← SERP / search results API
Serper vs SerpApi for SERP / search results API (Oct 2026)
Depot Pick for this job: Serper. SerpApi is a ranked runner-up. Both have a sourced price in usd_per_1k_searches, so this comparison is like for like on price. Prices are each provider's lowest sourced SKU in that unit only (no blending across units, input/output or context tiers), not quality-adjusted.
| Serper (Depot Pick) | SerpApi | |
|---|---|---|
| Job-weighted overall | 8.03 | 8.15 |
| Capability fit | 8 | 8.6 |
| Price / performance | 9.5 | 7.4 |
| Latency / reliability | 8 | 8.8 |
| Developer & agent DX | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Privacy / data retention | 6 | 7 |
| Lock-in risk (higher = worse) | 4 | 3.5 |
| Maturity / track record | 7.8 | 9 |
| Lowest sourced SKU (usd_per_1k_searches) | $1 (Google SERP API, Starter top-up · usd_per_1k_searches) source · as of 2026-10-19 | $15 (SerpApi Developer Plan ($75/mo for 5,000 searches = $15.00 / 1k searches) · usd_per_1k_searches) source · as of 2026-10-28 |
| Free option for this job | none listed | none listed |
| Score kind / confidence | curated_estimate / high | curated_estimate / high |
When not to use Serper
privacy index — Brave; AI-agent search — Tavily/Exa.
Lock-in
Stored lock-in risk (0–10, higher = more lock-in): Serper 4, SerpApi 3.5.
Agents: GET /api/compare?providers=serper,serpapi&jtbd=serp-scrape · full job page · methodology