SERP API pricing is confusing: some charge per query, some per credit (with multipliers), some per month with use-it-or-lose-it allocations. We normalized every major provider to a single metric: effective cost per Google search query. All pricing verified against official pages as of May 2026.
Top Pick
Serper wins on raw price per query at scale ($0.10/1K on Pro). Scavio wins on value per dollar with multi-platform coverage making each query more versatile.
Full Ranking
#1
Serper
Highest volume Google-only search at lowest cost
Pros
- $0.10 per 1,000 queries at scale
- 2,500 free queries/month
- Fast responses
- Simple API
Cons
- Google only (1 platform)
- No SERP features like AI Overview
- No content extraction
- Less structured data
#2Our Pick
Scavio
Multi-platform search at fair per-query pricing
Pros
- $5/1K but covers 5 platforms
- 500 free/month
- AI Overview + PAA included
- MCP server included
- Reddit + YouTube + Amazon + Walmart
Cons
- $5/1K is 5x Serper for Google-only
- Smaller free tier than Serper
#3
Brave Search API
Independent index at same price point as Scavio
Pros
- $5/1K (same as Scavio)
- Independent web index
- Answer generation included
- Good documentation
Cons
- No free tier (attribution required)
- Single platform
- No SERP features
- Removed free tier Feb 2026
#4
Tavily
AI-enhanced search at moderate cost
Pros
- 1,000 free/month
- AI answer included
- Good for research
- LangChain native
Cons
- $8/1K on PAYG is expensive
- Web only
- Credits expire monthly
- Complex pricing tiers
#5
SerpAPI
Comprehensive SERP data at premium pricing
Pros
- Most complete SERP features
- 15+ search engines
- Mature and reliable
- 100 free/month
Cons
- $15/1K is expensive
- Active DMCA lawsuit
- Credits expire monthly
- $75/mo minimum for meaningful volume
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Scavio | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per 1K Queries | $5 | $0.10 (Pro) | $5 |
| Free Tier | 500/mo | 2,500/mo | $5 credit/mo |
| Platforms per Dollar | 5 platforms | 1 platform | 1 platform |
| Effective Cost/Platform/Query | $0.001 | $0.001 | $0.005 |
| Volume Discount | No (flat $0.005) | Yes (drops to $0.03/1K) | No |
| SERP Features Included | Yes | Limited | Limited |
Why Scavio Wins
- At $0.005/query across 5 platforms, the effective cost per platform is $0.001/query. Cheaper than running 5 separate Serper accounts.
- Includes SERP features (AI Overview, PAA, Knowledge Graph) at no extra cost. SerpAPI charges $15/1K for comparable depth.
- 500 free credits/month with no attribution requirement. Brave's $5 credit requires attribution in your project.
- Credit-based with no expiration pressure. Unlike SerpAPI and Tavily, unused Scavio credits persist (on-demand purchases).
- MCP server included at no extra cost. Most providers charge separately or require self-hosting community MCP servers.