<!-- twin of https://specstream.ai/parallel-task-api-alternative -->
# Parallel Task API alternative in 2026: a report in about a minute

Compared on Nov 13, 2026. The page: https://specstream.ai/parallel-task-api-alternative

Parallel's Task API costs $5 to $2,400 per 1,000 runs by processor. Its deep research runs on `pro` at $0.10 a run, in 2 to 10 minutes, and on `ultra` at $0.30, in 5 to 25 minutes.

SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. `POST /v1/research` returns a written report with the page, the read time and the passage behind each cited sentence: $0.10 in about a minute, $0.30 in about four, $1.00 in about five.

[Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-parallel-task-api-alternative&utm_source=alternatives-md&utm_campaign=parallel-task-api-alternative&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fagents%3Ftab%3Dkeys) New accounts get $10 of credit, no card. It covers 100 quick reports, 33 standard reports or 10 deep reports.

## SpecStream research reports and Parallel Task API side by side

| | SpecStream | Parallel |
|---|---|---|
| Price of one report | $0.10 quick, $0.30 standard, $1.00 deep. One flat price per depth | Per 1,000 runs by processor: `pro` $100 and `ultra` $300 for deep research, up to `ultra8x` at $2,400. `lite`, for basic metadata, is $5 |
| How long a report takes | About one minute quick, about four minutes standard, about five minutes deep | `pro` 2 to 10 minutes, `ultra` 5 to 25 minutes, `ultra8x` 5 minutes to 2 hours. Deep Research can take up to 45 minutes |
| What you choose | One of three depths: `quick`, `standard` (the default) or `deep` | One of nine processors, from `lite` to `ultra8x` |
| What comes back | `report.content` with `[1]` markers, `report.citations` with the page, the read time and the passage of each cited sentence, and `report.sources` with every page read | A markdown report with inline citations in `text` mode, or structured JSON with citations, reasoning and confidence levels |
| JSON in place of text | `"output": {"type": "json", "schema": {...}}` with your JSON Schema | `auto` schema mode, or a JSON schema you specify |
| How you get the result | Poll `GET /v1/research/{id}`, follow `GET /v1/research/{id}/events` as server-sent events, or name a `webhook` | Polling, webhooks or SSE |
| When you pay | Once, when the report is delivered. The reply to the `POST` shows `price_usd`, and a cancelled report is not charged | Per successfully completed run. Failed runs are not billed |
| Approval before an agent spends | On MCP, `research_price` shows the price and `start_research` runs only with that price approved as `confirm_max_cents` | A price per run by the processor in the request |
| Search and pages on the same key | Search API at $5 per 1,000 searches and $1 on the fast tier, Extract API at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, Deep Search rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 each | Search at $1 to $5 per 1,000 requests and Extract at $1 per 1,000 URLs |
| Starting credit | $10 of credit on a new account, no card: 100 quick reports | Pay per run from $5 per 1,000 on `lite` |

## Why Task API users move to SpecStream

### The report arrives while the agent still works

A `pro` run takes 2 to 10 minutes and an `ultra` run 5 to 25, and Parallel's guide says Deep Research can take up to 45 minutes. A SpecStream quick report takes about a minute for the same $0.10 as `pro`. A standard report takes about four minutes for the same $0.30 as `ultra`, and a deep report about five minutes for $1.00.

### Three depths, three prices

The Task API has nine processors between $5 and $2,400 per 1,000 runs, and the right one depends on how hard the question is. SpecStream has three depths at $0.10, $0.30 and $1.00. The reply to the `POST` shows the report's price as `price_usd`, so a budget of $300 is 1,000 standard reports.

### Each cited sentence shows its page and when it was read

`report.content` holds the text with `[1]` markers. `report.citations` gives each cited sentence the URL of its page, the time SpecStream read it and the passage that supports it. `report.sources` lists every page read in the run. Your reviewer opens the page and finds the passage in seconds.

### Search, pages, rows and reports on one key

A report is one of the calls the key runs. The same key runs the Search API, which scores 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 SimpleQA Verified questions, and the Extract API at $0.80 per 1,000 pages. The [benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=parallel-task-api-alternative) page shows each run. When the job is a table of matches, Deep Search returns each one as a row at 5¢, 15¢ or $1, with the maximum approved before the run. See [research reports](https://specstream.ai/research?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=parallel-task-api-alternative) and [pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=parallel-task-api-alternative).

## Other Parallel Task API alternatives

### Linkup Research

SpecStream writes a cited report for $0.10 to $1.00 in about one to five minutes. Linkup Research costs $0.25, $0.50, $1.50 or $2.50 a request by depth, and its pricing page gives 1 to 10 minutes a request. A SpecStream standard report costs $0.30, under Linkup's `M` depth at $0.50.

