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# Firecrawl Developer Index in 2026: price, recall and an alternative

Compared on Nov 12, 2026. The page: https://specstream.ai/firecrawl-developer-index-alternative

Firecrawl's Developer Index searches 70M+ READMEs, docs, issues and merged pull requests for coding agents. A search costs 2 credits per 10 results: $7.60 per 1,000 searches on the $19 Hobby plan and $1.98 on Standard. It stores no code.

SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. Its Search API answers a coding question from the live web, with the passages that hold the answer, at $1 per 1,000 searches with `speed=fast` and $5 per 1,000 at the default.

[Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-firecrawl-developer-index-alternative&utm_source=alternatives-md&utm_campaign=firecrawl-developer-index&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fsearch%3Froute%3Dfirecrawl) New accounts get $10 of credit, no card. That is 10,000 fast searches.

## SpecStream and the Firecrawl Developer Index side by side

| | SpecStream | Firecrawl Developer Index |
|---|---|---|
| What the agent sends | A question in everyday words to `GET /v1/web-search`, 1 to 2,000 characters. Operators such as `site:`, `"phrase"`, `filetype:` and `after:` hold on every result | A question in plain words to `/v2/search/developer`. Through the API: filters for types, repos, sources, language, topic, license and stars. The filters are API-only |
| What comes back | With `passages=true`, the text of the top pages closest to the question, each with its `url` and `title`, and an excerpt of up to about 3,500 characters for each source. For a question with one answer, the value as the pages print it and the page it was read from | Ranked results, each with a stable id, a url and the matched passages in markdown |
| What it searches | The live web: documentation sites, GitHub, package registries, changelogs, forums and blogs | 70M+ artifacts across READMEs, external documentation, issues, pull requests and OpenAPI specs. The index does not store code, and it is not a general web search endpoint |
| Price of 1,000 searches | $1 with `speed=fast`, $5 at the default, each for up to 10 results. The same rate on every plan | 2 credits per 10 results, rounded up. That is $7.60 on Hobby ($19 a month for 5,000 credits) and $1.98 on Standard ($99 a month for 100,000 credits) |
| Free to start | $10 of credit on sign-up, no card: 10,000 fast searches or 2,000 default searches | 1,000 credits a month on a free account, which is 500 searches. With no key, a daily cap per IP address, and calls from datacenter or VPN IP addresses are refused |
| Reading the whole page | Extract API: $0.80 per 1,000 pages as markdown or text, 1 to 20 URLs a call. A page with no text is not charged | A scrape at 1 credit a page, which is $3.80 per 1,000 pages on Hobby |
| Measured on | SimpleQA Verified: 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 official questions (978 correct). WideSearch: 64.0 item F1 and 43.4 row F1 on all 200 official tasks | DevDex, Firecrawl's own benchmark of 1,179 developer queries: 0.63 Recall@10 overall and 0.47 on documentation lookup, run Aug 21, 2026 |
| Many answers as a table | Deep Search returns every repository, package or vulnerability that meets your conditions as a row at 5¢, 15¢ or $1, with the most a run can cost quoted before it starts | One search returns 1 to 100 results. Your code joins the results of many searches |
| MCP and API | MCP server at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp` with `search_web` and `read_pages`, REST API, Python and TypeScript SDKs and a CLI. Calls written for Firecrawl v2 search and scrape answer at `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` | API, CLI, MCP and a companion skill installed with `npx -y firecrawl-cli@latest setup developer-index`. The Python and Node SDKs reach the index through the `developer` category |

## Why coding agents search with SpecStream

### $1 per 1,000 searches, on every plan

A Developer Index search costs 2 Firecrawl credits per 10 results. A credit costs $0.0038 on Hobby and $0.00099 on Standard, so 1,000 searches cost $7.60 or $1.98, and the lower rate needs the $99 plan. A SpecStream search with `speed=fast` costs $1 per 1,000 from the first call, and the default search costs $5 per 1,000. An agent that runs 20 searches on a task spends 2¢ on fast search.

### The answer, wherever it was written

The Developer Index holds READMEs, docs, issues, pull requests and OpenAPI specs, and Firecrawl says it stores no code and is not a general web search endpoint. A fix is as often in a release note, a registry page, a forum answer or a vendor's migration guide. SpecStream searches the live web for all of them in one call. To stay inside one project, add `site:github.com/owner/repo` to the question, and add `after:2026-10` to keep only pages from October 2026 on. Every result that breaks an operator is left out.

### The passage in the reply

With `passages=true` the reply carries the text of the top pages closest to the question, each with its `url` and `title`, so the agent reads the answer with no second call. For a question with one answer, such as the flag that replaced a deprecated option, `answer` holds the value as the pages print it, the page it was read from and the time it was read. When the agent needs the whole page, the Extract API reads up to 20 URLs a call as markdown at $0.80 per 1,000 pages.

### Every repository that meets a condition, as rows

A search answers one question. Choosing a library is a table: "Open-source MCP servers on GitHub with more than 1,000 stars and a push in the last 30 days, with the language, the license and the maintainer". Deep Search returns one row per match at 5¢, 15¢ or $1, and reruns hourly to yearly with each row labeled changed, unchanged or no longer matching. On Nov 12, 2026, [specstream.ai/data/repositories](https://specstream.ai/data/repositories?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-developer-index) listed 3,178 open-source repositories under 1,603 topics with stars, forks, license and last push, 964 of them pushed in the last 30 days.

### Scored on the official benchmarks

DevDex is Firecrawl's own benchmark, with Firecrawl's index first on it at 0.63 Recall@10. The SpecStream Search API scores 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 SimpleQA Verified questions, 978 of them correct, and 64.0 item F1 and 43.4 row F1 on all 200 WideSearch tasks. The Extract API scores 0.908 F1 on WCXB. Every score and its method is on the [benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-developer-index) page.

