Web search API pricing, per 1,000 searches and per correct answer
The search APIs compared here list from $1 to $16 per 1,000 searches on their own pages. SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents, and its Search API costs $5 per 1,000 searches. Each call returns an answer with the page it was read from, and a call that fails is not charged. 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 page. On WideSearch that score costs $39.4 per 1,000 tasks. The next best score, 57.6, costs $692.
New accounts get $10 of credit for their first 30 days, no card.
Search API prices, per 1,000 searches
| SpecStream | Brave | Exa | Tavily | Perplexity | Parallel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per 1,000 searches | $5 | $5 | $4 lite or instant, $7 auto or fast, $12 deep, $15 deep reasoning | $8 basic, $16 advanced ($8 per 1,000 credits) | $5 standard, $1 fast | $5 basic or advanced, $1 turbo or fast |
| WideSearch score on the low-cost model, and cost per 1,000 tasks | 60.9, $39.4 | Not stated | 53, $41.2 (Auto) | 47.9, $107 | 47, $24.8 | 45.5, $10.5 (Fast) |
| Best WideSearch score on any model, and cost per 1,000 tasks | 60.9, $39.4, on the low-cost model | Not stated | 55.9, $1,061 (Auto) | 55.9, $1,072 | 53.5, $547 | 57.6, $692 (Advanced) |
| SimpleQA Verified, best score | 99 | Not stated | 91 | 94 | 95 | 97 |
| What one search returns | An answer with its page and read time, rows with the facts asked for, and every result read | URLs, text, news and images | Up to 10 results; each extra result $1 per 1,000 | Not stated | Not stated | 10 results with excerpts; each extra result $1 per 1,000 |
| Failed calls | Not charged: a busy call returns 503 with Retry-After and costs nothing | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not billed | Not stated |
| Page text | Extract API, $0.80 per 1,000 pages, PDF, Word and Excel included; a page with no text is not charged | Not stated | $1 per 1,000 pages | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free start | $10 of credit for 30 days, no card | $5 of credit a month | $10 of credit at sign-up, no card | 1,000 credits a month, no card | Not stated | $5 a month with a card, and up to $80 at sign-up |
| Full lists with a source on each value | Deep Search: every match as a structured row, 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row, plus 5¢ for an email and 15¢ for a phone | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Reruns and delivery | A saved request reruns hourly to yearly, and changes go to Slack, email, a sheet, a CRM or a signed webhook | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Where SpecStream's price wins
What a dollar buys
On WideSearch, SpecStream scores 60.9 on the low-cost model at $39.4 per 1,000 tasks. The best score any other API reaches is 57.6, by Parallel Advanced on the larger model, at $692 per 1,000 tasks. Exa Auto and Tavily reach 55.9 there, at $1,061 and $1,072. A search that misses sends the agent back for more searches and more tokens, and those land on the same bill.
Nothing charged for failed work
When search is busy, a call returns 503 with Retry-After and nothing is charged. An Idempotency-Key header makes a retry safe, because a call is charged once per key. On the Extract API, a page that gives no text is not charged. Every charged search stays in the account's history at GET /v1/web-search/answers, and reading it is free.
One balance for searches, pages and rows
The same balance pays for the Search API at $5 per 1,000 searches, the Extract API at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, and Deep Search, which returns every match on the live web as structured rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row. Deep Search also enriches a list you have, monitors it for change and delivers new rows where your team works. Source URL and read time on every value.
Other search API prices
You.com and Linkup
You.com lists $5 per 1,000 searches with up to 100 results, full page content at $1 per 1,000 pages, and $100 of credit for new accounts. Linkup lists $5 per 1,000 standard searches, $6 for sourced or structured answers and $50 or $55 for Deep, with $20 of credit for sign-ups from a work email.
Firecrawl and SerpApi
Firecrawl charges 2 credits per 10 results, about $1.98 per 1,000 searches on its $99 Standard plan and about $7.60 on its $19 Hobby plan, with 1,000 free credits a month. SerpApi sells monthly plans only, from $25 per 1,000 searches on Starter through $15, $10 and $5.90 on larger plans, down to $1.96 at 54 million searches, with 250 free searches a month.
Serper and Google
Serper's own site shows no price, and its pricing page returned 404 on Nov 8, so this page gives none. Google's Custom Search JSON API charges $5 per 1,000 queries after 100 free a day, up to 10,000 a day, for existing customers only. Moving off Google Custom Search covers the change.
How SpecStream scores
The same numbers as the benchmarks page, from the official tasks and scorers.
| SpecStream |  Parallel |  Exa |  Tavily |  Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web researchWideSearch, GPT-5.6 Luna | 60.9 | 45.5 | 53.0 | 47.9 | 47.0 |
| Factual accuracySimpleQA Verified, GPT-5.6 Luna | 96 | 94 | 91 | 94 | 94 |
| Factual accuracySimpleQA Verified, GPT-5.6 Sol | 99 | 97 | 91 | 92 | 95 |
Price your own searches
Create a key under Agents & API in the workspace. New accounts get $10 of credit for 30 days, no card, which covers 2,000 searches. Send a question in everyday words, in any language:
curl "https://api.specstream.ai/v1/web-search?q=Who%20founded%20Mistral%20AI%20and%20when%3F" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <key>"The reply carries answer with its page and seen_at, the rows with the facts asked for, every result read in sources, and price_usd for the call. In code, call web_search(q=...) in Python or webSearch({ q }) in TypeScript, and MCP clients use the search_web tool at https://api.specstream.ai/mcp.
Frequently asked questions
Something we didn't answer? Talk to a human
What is the lowest price for a web search API?
How much does the SpecStream Search API cost?
503 is not charged, and the Extract API reads pages at $0.80 per 1,000.Does a search with more results cost more?
Can I start without a card?
Can one call return a full list?
kind: list with the first rows and a handoff: the size of the full list and the call that prices it as a Deep Search find. Each delivered row costs 5¢, 15¢ or $1, and you approve the most a run can cost before it starts.Sources
SpecStream wrote this page. Each rival figure comes from that company's own page.
- Brave Search APIbrave.com/search/api/, read Nov 8, 2026
- Exa pricingexa.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- Tavily pricingtavily.com/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- Tavily API creditsdocs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits, read Nov 8, 2026
- Perplexity pricingdocs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- Parallel pricing docsdocs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- Parallel pricingparallel.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- You.com APIsyou.com/apis, read Nov 8, 2026
- Linkup pricingdocs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/development/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- Firecrawl pricingfirecrawl.dev/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- SerpApi pricingserpapi.com/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- Serperserper.dev/, read Nov 8, 2026
- Google Custom Search JSON API overviewdevelopers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview, read Nov 8, 2026
- Other providers' benchmark scores, September 9, 2026parallel.ai/benchmarks, read Nov 8, 2026
- SpecStream pricingspecstream.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
- SpecStream for agentsspecstream.ai/agents.md, read Nov 8, 2026