Scrape.ly vs SerpApi: a SERP API or a scraping platform?
SerpApi does one thing: it returns search engine results as structured JSON, priced per successful search. Scrape.ly is a general platform for running scrapers of any kind. Here is an honest look at when each one fits.
Competitor facts and prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026. Sources
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The short answer
If you only need search engine results, SerpApi is the more focused choice: many engines, predictable per-search pricing, only successful searches counted, and a U.S. Legal Shield on higher plans. Scrape.ly has no dedicated SERP API. It fits when search results are one part of a wider job, such as crawling the pages behind the results, when you have Apify code, or when you want one prepaid balance for scrapers, proxies, and a hosted browser.
Apify-compatible
$2–$4/GB residential, $0.75–$1/GB datacenter
Creators keep 80% of paid fees
Scrape.ly vs SerpApi, side by side
SerpApi: API that returns search engine results (Google, Bing, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Yandex, Naver, and others) as structured JSON.
| Feature | Scrape.ly | SerpApi |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Apify-compatible platform that runs scrapers (Actors) | Dedicated search engine results API |
| Dedicated SERP API | No; SERP data comes from Actors | Yes: Google, Bing, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Yandex, Naver, and more |
| Pricing model | Plans raise limits; usage from a prepaid USD balance | Monthly plans with a set number of successful searches |
| Free tier | Monthly usage credit, no credit card to start | 250 searches per month |
| Entry paid plan | See the pricing page | $25/mo for 1,000 searches |
| Failed requests | Runs are billed by usage; set a maximum charge per run | Only successful searches counted |
| Proxies | Residential $2–$4/GB, datacenter $0.75–$1/GB; GOOGLE_SERP group not offered | Included in the per-search price |
| Legal coverage | Not advertised | U.S. Legal Shield (up to $2M) on Production and higher |
| MCP server | Hosted, OAuth or API token | serpapi-mcp |
| Runs Apify Actors | Yes, most run unchanged | No |
Pricing compared
SerpApi prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026 on their public pricing pages; check their site for current figures. Scrape.ly's current plans are on the pricing page.
Scrape.ly
- Free plan
- Monthly usage credit, no credit card to start
- Paid plans
- Raise concurrency, memory, and other limits, and can add a Store discount
- Usage
- Compute, storage, transfer, proxy, and browser usage from a prepaid USD balance
- Residential proxy
- $2–$4 per GB
- Datacenter proxy
- $0.75–$1 per GB
- Spending control
- Optional maximum charge per run; the run stops when it is reached
SerpApi
- Pricing model
- Monthly plans with a fixed number of successful searches and an hourly throughput limit; only successful searches count.
- Free tier
- Free plan: 250 searches per month, 50 searches per hour.
SerpApi plans
| SerpApi plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 250 searches/mo, 50/hr |
| Starter | $25/mo | 1,000 searches/mo, 200/hr |
| Developer | $75/mo | 5,000 searches/mo, 1,000/hr |
| Production | $150/mo | 15,000 searches/mo, 3,000/hr, U.S. Legal Shield |
| Big Data | $275/mo | 30,000 searches/mo, 6,000/hr, U.S. Legal Shield |
| Searcher | $725/mo | 100,000 searches/mo, 20,000/hr |
| Volume | $1,475/mo | 250,000 searches/mo, 50,000/hr |
| Infrastructure | $2,750/mo | 500,000 searches/mo, 100,000/hr |
| Cloud 1M | $3,750/mo | 1,000,000 searches/mo, 110,000/hr; Cloud tiers continue up to 54M searches/mo |
- SerpApi sells a fixed number of successful searches per month with an hourly throughput limit. Cached, errored, and failed searches are not counted.
- On Scrape.ly there is no per-search price: a run pays for compute, storage, and proxy traffic per GB, plus any per-event price the Actor sets. You can cap any run with a maximum charge.
Feature by feature
Where Scrape.ly and SerpApi overlap, and where they take different approaches.
Search engine coverage
Scrape.ly does not offer a dedicated SERP API, and its managed proxy refuses the GOOGLE_SERP group. Search results come from Actors that you run from the Store or build yourself.
SerpApi covers Google Search plus Maps, Shopping, Scholar, Flights, and other Google APIs, as well as Bing, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Yandex, Naver, and others, with location targeting.
Beyond search results
Actors can crawl, paginate, and extract any site, write results to datasets you export as JSON, CSV, or Excel, and run on schedules or from webhooks.
