Serper vs SerpApi in 2026

Both calls, one key

You do not have to choose an API or rewrite one. Serper's call and SerpApi's call both run on SpecStream, each on its own path and in its own JSON. The address changes, and the key.

# Serper: before
curl -X POST https://google.serper.dev/search \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $SERPER_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"q": "open source vector databases", "num": 10, "page": 1}'

# Serper: after
curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/serper/search \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"q": "open source vector databases", "num": 10, "page": 1}'

# SerpApi: before
curl "https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google&q=Larkspur+Colorado+mayor&api_key=$SERPAPI_API_KEY"

# SerpApi: after
curl "https://api.specstream.ai/serpapi/search.json?engine=google&q=Larkspur+Colorado+mayor&api_key=$SPECSTREAM_API_KEY"

In the clients it is one setting: base_url="https://api.specstream.ai/serper" on crewAI's SerperDevTool, and client.BASE_DOMAIN = "https://api.specstream.ai/serpapi" in SerpApi's Python client, serpapi 1.2.0, where search and next_page() work as before.

What stays the same

The Serper route reads q with operators such as site:, num from 1 to 100, page and tbs date ranges, and returns organic[] with title, link, snippet and position, plus answerBox on page 1 when the search has an answer. It serves web search at /serper/search and news at /serper/news; knowledgeGraph, peopleAlsoAsk and relatedSearches are not in the reply. The Serper migration guide lists every parameter and field.

The SerpApi route reads q, engine google, num from 1 to 100, start, tbs dates and api_key, and returns search_metadata, search_parameters, search_information, organic_results[] and serpapi_pagination with next on our host. It refuses tbm and other engines with 400, and does not return answer_box, knowledge_graph or related_questions. The SerpApi migration guide lists every parameter and field.

One price, no plan, no expiry

On SpecStream a search of up to 10 results costs $0.005 on either route, and each started block of 10 more results adds $0.006. There is no plan to pick and no month to use the searches in: $25 buys 5,000 searches where SerpApi's Starter gives 1,000 for the month, and the credit stays until you use it where Serper's credits last 6 months. A busy call answers 429 with Retry-After and is not charged.

The most accurate web search API in the world, in about one second

The SpecStream Search API scores a 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 official SimpleQA Verified questions, with 978 correct. SerpApi's own post reports 97.6% on the same benchmark, on the 960 questions it kept after setting 40 aside. On WideSearch SpecStream scores 64.0 item F1 and 43.4 row F1 on all 200 official tasks. The scores and the method are at specstream.ai/benchmarks.

A call of up to 10 results runs the fast search. On November 9, 2026 production answered 718 of 720 fast searches: the median was 0.82 s at 1 search a second and 1.07 s at 20 a second, and the 95th percentile stayed between 1.09 and 1.73 s. There is no limit per key and no daily limit, on any account.

Zero retention on any key

SerpApi's ZeroTrace, which keeps no search parameters, queries or results, comes with its Cloud plans from $3,750 a month. On SpecStream zero_retention is a field on any key: a search made with it keeps no request text and no answer after the reply.

curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/v1/account/keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "production", "scopes": ["account:read", "finds:spend"], "spend_cap_cents": 500000, "zero_retention": true}'

Search, pages and rows on one key

A product that calls a results page API still has to read the pages and build its own records. On SpecStream the same key reads up to 20 pages or documents a call with the Extract API at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, and a page with no text is not charged. Deep Search takes a request in plain words and returns every match on the live web as structured rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row. The most a run can cost is approved before it starts.

SearchApi

$40 a month for 10,000 searches on Developer, $4 per 1,000, with 100 free requests to start. SpecStream answers SearchApi's GET /api/v1/search?engine=google at https://api.specstream.ai/searchapi, on the same key.

VALUE SERP

$50 a month for 25,000 searches, $1.60 per 1,000 over the plan, or $2.50 per 1,000 pay as you go. SpecStream answers VALUE SERP's GET /search at https://api.specstream.ai/valueserp, on the same key.

Tavily

A search API for AI agents at $0.008 a credit pay as you go, 1 credit a basic search and 2 an advanced one. SpecStream answers Tavily's POST /search at https://api.specstream.ai/tavily, in Tavily's JSON.

Exa

$7 per 1,000 searches on auto and $4 on lite for the first 10 results. SpecStream answers Exa's POST /search at https://api.specstream.ai/exa, in Exa's JSON.