An r/mcp thread launched a free anti-bot Google search MCP after benchmarking 6 existing free Google search MCPs and finding all of them broken. Five anti-bot search options ranked for sustainability, TOS posture, and engineering tax.
Top Pick
Hosted SERP APIs (Scavio, Serper, SerpAPI) outlast every 'free Google search MCP via stealth Chrome' for production work. The free anti-bot MCPs are great for personal projects; they're not for paid customers.
Full Ranking
#1Our Pick
Scavio MCP (hosted SERP API, multi-platform)
Production agents, paid customers, paid pipelines
Pros
- Vendor maintains parsers
- Multi-platform under one key
- TOS-safe
Cons
- Paid above the free tier
#2
Free anti-bot search MCP (warm Chrome + stealth)
Personal projects, hobby agents
Pros
- No API key
- Free at any volume
- Local-only
Cons
- Breaks under aggressive anti-bot, you maintain
- Single-machine throughput
#3
Serper MCP / direct API
Google-only agents needing low cost
Pros
- Cheap per-query
Cons
- Google-only, no YouTube/Amazon
#4
SerpAPI MCP / direct API
Multi-engine SERP needs
Pros
- 60+ engines
Cons
- Higher per-query cost
#5
Hardcoded fetch MCP
Internal sites without bot protection
Pros
- Lightweight
Cons
- Blocked by Google/most public sites
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Scavio | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production stability | High (vendor) | Low (DIY) | High |
| Free volume | 500/mo recurring | Unlimited (until block) | 2.5K/mo |
| Multi-platform | Yes | Google only | Google only |
| Best for | Production / paid agents | Personal projects | Google-only commercial |
Why Scavio Wins
- The OP's frustration is real: free Google search MCPs that rely on stealth Chrome eventually break. Anti-bot detection is an arms race the small OSS maintainer almost always loses to Google's scale.
- Scavio's role here is the boring-but-stable choice for production. The free 500/mo tier overlaps the use cases where the anti-bot MCP wins (personal/hobby), and the paid tiers cover production.
- Honest credit to the OP's project: for personal Claude Code agents that need 'just enough' Google search and where downtime is fine, a stealth-Chrome MCP is genuinely useful. Use it, but don't put a paid customer behind it.
- Why multi-platform matters here: the OP only needed Google. Most production agents end up needing Reddit signal, YouTube comments, or Amazon product data within a quarter. Scavio's six platforms under one key is what 'production-ready' looks like.
- Cost math: a personal project hitting 500 queries/mo = free. A production agent hitting 5K/mo = $30. A paid-customer pipeline hitting 50K/mo = ~$215. Predictable, not 'works for two months then breaks at the worst time'.