify) Is there a free SerpApi alternative? Yes. Jsonify’s free plan gives you 100 rows a month on a schedule, with the extraction built, checked and repaired for you. If you only want another search API to call from your own code, Serper gives 2,500 free queries with no card needed, and Exa $10 of free credit every month. SerpApi vs Serper: which is cheaper? Serper. It sells prepaid credits from $50 for 50,000 searches ($1 per 1,000), valid for six months, against $25 a month for 1,000 on SerpApi’s Starter plan. SerpApi covers many more engines and sites, from Google Maps and Amazon to YouTube and Walmart, and counts only successful searches. SerpApi vs DataForSEO: what’s the difference? DataForSEO is pay-as-you-go: a Google results page costs $0.0006 in its standard queue (about five minutes on average), $0.0012 in the priority queue and $0.002 in live mode. SerpApi returns results in real time on a monthly plan. DataForSEO suits large scheduled batches; SerpApi suits live lookups inside an app. ## Which tool is right for you? Start from the job you need done. * You’re a developer who needs search results as JSON inside your own product, such as rank tracking or web search for an AI agent.**[SerpApi](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#vs)** * The cheapest Google results as JSON**[Serper](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#serper)** * Large scheduled batches of search results**[DataForSEO](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#dataforseo)** * Web search for AI agents**[Exa](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#exa)** * Engineers who want scraping infrastructure**[Bright Data](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#bright-data)** * Developers who want web content through an API**[Firecrawl](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#firecrawl)** * You want the pages behind the results turned into structured rows on a schedule, without building the collection, extraction and checks yourself.**[Jsonify](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/serpapi/#jsonify)** ## Related on Jsonify * [ComparisonApify alternativesApify is a platform and marketplace for running Actors. Jsonify builds a connected pipeline for the dataset you need ...](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/apify/) * [GuideJason is all you need.In 2026 we rebuilt Jsonify from the ground up. No more workflow builders. Tell Jason, our Head of Data, what data you...](https://www.jsonify.com/blog/jason-is-all-you-need/) * [GuideThe best data extraction tools in 2026, by jobWhat is the best tool for scraping? It depends on the job. Thirteen data extraction tools compared, with the best pic...](https://www.jsonify.com/blog/best-data-extraction-tools-2026/) * [ComparisonBright Data alternativesBright Data supplies proxy infrastructure, scraping APIs and data products. Jsonify gives teams a pipeline built arou...](https://www.jsonify.com/compare/bright-data/) Sources[Google Maps business listings](https://www.jsonify.com/sources/google_maps)[Zillow property listings](https://www.jsonify.com/sources/zillow)[Amazon.com offers and prices](https://www.jsonify.com/sources/amazon_us)[Reddit subreddit posts](https://www.jsonify.com/sources/reddit) Start free ## Try it with your own sources. Describe the data you need. Build for free with 100 rows a month, no credit card required. [Build →](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup)[Book a demo](https://calendly.com/paulhunkin/30min) [**Competitor prices**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Track+product+prices%2C+promotions+and+availability+across+competing+retailers+every+day.) [**Restaurant menus**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Collect+restaurant+and+bar+menus+from+websites+and+delivery+apps%2C+including+items%2C+prices+and+locations.) [**Job listings**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Collect+new+job+listings+from+company+career+pages%2C+with+role%2C+location%2C+salary%2C+requirements+and+application+links.) [**News monitoring**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Monitor+news+websites+for+mentions+of+my+company+and+competitors%2C+collecting+headlines%2C+publication+dates%2C+article+text+and+links+every+day.) [**Property listings**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Collect+property+listings+from+real+estate+websites%2C+including+price%2C+location%2C+bedrooms%2C+floor+area+and+listing+links%2C+refreshed+daily.) [**Customer reviews**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Collect+public+customer+reviews+for+competing+products+and+apps%2C+including+ratings%2C+review+text%2C+dates+and+source+links.) [**Grocery prices**](https://factory.jsonify.com/setup?q=Track+supermarket+grocery+prices+across+chains%2C+including+product+names%2C+sizes%2C+prices+and+promotions%2C+refreshed+daily.) [**Insurance quotes**](https://www.jsonify.com/products/benchmark) [**Rental rates**](https://www.jsonify.com/products/benchmark) [**Broadband offers**](https://www.jsonify.com/products/benchmark) ## Migrate from your current tool Share what you run on your current tool today. Jason, Jsonify’s AI data engineer, reads it and proposes the same pipelines on Jsonify, with checks and repairs built in. What do you run on your current tool? Don’t include passwords or API keys. Exports, task configs and screenshots can be attached in Jsonify on the next step. [Privacy](https://www.jsonify.com/legal/privacy)