### Exa Deep search and Exa Agent

Exa's `deep` search type costs $12 per 1,000 requests and returns in 4 to 15 seconds. For long-running research Exa points to Exa Agent, at $0.012 to $1.00 a request at a fixed effort. SpecStream sets three report prices, $0.10, $0.30 and $1.00, and shows the price in the reply before any charge.

### Tavily Research

Tavily Research bills 4 to 110 credits a request on `mini` and 15 to 250 on `pro`, at $0.008 a credit pay as you go. That is $0.032 to $0.88 on `mini` and $0.12 to $2.00 on `pro`, known after the run. A SpecStream report has one price per depth, shown as `price_usd` when the report starts.

## How to move a Task API deep research call

1. Create a key under Agents & API in the workspace. A new account gets $10 of credit, no card.

2. Send the question as `input`, as you do on the Task API, and choose `depth` where your call names a `processor`. `input` holds up to 15,000 characters. The call answers `202` at once with the report's `id`, where Parallel returns a `run_id`.

```
curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/v1/research \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"input": "Create a comprehensive market research report on the HVAC industry in the USA including an analysis of recent M&A activity and other relevant details.", "depth": "deep"}'

# 202 at once, with the report's id and price_usd. Then read it:
curl https://api.specstream.ai/v1/research/<id> \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY"
```

3. Read `status` until it is `completed`. The report is text by default, like Parallel's `text` mode. For structured output, send your schema as `"output": {"type": "json", "schema": {...}}`.

4. Keep the way you wait: `GET /v1/research/{id}/events` streams progress as server-sent events and resumes with `Last-Event-ID`, and `"webhook": {"url": "https://..."}` is called when the report ends. Add an `Idempotency-Key` header to retry safely.

From an agent, connect the MCP server at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`: `research_price` shows the price of each depth, `start_research` starts the report, and `get_research` reads it. The [research reports guide](https://specstream.ai/docs/research?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=parallel-task-api-alternative) has every field. For search calls, the [Parallel migration guide](https://specstream.ai/migrate/parallel?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=parallel-task-api-alternative) keeps your `/v1/search` code.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does the Parallel Task API cost?

$5 to $2,400 per 1,000 runs, by processor: `lite` $5, `base` $10, `core` $25, `core2x` $50, `pro` $100, `ultra` $300, `ultra2x` $600, `ultra4x` $1,200 and `ultra8x` $2,400. Deep research runs on `pro` and `ultra`, so a report costs $0.10 or more.

### What is the best Parallel Task API alternative for deep research?

SpecStream, at $0.10, $0.30 or $1.00 a report. A quick report takes about a minute, and each cited sentence carries the URL of its page, the time it was read and the passage.

### How long does Parallel deep research take?

2 to 10 minutes on `pro` and 5 to 25 minutes on `ultra`, and Parallel's guide says Deep Research can take up to 45 minutes. A SpecStream report takes about one, four or five minutes by depth.

### What does a failed or cancelled report cost on SpecStream?

$0. The price is taken once, when the report is delivered, and a cancelled report is not charged.

### Can a SpecStream report return JSON?

Yes, with one field: send `"output": {"type": "json", "schema": {...}}` with your JSON Schema. `length` sets the size of a text report to `short`, `standard` or `long`.

### Does SpecStream have an MCP server for research?

Yes, at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`, with 3 tools for reports: `research_price`, `start_research` and `get_research`. `start_research` runs only after your person approves the price as `confirm_max_cents`.

### Does SpecStream answer Parallel's search call?

Yes, at $1 per 1,000 searches of up to 10 results. Set the base address to `https://api.specstream.ai/parallel`, and `POST /parallel/v1/search` answers in Parallel's shape.

## Sources

SpecStream wrote this page. Each figure about another provider comes from that company's own page, read on the date shown.

- [Parallel pricing](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing.md), read Nov 13, 2026
- [Parallel Deep Research](https://docs.parallel.ai/task-api/task-deep-research.md), read Nov 13, 2026
- [Linkup pricing](https://www.linkup.so/pricing), read Nov 13, 2026
- [Linkup pricing docs](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/development/pricing.md), read Nov 13, 2026
- [Exa pricing](https://exa.ai/docs/admin/pricing.md), read Nov 13, 2026
- [Exa changelog](https://exa.ai/docs/changelog/pricing-update.md), read Nov 13, 2026
- [Tavily API credits](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits.md), read Nov 13, 2026
- [SpecStream research reports](https://specstream.ai/docs/research), read Nov 13, 2026
- [SpecStream pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing), read Nov 13, 2026
- [SpecStream benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks), read Nov 13, 2026
- [SpecStream for agents](https://specstream.ai/agents.md), read Nov 13, 2026