Brave Search API vs Tavily: 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.
Tavily is a search API for AI agents. It bills in API credits: each endpoint uses a set number of credits per request, and you buy credits pay as you go or in a monthly plan.
Listed A to Z, from brave.com and tavily.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
- Pay as you go, Project, Bootstrap, Startup, Growth, Enterprise
- Free option
- Pay as you go: Per usage
- Published prices
- $0.008 per credit pay as you go, monthly plans from $30, how many credits search, extract, map, crawl and research use, and its x402 route.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Brave Search API checked Nov 10, 2026, Tavily 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); Tavily lists 6 (Pay as you go, Project, Bootstrap, Startup, Growth, Enterprise).
- Free option. Brave Search API: Search and Answers each include $5 in free credits every month. Tavily: Pay as you go: Per usage.
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.
Tavily plans and prices
| Plan | Credits per month | Monthly price | Price per credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | Per usage | Per usage | $0.008 |
| Project | 4,000 | $30 | $0.0075 |
| Bootstrap | 15,000 | $100 | $0.0067 |
| Startup | 38,000 | $220 | $0.0058 |
| Growth | 100,000 | $500 | $0.005 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Monthly plan credits reset on the first day of each month.
| Endpoint | Credits |
|---|---|
| Search, basic depth | 1 credit per request |
| Search, advanced depth | 2 credits per request |
| Extract, basic / advanced | 1 / 2 credits per 5 successful URLs |
| Map, regular / with instructions | 1 / 2 credits per 10 successful pages |
| Crawl | Mapping cost + extraction cost |
| Research (mini / pro) | 4–110 / 15–250 credits per request |
Tavily says failed URL extractions and failed map requests are not charged.
From tavily.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Tavily 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 Tavily cost?
$0.008 per credit pay as you go, monthly plans from $30, how many credits search, extract, map, crawl and research use, and its x402 route. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Do Brave Search API and Tavily have a free option?
Brave Search API: Search and Answers each include $5 in free credits every month. Tavily: Pay as you go: Per usage.
Which is better, Brave Search API or Tavily?
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 tavily.com (checked Nov 10, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-10)
- brave.com
- brave.com/search/api
- tavily.com
- tavily.com/pricing
- docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits
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