Web Search API Comparison 2025: Performance, Pricing and Features

Since the discontinuation of Bing Search API in August 2025, the Web Search API market has changed dramatically. Developers, researchers, and companies that relied on this service had to migrate to other solutions. This shift reshaped the ecosystem, giving rise to new providers and more specialized technologies.

Comparing Web Search APIs has become essential to evaluate their performance, cost, and regulatory compliance. Current solutions differ by use case: result extraction, AI integration, automated scraping, or open-source deployment.

The end of Bing API: a turning point for developers

Until its retirement, Bing Search API was a reliable alternative to Google Custom Search. Its sudden shutdown, announced with only three months’ notice, disrupted many monitoring and analysis tools. The event revealed how dependent digital projects had become on proprietary services and opened the door for more open and specialized offers.

Post-Bing market boom: new players and segmentation

The gap left by Bing boosted four main categories of Web Search APIs:

• SERP APIs – direct extraction of search-engine results.
• AI semantic APIs – contextual search adapted to large language models.
• Proxy scraping APIs – flexible collection and bypassing of blocks.
• Open-source solutions – privacy and data sovereignty.

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The main families of Web Search APIs

SERP APIs: raw data and SEO tracking

SERP APIs such as SerpAPI, Serper.dev, or Zenserp extract search-engine result data from Google or Bing including titles, links, snippets, and positions. They are widely used for SEO tracking, competitive analysis, and academic research.

Serper.dev stands out for its transparent pricing and easy integration. SerpAPI, more comprehensive, offers detailed documentation and proven reliability. Zenserp targets demanding users with greater precision on ads and local results in exchange for a higher price.

Semantic APIs for AI and intelligent agents

Semantic APIs like Tavily, Exa, or Perplexity Search go beyond traditional search. They interpret the intent behind the query to provide contextualized results, summaries, and citations directly consumable by AI models.

These APIs integrate with RAG pipelines (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), where retrieved data feeds large language models. They are becoming a core component of modern AI workflows, reducing the need for manual extraction and improving the relevance of results.

Also read : What is a Vector Database? Understanding Its Role in AI and RAG Models

Proxy scraping APIs

Companies like Bright Data, Oxylabs, or ScraperAPI emphasize flexibility and global coverage. These APIs handle blocking, JavaScript rendering, or CAPTCHAs through distributed proxy networks.

Their pay-per-success model charges only successful requests, offering predictable cost control. They mainly serve businesses performing large-scale scraping or international monitoring but require strong technical expertise.

Open-source solutions

Open-source projects like SearXNG, Whoogle, or Openperplex promote a more sovereign and privacy-respecting approach. These metasearch engines aggregate multiple sources (Google, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia) and can be self-hosted.

Their key advantage is total data confidentiality, since no information leaves the user’s infrastructure. The drawback is maintenance and technical management, which demand some expertise.

Category	Main Providers	Typical Use Cases	Advantages	Limitations	Estimated Cost (100k queries)
SERP APIs	Serper.dev, SerpAPI, Zenserp, Serpstack, DataForSEO, SearchAPI	SEO tracking, position monitoring, competitive analysis	Accurate data, comprehensive docs, multi-engine support	No content extraction, SERP dependence	€27–150
AI semantic APIs	Tavily, Exa, Perplexity Search	RAG, AI agents, contextual retrieval	Enriched results, JSON output ready for LLMs	High cost, not ideal for raw SEO	€30–500
Proxy scraping APIs	Bright Data, Oxylabs, ScraperAPI, Firecrawl	Dynamic scraping, geolocation, JS rendering	Flexibility, CAPTCHA bypass, multi-region support	Technical complexity, legal risks	€50–160
Open-source solutions	SearXNG, Whoogle, Openperplex	Metasearch, self-hosting, privacy	Free, GDPR compliance, independence	Maintenance, variable durability	~€14 / month (hosting)

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Pricing comparison and billing models

The pricing of Web Search APIs varies widely depending on performance and query volume. Prices can range from €25 to more than €500 per 100,000 requests.

