SerpApi vs SearchApi: Google AI only vs the AI engines too
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Cloro Reviews · Updated October 3, 2026 · Grounded in 79 G2 reviews of the two APIs
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.
SerpApi vs SearchApi: the short answer
Their classic catalogs are close: both list Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, Amazon, eBay and Yelp. The difference is AI and price. SearchApi adds ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot APIs and costs less per search once you pay. SerpApi has a free tier that refills each month, a $25 entry plan, and published hourly throughput.
Both bill only for successful searches, and neither offers pay as you go: reviewers of each ask for credit packs instead of monthly plans.
SerpApi vs SearchApi at a glance
| Compared on | SerpApi | SearchApi |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 250 searches a month | 100 requests in total |
| Entry paid plan | Starter, $25/mo for 1,000 searches | Developer, $40/mo for 10,000 searches |
| Google searches per 1,000 | $15 on Developer ($75/mo); $9.17 on Big Data ($275/mo) | $4.00 on Developer; $2.86 on Production ($100/mo) |
| ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini | Not listed on its pricing or AI pages | Yes |
| Google AI Overview / AI Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Classic engines | Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, Yelp and more | Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, Yelp and more |
| Failed requests | Not charged | Not charged |
| G2 sample (pulled Oct 3, 2026) | 4.81 from 29 reviews, 2021 to 2026 | 4.7 from its 50 latest, Sep to Oct 2026 |
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.
What switchers say about SerpApi vs SearchApi
Some SearchApi reviewers moved from SerpApi for the price, and a few notice the speed trade-off:
“I’m currently trying to switch from SerpAPI to SearchAPI, but I feel the API response time is slightly longer with SearchAPI.”Verified User in Retail, G2, September 2026
SerpApi's own reviewers rarely fault the data. Their complaints are about the monthly model:
“Credits expire with every renewal.”Malay T., G2, July 2026
When neither SerpApi nor SearchApi fits
If AI answers are the main job, Cloro is built for it: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, AI Mode and AI Overview return in one format with their cited sources, Google searches cost $1.20 per 1,000 on its $100 Hobby plan, and 500 free credits refill every month. It covers only Google among classic engines and has no pay as you go.
Compare it with each: Cloro vs SerpApi and Cloro vs SearchApi.
How we sourced this: prices and engine lists come from each vendor's pricing and product pages on October 3, 2026. G2 figures come from our pull the same day: all 29 SerpApi reviews and SearchApi's 50 most recent. Quotes are verbatim.
SerpApi vs SearchApi FAQ
Is SerpApi or SearchApi cheaper?+
SearchApi, per search: $4.00 per 1,000 on its $40 Developer plan against $15 per 1,000 on SerpApi's $75 Developer plan, per their pricing pages on October 3, 2026. SerpApi's $25 Starter is cheaper if you need under 1,000 searches a month, and its free tier refills monthly.
Does SerpApi or SearchApi cover ChatGPT?+
SearchApi lists ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot APIs. SerpApi lists Google AI Overview and AI Mode but no ChatGPT, Perplexity or Copilot API.
How do SerpApi and SearchApi reviews compare on G2?+
Both are well rated. In our October 3, 2026 pull, SerpApi's 29 G2 reviews averaged 4.81 and SearchApi's 50 most recent averaged 4.7. SerpApi's reviews span 2021 to 2026 and SearchApi's were all written in September and October 2026, so read the gap as small.
What if I mainly need AI answers?+
Then compare SearchApi with an AI-first API such as Cloro, which returns ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini and Google answers in one format with a free tier that refills monthly.