Google I/O 2026 rolled out AI Mode to over 1 billion users with Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default, fundamentally changing how search results appear. Search APIs that return structured SERP data now must handle AI Mode responses alongside traditional results. Scavio API leads this ranking because it returns structured JSON from Google SERPs including AI Mode changes at $0.005/query.
Scavio API delivers structured Google SERP data post-AI Mode at $0.005/query, covering the new search landscape while also providing Amazon, YouTube, Walmart, Reddit, and TikTok data in the same API.
Full Ranking
Scavio API
Structured SERP data across 6 platforms at lowest cost after AI Mode rollout
- $0.005/query covers post-AI Mode Google SERPs
- 6 platforms in one API key
- Free 250 credits/month, no CC
- MCP and LangChain integration
- No AI Mode-specific parsing yet
- No keyword difficulty or domain authority
- Newer brand than established SERP APIs
- No historical SERP data
Exa
Neural search that bypasses traditional SERPs entirely for content discovery
- Neural search returns content, not links
- Free 1K searches/month
- Exa Deep at $12/1K for research-grade results
- Raised $250M at $2.2B valuation, well-funded
- Not a traditional SERP API
- $7/1K searches adds up at scale
- No Google SERP feature extraction
- Different paradigm requires rethinking pipelines
SerpAPI
Most comprehensive Google SERP parsing including AI features
- Industry-leading SERP feature extraction
- AI Overview parsing
- Multiple search engines
- Well-documented and reliable
- $25/mo for just 1K searches
- 5x more expensive per query than Scavio
- Google-heavy, limited marketplace coverage
- No MCP integration
DataForSEO
Cheapest per-query SERP data for high-volume post-AI Mode monitoring
- $0.0006/query in queue mode
- 100+ API endpoints
- AI Overview data in results
- Bulk processing support
- $50 minimum deposit required
- Queue mode adds latency
- Complex API with steep learning curve
- No marketplace or social platform data
Brave Search API
Independent search index not dependent on Google AI Mode changes
- Independent search index, not Google-dependent
- Web, news, and image search
- Privacy-focused
- Not affected by Google AI Mode changes
- No free tier, CC required from day one
- Smaller index than Google
- Limited SERP feature data
- No marketplace search coverage
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Scavio | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per 1K queries | $5 | $7 (API), free 1K/mo | $25 |
| Post-AI Mode Google data | Yes (SERP JSON) | No (neural search) | Yes (parsed) |
| Platforms beyond Google | Amazon, YouTube, Walmart, Reddit, TikTok | Web content only | Google-focused |
| Free tier | 250/mo, no CC | 1K/mo | 250/mo |
| MCP support | Yes | No | No |
| AI-native search | No (SERP data) | Yes (neural) | No (SERP parsing) |
Why Scavio Wins
- At $0.005/query across 6 platforms, Scavio provides the broadest search coverage at the lowest cost for teams adapting to post-AI Mode search
- MCP integration at mcp.scavio.dev/mcp means AI agents can query post-AI Mode SERPs without custom integration code
- Exa wins for teams that want to bypass Google SERPs entirely with neural search that returns content directly rather than links
- DataForSEO wins for high-volume monitoring where $0.0006/query queue pricing saves money at 50K+ daily queries
- Scavio does not yet offer AI Mode-specific parsing; teams needing detailed AI Overview extraction should use SerpAPI until Scavio adds this feature