<!-- twin of https://specstream.ai/web-search/tavily-cli -->
# Tavily CLI: run tvly on SpecStream with one variable

Compared on Nov 12, 2026. The page: https://specstream.ai/web-search/tavily-cli

The Tavily CLI, `tvly`, bills each call in Tavily credits at $0.008 a credit pay as you go: 1 credit a basic search, 2 an advanced one, and 4 to 250 for one research request.

SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. `tvly` 0.2.1 reads `TAVILY_API_BASE_URL`, so with the SpecStream address there and a SpecStream key, `tvly search` costs $1 per 1,000 and `tvly extract` $0.80 per 1,000 pages.

[Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-web-search-tavily-cli&utm_source=alternatives-md&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fsearch%3Froute%3Dtavily) New accounts get $10 of credit, no card. It covers 10,000 searches.

## Each tvly command on SpecStream and on Tavily, read in tavily-cli 0.2.1 on Nov 12, 2026

| | SpecStream | Tavily |
|---|---|---|
| `tvly search`, per 1,000 | $1 for up to 10 results on Tavily's own call. `--depth advanced` or `--include-answer` runs the default search, $5 per 1,000 | 1 credit for `basic` and 2 for `advanced`: $8 or $16 pay as you go, from $5 on the Growth plan |
| `tvly extract`, per 1,000 pages | $0.80, up to 20 URLs a call. A page with no text is not charged | 1 credit per 5 successful URLs on basic and 2 on advanced: $1.60 or $3.20 pay as you go |
| `tvly map` | `/tavily/map` answers in Tavily's form. A map is one page read, $0.0008 | 1 credit per 10 pages returned, 2 with `instructions` |
| `tvly research` | Deep Search: every match on the live web as rows that meet each condition you wrote, at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row, with the most a run can cost quoted before it starts | 4 to 110 credits a request on `mini` and 15 to 250 on `pro`: $0.032 to $2.00 pay as you go |
| Where the address is set | `TAVILY_API_BASE_URL` in the environment, or `api_base_url` in `~/.tavily/config.json`. The variable wins | `https://api.tavily.com`, the address `tavily-python` calls when none is set |
| Where the key goes | `TAVILY_API_KEY`, or `tvly login --api-key` with the SpecStream key. The variable takes precedence over a stored login | `tvly login` in the browser, `tvly login --api-key tvly-YOUR_API_KEY` or `TAVILY_API_KEY` |
| When the credits run out | Calls go on while the balance lasts. There is no monthly allowance to reset | Credits reset on the first day of each month. When the monthly credits run out, requests stop until they reset or you upgrade |
| Free use | $10 of credit on a new account, no card: 10,000 searches or 12,500 pages | 1,000 credits a month, no credit card. `tvly search` and `tvly extract` also run with no key, under a fair use rate limit |
| What answers the call | The whole live web, read at the moment of the call. 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 SimpleQA Verified questions (978 correct) and 64.0 item F1 on all 200 WideSearch tasks | Tavily's search, which serves cached copies of pages and fetches pages live as needed |

## Why tvly users point it at SpecStream

### The setting tvly reads

`tavily_cli/config.py` resolves the API address from `TAVILY_API_BASE_URL` first and from `api_base_url` in `~/.tavily/config.json` second, and hands it to `TavilyClient` as `api_base_url`. Tavily's CLI docs do not list the variable; it is in the code of every release since 0.2.1 on PyPI. Before and after:

```
# Before: tvly calls https://api.tavily.com with your Tavily key
tvly search "open source vector databases" --max-results 10

# After
export TAVILY_API_BASE_URL=https://api.specstream.ai/tavily
export TAVILY_API_KEY=$SPECSTREAM_API_KEY
tvly search "open source vector databases" --max-results 10
tvly extract https://example.com/article
tvly map https://example.com
```

The reply is Tavily's own JSON, `results[].title`, `url` and `content`, so `--json` output and the scripts that read it stay as they are.

### A browser login stays in place

`tvly login` in the browser stores a token for Tavily's MCP endpoint. `TAVILY_API_KEY` takes precedence over stored credentials, so with the variable set every command goes to the SpecStream address with the SpecStream key, and `unset TAVILY_API_KEY TAVILY_API_BASE_URL` brings back the stored login.

### Research as rows, priced before the run

`tvly research` returns one report for 4 to 250 credits, and the price is known after the run. Deep Search returns a row for every match, each value with its source page, at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row under a maximum you approve first. Your agent runs it from the MCP server at `https://api.specstream.ai/mcp`; see [Deep Search](https://specstream.ai/deep-search?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli).

### The most accurate web search API

The SpecStream Search API scores 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 official SimpleQA Verified questions, 978 of them correct, and 64.0 item F1 on all 200 official WideSearch tasks. Every score and its method are on the [benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli) page.

