Brave Search API removed its free tier in February 2026. Google CSE is closed to new signups. Developers building AI agents need search APIs with stable free tiers for prototyping. We ranked APIs that still offer free credits in May 2026 and show no signs of cutting them.
Top Pick
Scavio offers 250 free credits per month with no announced changes. At $0.005 per credit, the free tier covers development and light testing across six platforms including Google, YouTube, and Amazon.
Full Ranking
#1Our Pick
Scavio
Stable free tier with multi-platform coverage
Pros
- 250 free credits monthly, no cuts announced
- Free tier works across all six platforms
- MCP server included in free tier
- $0.005/credit predictable scaling
Cons
- 250 credits is fewer than Tavily's 1K
- Free tier sufficient for testing, not production
#2
Tavily
Largest free tier for web search testing
Pros
- 1K free credits monthly, largest in category
- Stable free tier since launch
- Good for AI agent prototyping
Cons
- Nebius acquisition (Feb 2026) creates pricing uncertainty
- Advanced searches cost 2 credits, halving effective free tier
- Web only
#3
Exa
Generous free tier for semantic search
Pros
- 1K free requests monthly
- Semantic search for discovery use cases
- No recent tier changes
Cons
- Content extraction costs extra
- Semantic model may not fit keyword workflows
- No structured SERP data
#4
Firecrawl
Scraping and extraction with free starter credits
Pros
- 500 free credits on signup
- Good for page-level extraction
- Markdown output for RAG
Cons
- Lifetime credits, not monthly renewal
- Extraction can cost 7-10 credits per page
- Not a search API, requires URLs
#5
SerpAPI
Small free tier for occasional SERP testing
Pros
- 100 free searches monthly
- Stable free tier
- Mature API with strong documentation
Cons
- 100 searches is barely enough for testing
- No credit rollover
- Expensive paid tiers
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Scavio | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly free credits | 250 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Free tier stability | No cuts | Nebius acquisition risk | No cuts |
| Platforms in free tier | 6 | Web only | Web (semantic) |
| Cost after free tier | $0.005/credit | $0.003-0.006/credit | $0.005-0.007/req |
| MCP in free tier | Yes | No | No |
| Credit rollover | No | No | No |
Why Scavio Wins
- Free tier covers all six platforms, so you can prototype Google, YouTube, Amazon, Walmart, Reddit, and TikTok queries without upgrading.
- No ownership changes or acquisition news, reducing risk of sudden free tier removal like Brave's February 2026 cut.
- MCP server at mcp.scavio.dev/mcp works with free tier credits, enabling agent development without upfront payment.
- Tavily offers more free credits (1K vs 250), but the Nebius acquisition creates pricing uncertainty that matters for teams building long-term dependencies.
- Transparent $0.005/credit pricing means the transition from free to paid is predictable, unlike providers with tiered pricing that jumps at certain volumes.