SerpApi alternatives, matched to why you're switching

By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Cloro Reviews · Updated October 3, 2026 · Grounded in 79 SerpApi reviews pulled October 3, 2026

Disclosure: this site reviews Cloro and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. Cloro is one option below, and we say where it isn't the right fix.

Why buyers look past SerpApi

SerpApi's reviewers like it. Its 29 G2 reviews in our pull average 4.81 out of 5, and its 50 most recent Trustpilot reviews, all unprompted, average 4.98. People rarely leave over quality.

They leave over three things: the AI answer engines are missing (SerpApi lists Google AI Overview and AI Mode, but no ChatGPT, Perplexity or Copilot API), the per-search price on monthly plans, and a subscription that fits steady usage better than bursts.

“Credits expire with every renewal.”Malay T., G2, July 2026
“The monthly subscription model doesn't fit our unpredictable API usage needs.”Leo L., G2, September 2023

Match the SerpApi alternative to your reason for leaving

Compared onBest alternativeCheck before switching
You need ChatGPT, Perplexity or Copilot answersCloroGoogle is its only classic engine; no Bing, YouTube or Amazon
Google searches cost too muchCloro$1.20 per 1,000 on Hobby ($100/mo) uses async requests; it is still a monthly plan
You want per-search pricing with AI enginesSearchApiFree tier is 100 requests in total
Usage is sporadic and you want pay as you goBright DataUnprompted Trustpilot reviews average 3.0, mostly on support and KYC
You need Claude or broader SEO dataDataForSEO$50 minimum payment; credit is not refunded

Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-03. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.

The 4 best SerpApi alternatives

  1. Cloro

    AI answers in the same format as Google

    ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, Google AI Mode and AI Overview come back in one JSON shape with their cited sources, next to Google Search. Google searches cost $1.20 per 1,000 on the $100 Hobby plan against SerpApi's $15 on its $75 Developer plan. The free tier is 500 credits a month with no card. Caveats: no other classic engines, no pay as you go, and its G2 reviewers rate value for money as its weakest point.

    Cloro vs SerpApi →
  2. SearchApi

    Per-search billing, AI engines included

    The closest match to Cloro: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, AI Mode and AI Overview next to Google, billed per search from $40 a month for 10,000, with plans up to 5 million searches. Its free tier is 100 requests in total, not monthly, and its G2 reviewers ask for pay as you go.

    Cloro vs SearchApi →
  3. Bright Data

    Pay as you go at scale

    SERP API and ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and AI Mode scrapers at $1.50 per 1,000 records pay as you go, a free 5,000 records a month, and unlimited concurrency. Its unprompted Trustpilot reviews average 3.0 and keep returning to slow support and a demanding KYC check.

    Cloro vs Bright Data →
  4. DataForSEO

    Claude coverage, pay per task

    Pay as you go with a $50 minimum payment, Claude through its LLM Mentions and Responses APIs, ChatGPT and Gemini scrapers, and the rest of an SEO data platform in the same account. Unused credit is not refunded, and G2 reviewers mention a learning curve across its many endpoints.

    Cloro vs DataForSEO →

When to stay with SerpApi

Stay if you need engines beyond Google: Bing, Baidu, Yandex, YouTube, Amazon, eBay and Yelp sit under one SerpApi key, and every plan publishes an hourly throughput limit. Its review record is strong on both G2 and Trustpilot.

Switch to Cloro if AI answers are the point. It returns ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and Gemini in the same format as its Google results, and on Google alone its credits cost less per search than SerpApi's plans.

Read every review behind these claims on the full Cloro review record.

Try Cloro free

How we sourced this: on October 3, 2026 we pulled SerpApi's 50 most recent Trustpilot reviews (May 2025 to September 2026) and all 29 of its G2 reviews (2021 to July 2026). Trustpilot labels each review as invited or organic; all 50 were organic. Cloro has no Trustpilot profile, so there is no like-for-like Trustpilot comparison, and on G2 SerpApi's sample average (4.81) is higher than Cloro's (4.66), so we claim no review-score win. Prices are from each vendor's pricing page on the same date. Quotes are verbatim.

SerpApi alternatives FAQ

What are the best SerpApi alternatives?+

Cloro if you need ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and Gemini answers next to Google, SearchApi for per-search billing with AI engines, Bright Data for pay as you go, and DataForSEO for Claude coverage or broader SEO data.

What do SerpApi reviews say?+

Mostly good things. In our October 3, 2026 pull, 29 G2 reviews averaged 4.81 and 50 recent Trustpilot reviews, all unprompted, averaged 4.98. The recurring complaints are price, credits that expire at renewal, and a subscription that does not suit sporadic use.

Is Cloro better than SerpApi?+

For AI answers, yes on coverage: SerpApi lists no ChatGPT, Perplexity or Copilot API. For Google, Cloro costs less per search. SerpApi covers far more engines and has the stronger review record, so it stays the better pick for Bing, YouTube or shopping data.

Does SerpApi publish pricing?+

Yes. Plans start at $25 a month for 1,000 searches, with a free tier of 250 searches a month, per its pricing page on October 3, 2026.

Keep comparing

Ready to try it yourself?

Start on Cloro's free tier

Free tier: 500 credits a month, no card required

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