Google Custom Search JSON API vs Scavio
Google Custom Search JSON API (100 free/day, $5/1K after) provides direct access to Google's index but limits you to web search with strict quotas. Scavio ($30/mo for 7,000 credits, 50 free on signup) adds Amazon, YouTube, Reddit, and Walmart alongside Google through one unified endpoint.
50 free credits · no credit card
Google Custom Search JSON API
Closed to new customers; retiring Jan 1, 2027. Existing customers: 100 free queries/day; $5/1K after; 10K/day max
Strengths
- Direct Google index access (official API)
- Programmable search engine with site restrictions
- Official Google product
- Image search support
Weaknesses
- 100 free/day limit (3K/mo equivalent)
- Hard cap at 10K queries/day
- Web-only (no Amazon, Reddit, YouTube, Walmart)
- Complex setup (Custom Search Engine ID + API key)
- No MCP or agent framework integrations
Scavio
50 free credits once, no card. Pay as you go $0.01 per credit, or plans from $30/mo for 7,000 credits ($24/mo billed yearly) to $500/mo for 200,000 credits.
Strengths
- 50+ platforms in one API
- 50 free on signup (no daily cap)
- Simple API (one endpoint, one key)
- MCP, LangChain, CrewAI integrations
Weaknesses
- Not an official Google product
- No site-restricted search engine
- No image search endpoint
- Cannot customize search engine behavior
Feature-by-feature comparison
Verdict
Google Custom Search is the right choice when you need official Google access with site restrictions or image search. Scavio is simpler to set up, has no daily caps, and covers 50+ platforms. Custom Search costs $0.005/query after its free tier; Scavio costs about $0.0043 per credit on the $30 Project plan ($0.01 pay as you go), and Scavio's free tier is more usable for agent workflows (no 100/day throttle).
Consider Scavio instead
Scavio matches Google Custom Search on per-query cost and eliminates the daily cap and complex setup. For agents that need Amazon prices, Reddit discussions, or YouTube data alongside Google results, Scavio covers all five in one API call with native MCP support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google Custom Search JSON API (100 free/day, $5/1K after) provides direct access to Google's index but limits you to web search with strict quotas. Scavio ($30/mo for 7,000 credits, 50 free on signup) adds Amazon, YouTube, Reddit, and Walmart alongside Google through one unified endpoint.
Google Custom Search JSON API is priced at Closed to new customers; retiring Jan 1, 2027. Existing customers: 100 free queries/day; $5/1K after; 10K/day max. Scavio is priced at 50 free credits once, no card. Pay as you go $0.01 per credit, or plans from $30/mo for 7,000 credits ($24/mo billed yearly) to $500/mo for 200,000 credits.. The better value depends on your usage volume and feature requirements.
Scavio matches Google Custom Search on per-query cost and eliminates the daily cap and complex setup. For agents that need Amazon prices, Reddit discussions, or YouTube data alongside Google results, Scavio covers all five in one API call with native MCP support.
Some teams use both tools for different parts of their pipeline. However, a unified API like Scavio can replace the need for multiple subscriptions by providing search, content extraction, YouTube, and Amazon data from a single endpoint.
Try Scavio for free
50 free credits on signup. Structured data from 50+ platforms, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Walmart and Reddit. No credit card required.