## Other search APIs a tvly user prices

### SpecStream

The live web data engine for teams and agents. Its own CLI runs `specstream web-search --q "<the question>"`, beside the Python and TypeScript SDKs. The Search API costs $1 per 1,000 searches of up to 10 results on the fast tier and every drop-in address, and $5 with the answer. The Extract API reads pages at $0.80 per 1,000. New accounts get $10 of credit, no card.

### Exa

Search costs $4 per 1,000 requests on `lite` and $7 on `auto`, and the base price covers the first 10 results. SpecStream answers Exa's own call at $1 per 1,000 searches.

### Brave Search API

Search costs $5 per 1,000 requests, with $5 in free credits every month. SpecStream answers Brave's own `/res/v1/web/search` call at $1 per 1,000 searches of up to 10 results.

### Firecrawl

Monthly credit plans from $19 for 5,000 credits. A search costs 2 credits per 10 results and a scraped page 1. SpecStream answers Firecrawl's own calls at $1 per 1,000 searches and $0.80 per 1,000 pages.

## How to run tvly on SpecStream

1. Create a key under Agents & API in the SpecStream workspace. A new account gets $10 of credit, no card, which covers 10,000 searches.

2. Check the key with the call `tvly search` sends. A `200` with `results` means the CLI gets the same.

```
curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/tavily/search \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query": "test", "max_results": 3}'
```

3. Set the address and the key. Put the two lines in your shell profile to keep them:

```
export TAVILY_API_BASE_URL=https://api.specstream.ai/tavily
export TAVILY_API_KEY=$SPECSTREAM_API_KEY
```

Or add `"api_base_url": "https://api.specstream.ai/tavily"` to `~/.tavily/config.json` and run `tvly login --api-key` with the SpecStream key.

4. Run `tvly search`, `tvly extract` and `tvly map` as before. Each call is in your SpecStream request log with its price. Every field of Tavily's calls is in the [Tavily migration guide](https://specstream.ai/migrate/tavily?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli), with [Extract](https://specstream.ai/migrate/tavily-extract?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli) and [map](https://specstream.ai/migrate/tavily-map?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli) on their own pages.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can the Tavily CLI use a custom base URL?

Yes. `tvly` reads `TAVILY_API_BASE_URL`, then `api_base_url` in `~/.tavily/config.json`, in `tavily_cli/config.py` of release 0.2.1. Set it to `https://api.specstream.ai/tavily` and `tvly search`, `tvly extract` and `tvly map` run on SpecStream.

### How much does the Tavily CLI cost?

The CLI is free to install, and each call costs Tavily credits at $0.008 pay as you go: 1 credit a basic search, 2 an advanced one, 4 to 250 a research request. On SpecStream `tvly search` costs $1 per 1,000 searches.

### How do I install the Tavily CLI?

Run `curl -fsSL https://cli.tavily.com/install.sh | bash`, or `uv tool install tavily-cli` or `pip install tavily-cli`, then `tvly --version` to check it.

### Does tvly research work on SpecStream?

No. `tvly research` calls Tavily's `/research`, which the SpecStream address does not answer. Deep Search returns every match as rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row, with the most a run can cost approved before it starts.

### Does tvly need a key?

`tvly search` and `tvly extract` run with no key under a fair use rate limit; `crawl`, `map` and `research` need one. On SpecStream every command takes a key, and a new account gets $10 of credit with no card.

### Does SpecStream have its own CLI?

Yes. `specstream web-search --q "<the question>"` calls the Search API, at $5 per 1,000 searches or $1 on the fast tier. The [SDKs and CLI](https://specstream.ai/docs/sdk?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=web-search-tavily-cli) page has the setup.

## Sources

SpecStream wrote this page. Each setting comes from the tavily-cli and tavily-python source on GitHub, and each Tavily price from Tavily's own credits page, read on Nov 12, 2026.

- [tavily-cli config.py](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tavily-ai/tavily-cli/main/tavily_cli/config.py), read Nov 12, 2026
- [tavily-cli README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tavily-ai/tavily-cli/main/README.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [tavily-cli pyproject.toml](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tavily-ai/tavily-cli/main/pyproject.toml), read Nov 12, 2026
- [tavily-python client](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tavily-ai/tavily-python/master/tavily/tavily.py), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Tavily CLI docs](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/tavily-cli.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Tavily credits and pricing](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Tavily pricing](https://tavily.com/pricing), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Tavily search reference](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-reference/endpoint/search.md), 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
- [Exa pricing](https://exa.ai/docs/admin/pricing.md), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Brave Search API](https://brave.com/search/api/), read Nov 12, 2026
- [Firecrawl pricing](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing), read Nov 12, 2026