SerpDog Alternatives — Cheaper Real-Time SERP API

SerpDog was once a go-to budget SERP API for developers who needed real-time search results without the premium price tag. With plans around $50/month for 5,000 queries, it filled a gap between free-tier tools and expensive enterprise solutions. But as of 2026, the SerpDog website appears to be down — likely rebranded or discontinued — leaving thousands of users hunting for a replacement.

If you're here, you need a working SERP API that delivers real-time results, won't drain your budget, and integrates cleanly into your existing stack. This guide covers the 8 best SerpDog alternatives ranked by value, reliability, and developer experience.

For a detailed breakdown, check out our full SerpDog comparison.

Key Takeaways

• SearchHive is the cheapest SerpDog replacement at $9/month for 5,000 credits — over 80% cheaper than SerpDog's old pricing.
• Bing Web Search API offers the lowest per-query cost at $1–3 per 1,000 queries, but with Microsoft-specific result formatting.
• Brave Search API is the only alternative running its own independent search index, not proxying Google.
• SerpApi remains the most feature-rich option but gets expensive fast at scale.
• Most alternatives offer free tiers or trial credits so you can test before committing.
• If you're migrating from SerpDog, SearchHive's SwiftSearch API offers the closest drop-in replacement experience.

1. SearchHive (SwiftSearch API) — Best Overall Value

Pricing: Free (500 credits), Starter $9/mo (5K credits), Builder $49/mo (100K credits), Unicorn $199/mo (500K credits)

SearchHive is the strongest SerpDog alternative on the market right now, and the math makes the case on its own. Where SerpDog charged $50/month for 5,000 queries, SearchHive's SwiftSearch API delivers the same volume for $9/month — an 82% cost reduction.

The SwiftSearch API provides real-time Google SERP results with clean JSON responses, organic and paid result parsing, knowledge panel data, and related search extraction. It supports Python, Node.js, cURL, and REST integrations out of the box.

Why SearchHive wins for SerpDog migrants

• 5x cheaper at the entry tier ($9 vs $50 for 5K queries)
• 100K credits for $49/mo — SerpDog charged $250 for the same volume
• Generous free tier with 500 credits (no credit card required)
• Sub-second response times on most queries
• Active development and responsive support

Python code example

Here's how to get started with SearchHive's SwiftSearch API in under five minutes:

import requests

# SearchHive SwiftSearch API endpoint
API_KEY = "your_searchhive_api_key"
BASE_URL = "https://api.searchhive.dev/swiftsearch"

# Simple web search
response = requests.get(BASE_URL, params={
    "api_key": API_KEY,
    "q": "best project management tools 2026",
    "gl": "us",
    "hl": "en"
})

data = response.json()

# Access organic results
for result in data.get("organic_results", []):
    print(f"{result['position']}. {result['title']}")
    print(f"   {result['link']}")
    print(f"   {result['snippet'][:120]}...\n")

For pagination and advanced filtering:

# Paginated search with specific result types
response = requests.get(BASE_URL, params={
    "api_key": API_KEY,
    "q": "machine learning frameworks comparison",
    "gl": "us",
    "hl": "en",
    "num": 20,          # Number of results
    "start": 10,         # Pagination offset
    "safe": "active",    # SafeSearch enabled
})

data = response.json()

# Extract knowledge panel if available
knowledge = data.get("knowledge_graph")
if knowledge:
    print(f"Knowledge Panel: {knowledge.get('title', 'N/A')}")
    print(f"Description: {knowledge.get('description', 'N/A')[:200]}")

# Check total results count
print(f"Total results: {data.get('search_information', {}).get('total_results', 'N/A')}")

To learn more about the API design and features, read our SwiftSearch SERP API deep dive.

2. SerpApi — Premium Feature Set

Pricing: Free (250 searches/mo), Starter $25/mo (1K), Developer $75/mo (5K), Production $150/mo (15K)

SerpApi is the most established name in the SERP API space, and for good reason. It supports Google, Bing, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Images, Google News, and dozens of other search engines — all with structured JSON output.

The tradeoff is cost. At the 5,000-query level, SerpApi charges $75/month compared to SearchHive's $9. That's a 7x price difference for comparable Google search results. SerpApi justifies the premium with broader engine coverage, more result types (including shopping, flights, jobs), and mature client libraries in Python, Ruby, Node.js, and Java.

SerpApi works well if you need multi-engine support and budget isn't the primary constraint. For single-engine Google searches at scale, cheaper alternatives deliver the same core data.

Best for: Teams that need Google Maps, YouTube, and specialized search APIs alongside web search.

3. Brave Search API — Independent Search Index

Pricing: $5/1K requests (Search API), $4/1K requests (Web Discovery API). $5 free credits/month.

Brave Search API stands apart from every other option on this list because it runs on Brave's own independent search index — not by scraping or proxying Google. This means you get genuinely different results, which can be an advantage or a limitation depending on your use case.

The independent index matters for:

• Anti-Google-bias applications where you want results untainted by Google's personalization and ranking algorithms
• Diversified data pipelines combining multiple search sources
• Privacy-focused products aligned with Brave's privacy-first brand

At $5 per 1,000 requests, pricing sits in the middle of the pack. The $5/month free credit gives you 1,000 requests to test with, which is generous. Documentation is solid, and the API supports filtering, freshness parameters, and country/language targeting.

Best for: Developers who want an independent search index and aren't tied to replicating Google results specifically.

4. Google Custom Search JSON API

Pricing: $5/1K queries (S1 tier), scales down to $3/1K on higher tiers

Google's own Custom Search JSON API is the most straightforward way to get Google search results programmatically. It's officially supported, well-documented, and guaranteed to work as long as Google doesn't deprecate it.

