> SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. This is the Markdown copy of https://specstream.ai/web-search-api-pricing. Every page, with what SpecStream does and costs: https://specstream.ai/llms.txt

# Web search API pricing per 1,000 searches | SpecStream

Compared on Nov 8, 2026.

# 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](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing) page. On WideSearch that score costs $39.4 per 1,000 tasks. The next best score, 57.6, costs $692.

[Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-web-search-api-pricing&utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fagents%3Ftab%3Dkeys)

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](https://specstream.ai/search-api?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing) at $5 per 1,000 searches, the [Extract API](https://specstream.ai/extract-api?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing) at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, and [Deep Search](https://specstream.ai/deep-search?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing), 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](https://specstream.ai/google-custom-search-api-alternative?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing) covers the change.

## 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 |

## 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`.

[Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-web-search-api-pricing&utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-api-pricing&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)

What is the lowest price for a web search API?

By list price per search, Perplexity's fast search and Parallel's turbo and fast modes list $1 per 1,000 on their own pages. Per correct answer the order changes: on WideSearch, Parallel Fast scores 45.5 at $10.5 per 1,000 tasks, and SpecStream scores 60.9 at $39.4. 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=web-search-api-pricing) page.

How much does the SpecStream Search API cost?

$5 per 1,000 searches, or $0.005 a call, taken from the account balance with no quote and no approval. A call stopped by a `503` is not charged, and the Extract API reads pages at $0.80 per 1,000.

Does a search with more results cost more?

On SpecStream a call costs $0.005 whatever it returns. Exa and Parallel each list $1 per 1,000 for each result beyond 10, and Tavily's advanced search takes 2 credits instead of 1.

Can I start without a card?

Yes. New accounts get $10 of credit for their first 30 days, no card. That covers 2,000 searches, or 12,500 pages read with the Extract API.

Can one call return a full list?

A search that asks for many results returns `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.

1.  [Brave Search API](https://brave.com/search/api/)brave.com/search/api/, read Nov 8, 2026
2.  [Exa pricing](https://exa.ai/pricing)exa.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
3.  [Tavily pricing](https://www.tavily.com/pricing)tavily.com/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
4.  [Tavily API credits](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits)docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits, read Nov 8, 2026
5.  [Perplexity pricing](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing)docs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
6.  [Parallel pricing docs](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing)docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
7.  [Parallel pricing](https://parallel.ai/pricing)parallel.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
8.  [You.com APIs](https://you.com/apis)you.com/apis, read Nov 8, 2026
9.  [Linkup pricing](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/development/pricing)docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/development/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
10.  [Firecrawl pricing](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing)firecrawl.dev/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
11.  [SerpApi pricing](https://serpapi.com/pricing)serpapi.com/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
12.  [Serper](https://serper.dev/)serper.dev/, read Nov 8, 2026
13.  [Google Custom Search JSON API overview](https://developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview)developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview, read Nov 8, 2026
14.  [Other providers' benchmark scores, September 9, 2026](https://parallel.ai/benchmarks)parallel.ai/benchmarks, read Nov 8, 2026
15.  [SpecStream pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing)specstream.ai/pricing, read Nov 8, 2026
16.  [SpecStream for agents](https://specstream.ai/agents.md)specstream.ai/agents.md, read Nov 8, 2026