The safest SerpApi alternative is one that returns results from the same search engine, with the fields your code already reads. Some replacements fetch Google, while others serve results from their own index or are built for AI agents, so check what your app will see before you compare anything else.
Most people looking for a SerpApi replacement want Google's results without rewriting their code. SerpApi itself is a real-time API for Google search: its homepage says it handles proxies, solves captchas and parses rich structured data, with endpoints for Maps, Images, Flights, Lens, AI Mode, AI Overview and plenty more.
The ten below are in no particular order. Nothing is ranked or linked. The short descriptions come first, then the one point that trips people up, then the comparison.
Ten search data APIs, briefly
Apify Google Search Scraper
Best for: Anyone wanting organic results, ads, AI Mode, AI Overviews and People Also Ask pulled from Google pages by a ready-made tool.
Brave Search API
Best for: Products that want web search from an independent index, with endpoints for powering search and training models, instead of scraped Google pages.
Bright Data SERP API
Best for: Teams wanting real-time search results as JSON or HTML, with geo targeting and a large proxy network behind it (the vendor's claims).
DataForSEO
Best for: SEO software and rank trackers collecting desktop and mobile results from Google, Bing and other engines in HTML or JSON.
Decodo SERP Scraper API
Best for: Developers scraping Google, Bing and several other search engines who want results as JSON, HTML or Markdown.
Exa
Best for: AI agents that need real-time web data, deep research and structured content from one search endpoint.
Oxylabs SERP Scraper API
Best for: Data teams gathering organic results and ads from search engines through a dedicated scraper API.
Scrapingdog
Best for: Small teams wanting Google organic results, ads and snippets without managing proxies, with a lead enrichment API on the side.
Serper
Best for: Projects where response speed matters most, since the vendor leads its homepage on how quickly it returns Google results.
Zenserp
Best for: Developers who want live Google results as JSON from a simple SERP API that its maker pitches on fast responses.
Google's results, or someone else's index?
SerpApi returns Google's results. Not every alternative here does, and that matters more than any speed claim.
Brave Search API serves results from its own index, built by the vendor rather than scraped from Google. Exa is a search API made for AI agents, aimed at research and structured content rather than a copy of a results page. Both can be excellent for the right product, but switching to either changes what your app sees, not just who bills you. Rankings, snippets and which pages appear at all can differ.
The other eight fetch Google, and some fetch other engines too. Even then, they don't all return the same fields. If your app reads AI Overviews, local results, People Also Ask or ads, compare those exact fields in the output before you move a single call.
Side-by-side view of the ten
| Tool | Kind of API | Strongest at |
|---|---|---|
| Apify Google Search Scraper | Ready-made Google scraper | Pulling AI Overviews and People Also Ask |
| Brave Search API | Own-index search API | Results that don't come from Google |
| Bright Data SERP API | SERP scraping API | Geo targeting on a large network |
| DataForSEO | SEO data API | Rank tracking across engines |
| Decodo SERP Scraper API | SERP scraper API | Markdown output as well as JSON |
| Exa | AI search API | Search built for agents |
| Oxylabs SERP Scraper API | SERP scraper API | Organic results and ads together |
| Scrapingdog | Scraping API | Google results plus lead enrichment |
| Serper | Google search API | Fast, lightweight Google calls |
| Zenserp | Google SERP API | Simple live results as JSON |
Rank trackers, fast fetchers, big networks and ready-made tools
Built for SEO data. DataForSEO aims at SEO software and rank tracking, collecting desktop and mobile results without you handling scraping or proxy rotation.
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Fast and lightweight. Serper and Zenserp both lead on how quickly they return live Google results, which helps if your app makes a search call while a user waits.
Large scraping providers. Oxylabs and Decodo, like the third big network in the table, come from the wider scraping and proxy world, so they suit teams already collecting other web data who want search results from the same place. Scrapingdog is the smaller option in this group, and it also sells an enrichment API for leads.
Ready-made. Apify runs its Google scraper as a ready-to-use tool, which is handy for one-off research or a no-code workflow rather than a high-volume product.
Advice for developers moving search calls
Keep your search calls behind one small function in your code before you switch. Then you can run two providers side by side, compare their answers on the same queries, and roll back in minutes if something looks wrong. It's a small change that takes the risk out of the whole move.
If you track rankings, expect some numbers to shift on the day you change provider, even if both fetch Google. Location, device and timing all affect what a results page shows. Run both for a while so you can tell a real ranking change from a change of source.
My guide to the best SERP APIs covers more Google fetchers in depth. If your app is an AI agent that needs search, my list of Tavily alternatives looks at search built for models. And if you're weighing a big scraping provider for everything at once, my page on Bright Data alternatives compares that wider group.
Fields to check before you switch endpoints
- Organic results: the order, titles, links and snippets your code reads.
- Ads: whether they're returned and how they're labelled.
- AI Overviews and AI Mode: whether they're included, and in what structure.
- Local results and Maps data, if your product uses them.
- People Also Ask and related searches.
- Location and device targeting, and how precise each one is.
- Output format, such as JSON, HTML or Markdown, and how errors come back.
Run your own top queries through two or three shortlisted APIs and diff the output against what you get today. That small test will tell you more than any comparison chart.
Do you make a search results API? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Do all SERP APIs return Google results?
No. Many fetch Google, but some serve results from their own index or are built as search for AI agents, so the results your app receives can differ.
What's the difference between a SERP API and a search API for AI?
A SERP API returns a copy of a search engine's results page as data. A search API for AI is designed to give models web content and research results, which may not mirror any one engine.
Will my rank tracking change if I switch providers?
Some movement is normal, because location, device and timing affect results. Run both providers in parallel for a while so you can separate real changes from a change of source.
Can I get AI Overviews data from these APIs?
Some say they return AI Overviews and AI Mode. Check the exact fields in a sample response before you commit.
Do I need to manage proxies myself?
Usually not. Most of these handle proxies and blocking for you, which is a large part of why teams use a SERP API instead of scraping directly.
Is collecting search results allowed?
Requirements vary by country and by provider. Read the terms of the search engine and the API you use, and check your regulator's guidance if you store personal data.