However, it has limitations that push many developers toward third-party alternatives:

• 100 queries/day on the free tier — far less than competitors offer
• Results are limited to web search (no images, news, or shopping in the base API)
• No built-in proxy rotation — you're calling Google directly
• Response format differs from scraped SERP APIs (fewer fields, no ads data)

At $5/1K queries on the standard tier, pricing is comparable to Brave and more expensive than SearchHive or Bing. The main advantage is reliability: this is Google's official API, so there's no scraping risk.

Best for: Projects that need official Google integration and can work within the limited feature set.

5. Bing Web Search API

Pricing: $1–3/1K queries depending on tier

Microsoft's Bing Web Search API offers the lowest per-query cost among all options listed here. At $1 per 1,000 queries on the entry tier, it's a fraction of what most SERP APIs charge.

The catch is that you're getting Bing results, not Google. For many use cases — content monitoring, trend analysis, broad web search — Bing results are perfectly adequate. But if your application specifically needs Google rankings (SEO tools, competitive analysis), Bing results won't match.

Key features include:

• News, image, video, and entity search endpoints
• Autosuggest and trending topics APIs
• Integration with Azure Cognitive Services ecosystem
• Strong documentation and SDK support
• Response times consistently under 200ms

Bing's API is particularly appealing if you're already in the Microsoft/Azure ecosystem or building applications where search source diversity is a feature, not a bug.

Best for: Cost-sensitive applications that don't require Google-specific results.

6. DataForSEO

Pricing: $30–50/month depending on volume and features

DataForSEO targets the enterprise and agency market with a pay-as-you-go model and deep data enrichment. It goes beyond basic SERP scraping to include keyword data, search volume metrics, SERP feature tracking, and competitor analysis tools.

The API supports Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, and Google Maps. Pricing works on a per-request basis with volume discounts, making it flexible for agencies with variable workloads. Entry-level usage typically runs $30–50/month.

Where DataForSEO excels:

• Structured SEO data including search volume, CPC, and competition metrics
• Historical SERP tracking for monitoring ranking changes over time
• Batch processing for large-scale keyword research
• Multiple search engines in a unified API format

The learning curve is steeper than simpler alternatives, and the documentation, while comprehensive, assumes familiarity with SEO concepts. For teams building SEO tooling, this is a powerhouse. For developers who just need clean web search results, it's overkill.

Best for: SEO agencies and marketing platforms that need enriched search data beyond basic results.

7. ValueSERP

Pricing: $25/mo for 5K queries

ValueSERP positions itself as the budget-friendly alternative to SerpApi, and it largely delivers on that promise. At $25/month for 5,000 queries, it's 3x cheaper than SerpApi at the same volume, though still nearly 3x more expensive than SearchHive.

The API covers Google search with organic results, ads, local packs, knowledge panels, and related searches. Response times are good (typically under 2 seconds), and the JSON structure is clean and well-documented.

Notable features:

• Location-specific results with city-level granularity
• SERP type filtering (news, images, videos, shopping)
• Google Trends integration for historical search interest
• Sandbox environment for testing without consuming credits

ValueSERP lacks the breadth of SerpApi's engine coverage and doesn't match SearchHive's pricing. It occupies a solid middle ground for developers who want more features than bare-bones APIs but can't justify SerpApi's premium.

Best for: Teams needing a balance of features and moderate pricing with Google-specific results.

8. Scale SERP

Pricing: $29/mo for 5K queries

Scale SERP rounds out the list with a clean, developer-friendly API that prioritizes simplicity. At $29/month for 5,000 queries, pricing is competitive with ValueSERP but higher than SearchHive.

The API focuses on doing one thing well: delivering clean Google SERP data with minimal overhead. No frills, no unnecessary features, just reliable JSON responses with organic results, ads, and basic SERP features.

What makes Scale SERP appealing:

• Minimal response payloads — only the data you need, nothing extra
• Fast response times — consistently under 1.5 seconds
• Straightforward pricing — no hidden fees or complex tier structures
• Good uptime track record — 99.9%+ over the past year

Scale SERP is a strong contender if you value API simplicity and don't need the advanced features that other providers bundle in. The documentation is concise and the onboarding process takes minutes.

Best for: Developers who want a simple, fast API without feature bloat.

Comparison Table

Recommendation

If you're migrating from SerpDog, the decision comes down to two factors: cost and feature requirements.

For most developers, SearchHive is the clear winner. At $9/month for 5,000 credits, it's dramatically cheaper than every other option — including SerpDog's old pricing. The SwiftSearch API delivers real-time Google SERP results with clean JSON, sub-second response times, and a generous free tier for testing. The Python integration is straightforward, and the API handles pagination, localization, and result filtering without complexity.

Choose SerpApi if you need multi-engine support (Bing, YouTube, Maps) and have the budget for it. The $75/month price tag at 5,000 queries is steep, but the breadth of coverage justifies it for teams building comprehensive search tools.

Choose Bing Web Search API if your application doesn't specifically need Google results. At $1–3 per 1,000 queries, it's the cheapest option by a wide margin and backed by Microsoft's infrastructure.

Choose Brave Search API if you want an independent index and privacy-aligned search results. The $5/month free credits make it easy to experiment.

Whatever your choice, most of these providers offer free tiers or trial credits. Test your actual query patterns before committing to a paid plan — response times, result completeness, and data structure all matter more than the price tag suggests.

Ready to make the switch? Get started with SearchHive's SwiftSearch API and get 500 free credits — no credit card required. Setup takes under two minutes, and you'll have your first real-time SERP data flowing before your coffee gets cold.