> SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. This is the Markdown copy of https://specstream.ai/european-web-search-api. Every page, with what SpecStream does and costs: https://specstream.ai/llms.txt # European web search API, hosted in Madrid | SpecStream Compared on Nov 8, 2026. # A European web search API: a French company, servers in Madrid SpecStream SAS is a French company based in Narbonne, and its production servers run on IBM Cloud in Madrid, Spain. SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. Its Search API answers a question from the live web for $5 or €5 per 1,000 searches, under a GDPR data processing agreement, and no model is trained on your work. SpecStream leads WideSearch (60.9, on the low-cost model; the best other API scores 57.6 even on the larger model) and SimpleQA Verified (99), with every score and its cost on the [benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api) page. [Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-european-web-search-api&utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fagents%3Ftab%3Dkeys) New accounts get $10 of credit for their first 30 days, no card. ## SpecStream and other search APIs, for European teams | | SpecStream | Staan | Brave | Exa | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Company | SpecStream SAS, Narbonne, France | Operator not named | San Francisco office listed | Not stated | | Where production runs | IBM Cloud, Madrid, Spain | EU data centres, country not named | Not stated | Not stated | | Data processing agreement | GDPR agreement, published with its subprocessors | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | Model training on your work | None | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | Price per 1,000 searches | $5 or €5 | €2 web search, €4 for AI | $5 | $4 to $15, by mode | | Pay in euros | Yes, the same numbers as in dollars | Prices in euros | Not stated | Not stated | | Best WideSearch score | 60.9, on the low-cost model | Not stated | Not stated | 55.9, on the larger model | | Page text | $0.80 per 1,000 pages; a page with no text is not charged | Not stated | Not stated | $1 per 1,000 pages | | Free start | $10 of credit for 30 days, no card | 1,000 searches a month | $5 of credit a month | $10 of credit at sign-up, no card | | Full lists, monitoring and delivery | Deep Search rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1, rerun hourly to yearly and delivered to Slack, email, a sheet, a CRM or a webhook | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ## Why European teams choose SpecStream ### A French company, servers in Madrid SpecStream SAS is based in Narbonne, France. Production runs on IBM Cloud in Madrid, and the [legal notice](https://specstream.ai/legal?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api) names Compagnie IBM France as the host. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Accounts pay in euros or dollars, the same numbers in either, and visitors in the EU see euros by default. ### A GDPR agreement you read before you sign up The [data processing agreement](https://specstream.ai/dpa?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api) is published, with its categories of subprocessors, where each sits and the safeguard for any transfer. Hosting and databases are in the European Union. SpecStream emails account owners at least 30 days before it adds or replaces a subprocessor. No model is trained on your work, and the [security page](https://specstream.ai/security?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api) covers the rest. ### The most accurate web search API in the world SpecStream scores 60.9 on WideSearch on the low-cost model, at $39.4 per 1,000 tasks. The best other API reaches 57.6 on the larger model, at $692. The same key reads pages with the [Extract API](https://specstream.ai/extract-api?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api) at $0.80 per 1,000 and returns full lists as structured rows with [Deep Search](https://specstream.ai/deep-search?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api). Source URL and read time on every value. ## Other European projects ### OpenWebSearch.eu and Jina OpenWebSearch.eu is an EU-funded pilot of an open web index, with no product price published. Jina lists an EU residency option marked experimental among its Reader settings, and its page does not say whether it covers search. ## How SpecStream scores The same numbers as the benchmarks page, from the official tasks and scorers. ResultsWideSearchCostSimpleQA Verified | | SpecStream | ![](https://specstream.ai/images/benchmarks/parallel.svg)Parallel | ![](https://specstream.ai/images/benchmarks/exa.svg)Exa | ![](https://specstream.ai/images/benchmarks/tavily.svg)Tavily | ![](https://specstream.ai/images/benchmarks/perplexity.svg)Perplexity | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Web research**WideSearch, GPT-5.6 Luna | 60.9 | 45.5 | 53.0 | 47.9 | 47.0 | | **Factual accuracy**SimpleQA Verified, GPT-5.6 Luna | 96 | 94 | 91 | 94 | 94 | | **Factual accuracy**SimpleQA Verified, GPT-5.6 Sol | 99 | 97 | 91 | 92 | 95 | ## Start on SpecStream Create a key under Agents & API in the workspace. New accounts get $10 of credit for 30 days, no card. Then send a question in any language: ``` curl "https://api.specstream.ai/v1/web-search?q=Qui%20a%20fond%C3%A9%20Mistral%20AI%20et%20quand%20%3F" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer " ``` The reply carries `answer` with its `page` and `seen_at`, the `rows` with the facts asked for, and every result read in `sources`. Call it as `web_search(q=...)` in Python or `webSearch({ q })` in TypeScript, or from any MCP client with the `search_web` tool at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`. [Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-european-web-search-api&utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fagents%3Ftab%3Dkeys) ## Frequently asked questions Something we didn't answer? [Talk to a human](https://specstream.ai/talk-to-a-human.md) Is SpecStream a European company? Yes. SpecStream SAS is a French company based in Narbonne, and its production servers run on IBM Cloud in Madrid, Spain. Where is my data held? Hosting and databases are in the European Union, on IBM Cloud in Madrid, and data is encrypted in transit and at rest. The [data processing agreement](https://specstream.ai/dpa?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api) lists each category of subprocessor, where it sits and the safeguard for any transfer. Does SpecStream sign a GDPR data processing agreement? SpecStream works under a GDPR data processing agreement, published at [specstream.ai/dpa](https://specstream.ai/dpa?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=european-web-search-api). No model is trained on your work. Can I pay in euros? Yes. Prices are the same numbers in euros or dollars, so a search costs €5 per 1,000, and visitors in the EU see euros by default. An account's first payment sets its currency. What else runs on the same key? The Extract API reads up to 20 pages or documents per call at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, and Deep Search returns full lists as structured rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row, plus 5¢ for an email and 15¢ for a phone. ### Sources SpecStream wrote this page. Each rival figure comes from that company's own page. 1. [Staan](https://www.staan.ai/)staan.ai/, read Nov 8, 2026 2. [Brave Search API](https://brave.com/search/api/)brave.com/search/api/, read Nov 8, 2026 3. [Exa pricing](https://exa.ai/pricing)exa.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026 4. [Exa security](https://exa.ai/docs/reference/security)exa.ai/docs/reference/security, read Nov 8, 2026 5. [Jina](https://jina.ai/)jina.ai/, read Nov 8, 2026 6. [SpecStream legal notice](https://specstream.ai/legal)specstream.ai/legal, read Nov 8, 2026 7. [SpecStream data processing agreement](https://specstream.ai/dpa)specstream.ai/dpa, read Nov 8, 2026 8. [Other providers' benchmark scores, September 9, 2026](https://parallel.ai/benchmarks)parallel.ai/benchmarks, read Nov 8, 2026 9. [SpecStream pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing)specstream.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026 10. [SpecStream for agents](https://specstream.ai/agents.md)specstream.ai/agents.md, read Nov 8, 2026