SERP guide · metering rules

SERP API Pricing Comparison: How Each Provider Meters

Google, Bing, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo: live · Baidu and Ecosia: opening soon · not GA

Headline prices are hard to compare because providers count different things. This guide calculates the cost of the same Google organic workload using official prices checked November 6, 2026. Monthly bills and prepaid cash requirements are shown separately.

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Baidu and Ecosia endpoints opening soon.

Published 2026-11-04 · Updated 2026-11-06

Unit glossary

Four ways SERP APIs meter usage
Unit	What is counted	What to check
Per search	One query that returns a results page	Whether a failed or empty search counts
Per credit	An internal unit; one search may cost one or several credits	How many credits each endpoint or option costs
Per request	Each HTTP call, sometimes including retries	Whether retries and polls are billed
Deposit	Money or credits paid in advance and drawn down	Expiry and refund rules for unused balance

Per search

What is counted: One query that returns a results page

What to check: Whether a failed or empty search counts

Per credit

What is counted: An internal unit; one search may cost one or several credits

What to check: How many credits each endpoint or option costs

Per request

What is counted: Each HTTP call, sometimes including retries

What to check: Whether retries and polls are billed

Deposit

What is counted: Money or credits paid in advance and drawn down

What to check: Expiry and refund rules for unused balance

Same workload, actual amounts

USD before tax, checked November 6, 2026. One successful Google organic results page per search; no retries, cached responses, premium options or free/promotional credits. Monthly providers use the smallest listed monthly plan that covers the workload. No annual discount assumed.

Required payment for 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 searches in one month
Provider / model	1,000 searches	5,000 searches	10,000 searches
SerpApi monthly	$25 Starter / 1,000 included	$75 Developer / 5,000 included	$150 Production / 15,000 included
SearchApi monthly	$40 Developer / 10,000 included	$40 Developer / 10,000 included	$40 Developer / 10,000 included
Serper prepaid	$50 upfront; $1 consumed	$50 upfront; $5 consumed	$50 upfront; $10 consumed
SpideyData pay as you go	$5 minimum top-up; $2 consumed	$10 top-up; $10 consumed	$20 top-up; $20 consumed

SerpApi monthly

1,000 searches: $25 Starter / 1,000 included

5,000 searches: $75 Developer / 5,000 included

10,000 searches: $150 Production / 15,000 included

SearchApi monthly

1,000 searches: $40 Developer / 10,000 included

5,000 searches: $40 Developer / 10,000 included

10,000 searches: $40 Developer / 10,000 included

Serper prepaid

1,000 searches: $50 upfront; $1 consumed

5,000 searches: $50 upfront; $5 consumed

10,000 searches: $50 upfront; $10 consumed

SpideyData pay as you go

1,000 searches: $5 minimum top-up; $2 consumed

5,000 searches: $10 top-up; $10 consumed

10,000 searches: $20 top-up; $20 consumed

Serper Starter buys 50,000 credits for $50 and credits expire after six months. Consumed cost is searches × $50 / 50,000; the remaining balance is not a cash saving unless you use it. SpideyData uses 2 Credits/search and 1,000 Credits/USD, with a $5 minimum top-up. Calculations assume a new account with no balance or subscription credits.

At 10,000 searches, Serper consumes $10 but requires a $50 purchase; SpideyData consumes and requires $20; SearchApi's monthly bill is $40; SerpApi's is $150 with 5,000 searches left in the plan. This is a cost comparison, not a quality-equivalence claim.

SerpApi states that failed and cached searches do not count, while successful empty results do. SearchApi advertises successful-search billing. SpideyData charges completed searches including empty results, with no extra charge for same-key replays or task polling. Serper's landing page does not establish an equivalent failure/empty-result policy; verify it before modelling retries.

Provider pricing pages

Official sources for this dated snapshot. Recheck these pages before purchasing; the amounts above may change.

About our display price

2 Credits per search is a display rate shown for comparison. There are no volume tiers or tiered discounts, and the current rate is always on the Pricing page.

Launch status for this page

Check engine availability before choosing an endpoint. Google also supports News, Images and asynchronous tasks.

GoogleLiveGoogle is callable today with a Bearer API key.
BingLiveBing is callable today with a Bearer API key.
YahooLiveYahoo is callable today with a Bearer API key.
DuckDuckGoLiveDuckDuckGo is callable today with a Bearer API key.
BaiduOpening soonBaidu endpoints opening soon: until they open, requests return 503 service_unavailable and are not charged.
EcosiaOpening soonEcosia endpoints opening soon: until they open, requests return 503 service_unavailable and are not charged.

SERP searches are charged per successful search at a display rate of 2 Credits per search; failed searches are not charged. Polling task status is free. The current rate is on Pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What does a search cost on SpideyData?

A display rate of 2 Credits, counted per successful search.

Am I charged for failures?

No. Searches are charged per successful search; failed searches are not charged.

Are empty results billed?

Yes. A search that completes with zero rows is still a successful search, so it counts as one search.

Compare like for like

Count successful searches, not requests, and the 2 Credits display rate is the whole formula.

Get API key SERP API overview Read the SERP docs