SERP APIs allow you to collect data from search engines at scale without having to manage proxies and deal with CAPTCHAs yourself. They provide pre-rendered, structured results from Google, Bing, Baidu and others through a simple API request.
But with so many options to choose from, how do you pick the right SERP API for your needs? In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll compare the top providers across key factors like features, performance, pricing and more. By the end, you‘ll know which one works best for your use case.
Contents
- Why Use a SERP API Over Building a Custom Scraper?
- Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a SERP API
- 1. Oxylabs SERP Scraper API
- 2. Bright Data SERP API
- 3. Smartproxy SERP API
- 4. ScrapeHero Search API
- 5. ProxyCrawl Search API
- Other Notable Options
- Build Your Own Google Scraper or Use a Ready API?
- The Best SERP API for Your Needs
Why Use a SERP API Over Building a Custom Scraper?
Before diving into the options, let‘s first understand why a ready-made API is better than developing your own scraper for most purposes.
Building a custom scraper gives you full control to tweak it to your needs. But it also comes with high development and maintenance costs. You‘ll need to handle proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving, parsing results and keeping up with Google‘s algorithm changes.
A managed SERP API takes care of all that complexity for you. The providers maintain large proxy networks to avoid getting blocked. The results are pre-parsed in JSON format so you can consume them easily. And your code doesn‘t break when Google tweaks its search layout.
So unless you have very specific custom needs, a SERP API will save you time and effort over building your own scraper.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a SERP API
Here are the most important criteria to evaluate when comparing SERP APIs:
-
Reliability – The API should deliver successful results 100% of the time without getting blocked by search engines.
-
Speed – Fast response times allow you to scrape at scale. Look for under 10 seconds on average.
-
Locations – Coarse to fine-grained location targeting for different geo-search needs.
-
Google coverage – Support for universal search, images, maps, shopping etc. beyond just web results.
-
Parser quality – How well structured the JSON is and what elements it extracts.
-
Integration – API, webhooks, proxy modes etc. Check what fits your use case.
-
Pricing – Compare plans for small to large scale projects. Watch out for hidden fees.
-
Support – Quickly resolve issues with knowledgeable support staff.
Let‘s now look at the top SERP API options based on these criteria.
1. Oxylabs SERP Scraper API
Oxylabs offers the most robust and full-featured SERP API in the market. It‘s a top choice for large scale scraping projects.
Locations – Supports 195 countries with options for cities and GPS coordinates.
Google coverage – Scrapes web, news, images, shopping, flights and more.
Reliability – 100% success rate with fast IPs and proxy rotation.
Speed – Very quick with an average response time of 6 seconds.
Integration – API, webhooks or proxy modes. Also offers CSV output.
Pricing – Plans for small and big projects. Starts at $49 for 17.5K requests.
Oxylabs is the leading proxy service provider. Their massive global proxy network ensures high reliability for the SERP API. The integration options, detailed docs and competent support make it easy to get started.
It‘s an enterprise-grade solution suitable even for Fortune 500 companies. The premium pricing may be prohibitive for smaller users. But free trials are available to evaluate it.
Key Features
- Scrapes Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Baidu
- Devices: Desktop, smartphone, tablet
- Granular location targeting
- Web, News, Images, Shopping, Flights etc.
- API, Webhooks, CSV, Proxy modes
- Live chat, email, phone support
Recommended Use Cases – Large scale SERP scraping, enterprise clients
2. Bright Data SERP API
Bright Data offers the fastest SERP API overall. It also provides phone support which is rare among providers.
Speed – Extremely quick API with avg. response of 4.6 seconds.
Locations – 195 countries and cities available.
Google coverage – All key properties like web, images, maps etc.
Reliability – 98% success rate. Misses some ads occasionally.
Pricing – Expensive with $500 minimum per month. Pay as you go available.
It‘s one of the more expensive options but the blazing fast speed and phone support make it worthwhile for larger businesses. Individuals may want to opt for a cheaper alternative.
Key Features
- Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex support
- Desktop and mobile modes
- Country and city targeting
- Web, Images, Maps, Shopping etc.
- Proxy and API integration
- Phone, email, chat support
Recommended Use Cases – Agencies, businesses that value speed and support
3. Smartproxy SERP API
Smartproxy offers a robust API with good value overall. It lacks a few enterprise features but works great for small to mid-sized projects.
