Brave Search API vs SerpApi: search and web data API pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-10 · listed A to Z, not ranked
The Brave Search API gives apps and AI agents results from Brave's own web index, plus LLM-ready context and summarized answers. It uses prepaid credits, no subscription.
SerpApi is an API that returns search engine results pages (Google and others) as structured JSON. Plans are priced by searches per month.
Listed A to Z, from brave.com and serpapi.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- Search, Answers, Enterprise
- Free option
- Search and Answers each include $5 in free credits every month
- Published prices
- Search $5 per 1,000 requests, Answers $4 per 1,000 plus $5 per million tokens; $5 free credits monthly.
- Main price table
- Free, Starter, Developer, Production, Big Data, Enterprise
- Free option
- Free: $0
- Published prices
- Free 250 searches/month, Starter $25/mo (1,000 searches), Developer $75, Production $150, Big Data $275. Month to month.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Brave Search API checked Nov 10, 2026, SerpApi checked Nov 10, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Brave Search API lists 3 entries (Search, Answers, Enterprise); SerpApi lists 6 (Free, Starter, Developer, Production, Big Data, Enterprise).
- Free option. Brave Search API: Search and Answers each include $5 in free credits every month. SerpApi: Free: $0.
- How prices are quoted. Brave Search API: “Plans”. SerpApi: “Plans (month to month)”.
Brave Search API plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Free credits | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | $5 per 1,000 requests | $5 every month | 50 queries per second |
| Answers | $4 per 1,000 requests + $5 per million input/output tokens | $5 every month | 2 queries per second |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | - | Custom |
Search includes Goggles (custom reranking and filtering), extra alternate snippets and schema-enriched results. Answers adds citations, streaming and OpenAI SDK compatibility. Enterprise adds full-funnel Zero Data Retention, custom agreements and invoicing. The page headline says up to $20 in free calls every month.
From brave.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Brave Search API pricing.
SerpApi plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Searches per month | Throughput per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 250 | 50 |
| Starter | $25/month | 1,000 | 200 |
| Developer | $75/month | 5,000 | 1,000 |
| Production | $150/month | 15,000 | 3,000 |
| Big Data | $275/month | 30,000 | 6,000 |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Custom | Custom |
Plans are month to month and can be cancelled anytime.
From serpapi.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: SerpApi pricing.
FAQ
How much does Brave Search API cost?
Search $5 per 1,000 requests, Answers $4 per 1,000 plus $5 per million tokens; $5 free credits monthly. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much does SerpApi cost?
Free 250 searches/month, Starter $25/mo (1,000 searches), Developer $75, Production $150, Big Data $275. Month to month. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Do Brave Search API and SerpApi have a free option?
Brave Search API: Search and Answers each include $5 in free credits every month. SerpApi: Free: $0.
Which is better, Brave Search API or SerpApi?
We do not pick a winner. The two price and package their products differently; the tables above quote each official pricing page so you can match a plan to your own usage.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: brave.com (checked Nov 10, 2026) and serpapi.com (checked Nov 10, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-10)
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