Budget-friendly options: Serper.dev, Serpstack, Bright Data

Serper.dev offers competitive rates between €30 and €100 per 100,000 queries with a progressive pricing model. Serpstack provides a free plan (100 queries per month) and paid tiers starting at €27, ideal for small projects or startups. Bright Data charges between €50 and €75 depending on volume, using a pay-per-success model that ensures both efficiency and transparency.

Premium and AI-ready solutions

Zenserp, Tavily, Exa, and Perplexity Search dominate the high-end segment.

• Zenserp – €160 to €420 per 100,000 queries, with an average latency of 1.2 to 1.8 seconds.
• Tavily / Exa – credit-based model (€0.005–€0.008 per query), including extraction and JSON formatting.
• Perplexity Search – ultra-fast (<500 ms) but expensive (≈€500 per 100,000 requests).

These APIs justify their higher prices with superior performance and AI-oriented features.

Total cost of ownership and billing models

Three main pricing models dominate:

• Monthly subscription – simple but less flexible.
• Pay-per-success – charges only successful calls (Bright Data).
• Credit or hybrid system – flexible but harder to forecast.

Open-source options like SearXNG remain the cheapest (≈€14/month for VPS hosting or free on local machines) but require technical setup and tuning to achieve reliable results without depending on paid APIs.

Provider	Category	Billing Model	Estimated Cost (100k queries)	Key Strengths
Serpstack	SERP API	Monthly subscription	€27–60	Very affordable, strong value for money
Serper.dev	SERP API	Pay-as-you-go	€30–100	Transparent pricing, stable support
DataForSEO	SERP API	Per-page / async	~€60	Flexible model, up to 80% cost reduction
Bright Data	Scraping proxy	Pay-per-success	€50–75	GDPR compliance, high reliability
SerpAPI	SERP API	Monthly subscription	€75–150	Comprehensive docs, multi-engine support
Zenserp	SERP API (premium)	Subscription	€160–420	High speed, accurate ad tracking
Oxylabs	Scraping proxy	Custom quote	€160+	Global coverage, stability
ScraperAPI	Scraping proxy	Variable credits	€49–300	Adaptive pricing, decent throughput
Tavily	AI semantic	Credit per query	€30–300	Extraction included, JSON optimized for LLMs
Perplexity Search	AI semantic (premium)	Per query (Pro)	€500+	Ultra-fast, latency <500 ms
SearXNG	Open source	VPS hosting	Free local or ~€14.25 VPS	Fully self-hosted, 100% GDPR compliant

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Performance and technical reliability

Average latency and benchmarks

According to Capturekit.dev and LOBSTR, latency differences between APIs are significant:

• Perplexity Search – ~0.5 s
• Zenserp – 1.2 to 1.8 s
• Serpstack – 2 to 2.5 s
• SerpAPI – 2.5 to 3 s

AI-oriented APIs prioritize speed, while SERP APIs focus on stability and data richness.

Data extraction quality and functional coverage

SERP APIs deliver key elements such as titles, links, snippets, ads, and local results. Advanced versions also include “People Also Ask” sections and Knowledge Graph blocks. Semantic APIs like Tavily and Exa enhance the output with summaries and citations, structured for AI models and RAG workflows.

Load testing recommendations

Before large-scale deployment, it is advisable to run tests on a representative sample. Performance often depends on query type and geolocation. Pre-validation helps measure real-world latency and optimize API quotas.

Average latency (seconds) by query volume

Provider	10k queries	25k queries	50k queries	75k queries	100k queries	Observations
Perplexity Search	0.45 s	0.48 s	0.50 s	0.55 s	0.60 s	Very stable, latency <1s even under heavy load
Tavily (AI)	0.60 s	0.70 s	0.80 s	0.90 s	1.00 s	Consistent performance, ideal for RAG and AI agents
Bright Data	1.20 s	1.30 s	1.40 s	1.60 s	1.80 s	Good resilience, slight increase at high load
Zenserp	1.30 s	1.40 s	1.60 s	1.80 s	2.10 s	Controlled latency up to 75k, drops afterward
Serper.dev	1.10 s	1.20 s	1.30 s	1.50 s	1.60 s	Balanced speed-to-cost ratio
SerpAPI	2.30 s	2.50 s	2.80 s	3.00 s	3.20 s	Latency grows with traffic but remains stable for small-scale use

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Analysis

• Semantic APIs (Perplexity, Tavily) lead in speed thanks to optimized AI infrastructure.
• General-purpose providers like Bright Data and Serper.dev offer a good trade-off between speed and reliability.
• Established APIs (SerpAPI, Zenserp) remain dependable but show latency growth beyond 50k queries.