## Other Firecrawl Developer Index alternatives

### SpecStream

The live web data engine for teams and agents. The Search API answers a coding question from the live web with passages at $1 per 1,000 searches with `speed=fast` or $5 at the default, the Extract API reads pages at $0.80 per 1,000, and Deep Search returns every matching repository or package as a row. All of it runs through one MCP server at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`.

### Context7

A library documentation index for coding agents. The Free plan includes 1,000 API calls a month and blocks further calls, Pro costs $10 per seat a month with 2,000 calls per seat, and additional calls cost $5 per 1,000. It indexes library docs. SpecStream searches the whole live web at $1 per 1,000 fast searches.

### Exa

A general web search API at $7 per 1,000 requests on its `auto` and `fast` search types, with the first 10 results in the price. SpecStream search costs $5 per 1,000 at the default and $1 with `speed=fast`, and returns passages in the same call.

### Tavily

A web search API sold in credits: 1,000 free credits a month, then $0.008 per credit pay as you go. A basic search costs 1 credit and an advanced search 2, so 1,000 basic searches cost $8. SpecStream charges $1 per 1,000 fast searches on every plan.

## How to switch from the Firecrawl Developer Index

Send the same question to the Search API. Sign up and you get $10 of credit, no card, which is 10,000 fast searches.

```
# Before: Firecrawl Developer Index
curl -s "https://api.firecrawl.dev/v2/search/developer?query=how%20do%20I%20add%20pydantic%20with%20uv&k=10"

# After: SpecStream Search API, with the passages
curl -s -G https://api.specstream.ai/v1/web-search \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "q=how do I add pydantic with uv instead of pip" \
  -d passages=true -d speed=fast
```

To search one project's issues and pull requests, keep the question and add the operator.

```
curl -s -G https://api.specstream.ai/v1/web-search \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "q=retry backoff not firing on 429 site:github.com" \
  -d passages=true -d speed=fast
```

In Claude Code, Cursor or Codex, add the MCP server at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`: the agent then calls `search_web` and `read_pages` itself. The steps for each client are in the [MCP docs](https://specstream.ai/docs/mcp?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-developer-index).

Code that already calls Firecrawl's `/v2/search` or `/v2/scrape` keeps its shape: set the base address to `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` and each search costs $1 per 1,000. See [Migrate from Firecrawl](https://specstream.ai/migrate/firecrawl?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-developer-index) and [Firecrawl Alexandria alternative](https://specstream.ai/firecrawl-alexandria-alternative?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-developer-index).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Firecrawl Developer Index?

A search index for coding agents that covers 70M+ artifacts: READMEs, external documentation, issues, pull requests and OpenAPI specs. It launched on August 20, 2026, answers at `/v2/search/developer` and through the Firecrawl CLI and MCP server, and has been in the Firecrawl plugin for ChatGPT and Codex since September 29, 2026.

### How much does the Firecrawl Developer Index cost?

2 Firecrawl credits per 10 results, rounded up. That is $7.60 per 1,000 searches on Hobby ($19 a month for 5,000 credits) and $1.98 on Standard ($99 a month for 100,000 credits). A free account includes 1,000 credits a month, which is 500 searches. A SpecStream search costs $1 per 1,000 with `speed=fast`.

### Is the Firecrawl Developer Index free?

Up to 500 searches a month on a free account, from its 1,000 credits. With no key, requests are free inside a daily cap per IP address, and calls from datacenter or VPN IP addresses are refused. A new SpecStream account gets $10 of credit with no card, which is 10,000 fast searches.

### What is the best Firecrawl Developer Index alternative?

SpecStream, at $1 per 1,000 searches with `speed=fast`. It searches the live web, returns the passages that hold the answer, and scores 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 SimpleQA Verified questions. The same MCP server reads whole pages and returns every matching repository as a row.

### Does the Developer Index search code?

No. Firecrawl says the index does not store code and is not a general web search endpoint. It holds READMEs, documentation, issues, pull requests and OpenAPI specs. SpecStream searches the live web, and the Extract API reads any page, a source file on GitHub included, at $0.80 per 1,000 pages.

### Can I keep my Firecrawl code?

Yes, for `/v2/search` and `/v2/scrape`. Set the base address to `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` and the calls answer in Firecrawl's shape, at $1 per 1,000 searches and $0.80 per 1,000 pages.

### Does SpecStream have an API and an MCP server?

Yes. The Search API costs $5 per 1,000 searches of up to 10 results, or $1 per 1,000 with `speed=fast`. The Extract API costs $0.80 per 1,000 pages, and Deep Search returns rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 each. All three run through the REST API, the Python and TypeScript SDKs, the CLI and the MCP server at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`.

## Sources

SpecStream wrote this page. Each rival figure comes from that company's own page.

- [SpecStream pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing), read Nov 12, 2026
- [SpecStream for agents](https://specstream.ai/agents.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [SpecStream benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks), read Nov 12, 2026
- [SpecStream open-source repositories](https://specstream.ai/data/repositories), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl Developer Index docs](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/developer.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl Developer Index page](https://www.firecrawl.dev/developer-index.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl changelog: Developer Index](https://www.firecrawl.dev/changelog/developer-index-launch.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl Alexandria and the Developer Index in ChatGPT and Codex](https://www.firecrawl.dev/blog/alexandria-chatgpt-codex.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl developer search reference](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/api-reference/endpoint/developer-search.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl pricing](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Context7 plans](https://context7.com/plans), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Exa pricing](https://exa.ai/docs/admin/pricing.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Tavily API credits](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits.md), read Nov 12, 2026