Reliability – 100% success rate.
Speed – Average response time of 6 seconds.
Locations – 195 countries and cities.
Google coverage – Web, Images, News, Shopping etc.
Pricing – Starts at $50 for 13K requests. Lower mid-range pricing.
For smaller users who don‘t need thousands of requests per day, Smartproxy provides the best bang for buck. The API itself is very capable for most use cases.
Lack of webhooks support is one limitation compared to other enterprise tools. But the pricing more than makes up for it for smaller users.
Key Features
- Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu support
- Desktop and mobile modes
- 195 country and city locations
- Web, Images, News, Shopping etc
- API integration
- Email support
Recommended Use Cases – Startups, SMBs, individuals
4. ScrapeHero Search API
ScrapeHero is the most budget-friendly SERP API that still gets the job done.
Pricing – Starts at just $12 for 5K requests. Cheapest paid API.
Reliability – Over 99% success rate.
Speed – Avg. response around 8 seconds. Not the fastest.
Locations – USA and 190 other countries. No city or GPS targeting.
Google coverage – Web search results only. No images, news etc.
If you just need basic Google web scraping at lowest cost, ScrapeHero delivers that simply and reliably. But advanced users may miss features like city-level targeting.
It offers a free account with 500 requests which is handy for testing. For slightly more demanding use cases, the $12 starter plan is still very affordable.
Key Features
- Google web scraping
- 190 country locations
- Desktop and mobile modes
- API and proxy access
- Free account available
- Priority email support
Recommended Use Cases – Basic Google SERP scraping on a tight budget
5. ProxyCrawl Search API
ProxyCrawl is a unique "pay per search" API billed based on keywords rather than requests.
Pricing – From $0.20 per keyword. Cheap for low volumes.
Speed – Average response time around 6 seconds.
Reliability – Over 99% success rate.
Locations – Global targeting.
Google coverage – Web, images, news and shopping.
This innovative pricing model works well if you have a limited keyword list. But costs add up quickly for large keyword databases. Integrations like Google Sheets add convenience.
The API itself is quick and reliable. But overall it‘s best suited for casual users with adhoc search needs. Businesses are better off with traditional volume-based plans.
Key Features
- Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex
- Web, Images, News, Shopping
- Global targeting
- Pay per search keyword pricing
- Google Sheets integration
- 99% success rate
Recommended Use Cases – Individuals & startups with occasional search needs
Other Notable Options
Here are a few other decent options that didn‘t quite make our top list:
- Scraper API – Reliable mid-range API starting at $149/mo. Lacks granular targeting.
- SerpApi – Feature-rich API but priced very high at $300/mo minimum.
- Zyte (formerly Scrapinghub) – Headless browser API. Unique pricing model based on site difficulty.
- ParseHub – Affordable web scraper with visual interface. Lacks robust API capabilities.
For most use cases, one of our top picks will serve you well. But check out these too in case they suit your specific needs better.
Build Your Own Google Scraper or Use a Ready API?
The final question remains – should you just build your own scraper instead of using a paid API?
Reasons to build your own:
- Complete customization for your specific needs
- Potentially cheaper long term
- Learn valuable web scraping skills
Reasons to use a SERP API:
- No dev costs. Get started immediately.
- Avoid maintenance of proxies and anti-bot measures.
- Structured, pre-parsed data. No parsing logic needed.
- Scales seamlessly to enterprise level.
As discussed earlier, a SERP API is the easiest way to get Google results at scale without headaches. But rolling your own scraper can also be rewarding if you have the skills and want full control.
For most businesses though, a SERP API is the best turnkey solution that delivers instant results without stress.
The Best SERP API for Your Needs
That concludes our guide to picking the top SERP APIs for your search data needs in 2024. Let‘s summarize the key recommendations:
- Oxylabs – Most robust enterprise-scale API with advanced features.
- Bright Data – Blazing fast API good for larger agencies and businesses.
- Smartproxy – Reliable mid-range API with great value.
- ScrapeHero – Budget API for basic Google web scraping.
- ProxyCrawl – Unique "pay per search" API good for individuals.
Evaluate your scale, budget, feature needs and tech skills. Choose the right API that aligns with your requirements.
With the data from these powerful SERP APIs, you‘ll gain valuable search insights to build better products, understand your competitors and grow your business.
