A SerpApi alternative that keeps your code
Quick answer: serpgrab returns Google search and Google Maps results in SerpApi's own JSON format, with the same parameters, block names and field names. You switch by changing the host and the API key, and 5,000 searches a month cost $15 instead of $75. The free plan is 250 searches a month, like SerpApi's.
Price and format, side by side
| serpgrab | SerpApi | SearchApi | Serper | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response format | SerpApi's, field for field | SerpApi's | its own, close to SerpApi's | its own |
| Free | 250 searches a month | 250 searches a month | 100 requests at signup | 2,500 queries at signup |
| 5,000 searches a month | $15 (Pro) | $75 (Developer) | $40 (Developer, 10,000) | $50 prepaid for 50,000, valid 6 months |
| Per 1,000 searches | $3.00, then $0.003 a search | $15.00 | $4.00 | $1.00, down to $0.30 at volume |
| Engines | Google, Google Maps | Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon and many more | Google and many more | Google search, images, news, maps and more |
Prices from each provider's pricing page on October 21, 2026, smallest monthly plan that covers 5,000 searches: SerpApi · SearchApi · Serper
Why pick serpgrab
- No rewrite. Your code reads
organic_results,local_results,knowledge_graph,answer_box,ai_overviewand the rest under the same names, with the same fields inside. A switch to an API with its own format means rewriting and retesting that parsing. - A fifth of SerpApi's price at 5,000 searches a month, and $3 per 1,000 against SearchApi's $4.
- Real destination links. Google's redirect links are resolved, and ads are parsed without being clicked.
- Country, language, location and paging:
gl,hl,location,start, andserpapi_pagination.nextfor client libraries that follow it.
When something else fits better
- You need engines beyond Google and Google Maps (Bing, YouTube, Amazon, Google Images or News): stay on SerpApi, or look at SearchApi, until we add them.
- You are starting from scratch and don't mind Serper's own response format: it is cheaper per search than us ($1 per 1,000 and down), prepaid in packs of 50,000 or more.
- You need mobile results,
nfpr=1orfilter=0: not available yet.
Switching takes two lines
The path, the parameters and api_key stay the same:
- https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google&q=coffee&api_key=SERPAPI_KEY
+ https://api.serpgrab.com/search.json?engine=google&q=coffee&api_key=SERPGRAB_KEYSerpApi's Python client needs one extra line, client.BASE_DOMAIN = "https://api.serpgrab.com", and paging with next_page() keeps working. The migration guide covers Python, Node and what to check first.
Questions
Is there a free SerpApi alternative? serpgrab's free plan is 250 searches a month, the same as SerpApi's, and needs only an email address, no card. Serper and SearchApi give a one-time allowance at signup instead (2,500 and 100).
Is SerpApi the cheapest? No. At 5,000 searches a month SerpApi's Developer plan is $75, against $15 on serpgrab and $40 on SearchApi. Serper is cheaper per search still, with its own response format.
Does serpgrab work with SerpApi's client libraries? The Python client does, with the host changed. The Node library fixes its host, so swap its getJson for a few lines of fetch. Anything that builds the URL itself works with the host changed.
How is it billed? Pro is $15 a month for 5,000 searches through RapidAPI, then $0.003 a search. Cancel any time. Every engine costs the same.
Something does not match SerpApi? Email hello@serpgrab.com with the query. Matching SerpApi is the product, so we fix it.
Not affiliated with SerpApi, LLC, SearchApi or Serper. Names are used only to compare.