SerpApi returns search results as structured JSON or Markdown. Fetching the pages behind the results is left to your own code.
Developer tooling
JavaScript and Python SDKs and API clients compatible with Apify, the scrapely CLI, and a hosted MCP server for AI agents.
Official libraries for Ruby, Python, JavaScript, Go, PHP, Java, Rust, .NET, Swift, and C++, a CLI, an MCP server (serpapi-mcp), and an interactive playground.
Billing and guarantees
Usage draws from a prepaid balance, and an optional maximum charge per run stops a run when it is reached.
Monthly plans with a fixed number of successful searches. Production and higher plans include the U.S. Legal Shield with up to $2M coverage.
How to switch from SerpApi
If search results are part of a larger pipeline, you can run that pipeline on Scrape.ly as Actors.
- 01
Look for an Actor in the Store
Search the Store for a scraper that covers your sources, and try it with your own input.
Find Actors → - 02
Or build your own
Create an Actor from a template with the scrapely CLI and push it to the platform.
Quick start → - 03
Pick a proxy group
Use the residential or datacenter group. Other groups, including GOOGLE_SERP, are refused, never rerouted or billed.
Proxy docs → - 04
Cap costs per run
Set a maximum charge when you start a run, and read the dataset from your backend with the API clients.
Run Actors →JavaScript client →
When to choose which
SerpApi is a good fit for: Teams that need search engine results data specifically, with predictable per-search pricing and legal coverage.
Choose Scrape.ly if
- Search results are one step in a bigger job, such as crawling and extracting the pages they point to.
- You want to run your own scraper code, including existing Apify Actors.
- You want managed proxies ($2–$4/GB residential, $0.75–$1/GB datacenter) and a hosted anti-bot browser on the same account.
- You want to sell scrapers in a Store and keep 80% of fees.
Choose SerpApi if
- You need search engine results data specifically, across Google and other engines.
- You want predictable per-search pricing where only successful searches count.
- Legal coverage matters: the U.S. Legal Shield comes with Production and higher plans.
- You want an official client library in your language, from Ruby to C++.
Worth knowing before you decide
- SerpApi specializes in search engine results. Scrape.ly is a general scraping platform with no dedicated SERP API of its own; SERP data comes from Actors you run or build.
- SerpApi prices per successful search. On Scrape.ly the cost depends on the Actor: compute, proxy GB, and any per-event price.
- Scrape.ly's managed proxy has residential and datacenter groups only; a GOOGLE_SERP group is refused.
- SerpApi includes a U.S. Legal Shield on Production and higher plans; Scrape.ly does not advertise an equivalent.
- Scrape.ly runs most Apify Actors and apify-client code with few or no changes; SerpApi uses its own API.
Need something custom, such as volume pricing or a managed scraper? Talk to us.
Scrape.ly vs SerpApi, answered
Is Scrape.ly an alternative to SerpApi?
Partly. SerpApi is a dedicated, single-purpose SERP API with per-search pricing. Scrape.ly has no dedicated SERP API; it is a general scraping platform where search results come from Actors you run or build, alongside any other scraping you do.
How much does SerpApi cost?
As listed on Oct 14, 2026, plans start at $25 a month for 1,000 searches, and the free plan includes 250 searches a month.
Does Scrape.ly have a Google SERP proxy?
No. The managed proxy offers residential ($2–$4 per GB) and datacenter ($0.75–$1 per GB) groups. Requests for other groups, such as GOOGLE_SERP, are refused and never billed.
Does SerpApi charge for failed searches?
According to its pricing page, only successful searches count; cached, errored, and failed searches are not counted.
Who operates Scrape.ly?
Scrape.ly is operated by TeraShift GmbH, a Swiss company.
Sources and method
Every SerpApi fact on this page comes from their public website and docs, read on Oct 14, 2026. Prices change, so check the linked pages before you buy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
SerpApi (accessed Oct 14, 2026)
Scrape.ly
- Proxy groups and per-GB prices
- Plans, prepaid credits, and billing
- Creator earnings (80%) and payouts
- Maximum charge per run
- JavaScript SDK (API-compatible with the Apify SDK)
- Python SDK
- Migrating from apify-client (JavaScript)
- Migrating from apify-client (Python)
- Scrapely browser
- MCP server
- CLI reference
- Store
- Pricing
SerpApi is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify their product. Scrape.ly is not affiliated with SerpApi.
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