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Legal framework and GDPR compliance

Scraping and GDPR: what the law says

Under the GDPR (Article 6), any collection of personal data via scraping or APIs requires a valid legal basis. In France, the CNIL can impose penalties of up to €20 million or 4 % of global annual turnover. The European Database Directive also prohibits systematic extraction of protected content, even when it is publicly accessible.

Bright Data and its European representative EDPO

Bright Data stands out as the only provider with an official representative in Europe (EDPO), based in Brussels. This strengthens its legal compliance for European clients. Other vendors rely mainly on Data Processing Agreements (DPA) to meet GDPR requirements.

Risks related to terms of service

In the United States, the X Corp vs Bright Data (2023) ruling confirmed the legality of scraping publicly available data. In Europe, regulation remains stricter: the CNIL can prohibit use if the data processing lacks legitimate purpose. Organizations must therefore document how they process data and avoid extracting content from platforms protected by database rights.

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Which API should you choose?

For SEO and ranking monitoring

Serper.dev and Serpstack offer an excellent balance between cost and reliability. They are suitable for SEO monitoring, market analysis, and competitor audits.

For AI and RAG projects

Teams working with AI applications should prioritize Tavily, Exa, or Perplexity Search, all optimized for semantic retrieval and contextual understanding of results.

For GDPR-compliant organizations

European companies will prefer Bright Data for its legal framework or SearXNG for a fully self-hosted, privacy-focused setup that keeps all data under local control.

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Market trends and perspectives

Convergence between web search and generative AI

Web Search APIs are evolving toward hybrid systems that combine traditional indexing with semantic understanding. These AI-powered search solutions now integrate directly into intelligent agents and retrieval pipelines, transforming search into a contextual answer service rather than a list of links.

The rise of open-source and local solutions

The growth of projects such as SearXNG reflects increasing demand for digital sovereignty. Enterprises and public institutions are turning to self-hosted search engines that ensure security, privacy, and independence from commercial vendors.

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Conclusion

The Web Search API landscape is changing rapidly. Each category serves a specific need:

• Serper.dev and Serpstack for SEO and everyday automation.
• Tavily, Exa, and Perplexity Search for AI workflows and RAG systems.
• Bright Data and SearXNG for data privacy and compliance.

The future lies at the crossroads of web search and artificial intelligence, with APIs capable of understanding user intent and ensuring transparent, traceable data collection.

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Sources and references

Tech media

• 2025-09, as reported by Alphacorp.ai, compares the performance of Perplexity Search and Tavily.
• 2025-09, according to Apify, details coverage differences between SerpAPI and Serper.dev.

Companies

• 2025-11, as stated by Serper.dev, publishes its pricing plans and documentation.
• 2025-11, according to Tavily, explains its credit system and integrated extraction.
• 2025-11, based on Exa, highlights its semantic search approach and JSON format for LLMs.
• 2025-10, as indicated by Bright Data, promotes its pay-per-success model and GDPR compliance.
• 2025-09, according to Zenserp, publishes pricing and performance benchmarks.
• 2025-09, as reported by SerpAPI, outlines multi-engine coverage and transparent costs.

Institutions

• 2025-01, as noted by CNIL, emphasizes the need for a lawful basis for all data collection.
• 2025-01, according to the EDPB, details the role of EDPO as EU representative for non-EU companies.

Official sources

• 2025-08, as stated by Microsoft Azure, confirms the end of Bing Search API.
• 2025-08, according to Bright Data, provides ethical data-collection guidelines.
• 2025-09, as reported by Serpstack, details its free and paid plans.
• 2025-09, according to SearchAPI.io, updates its documentation and terms of use.

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