# Best web search APIs for AI agents (slim)

> Tavily API + MCP (BB), You.com APIs (BB) and Parallel Search and Task APIs (BB) lead the 16 ranked web search APIs. Picks by need, strengths, weaknesses and prices from the Anchor benchmark.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/search/index.md (~5,650 tokens) · this version ~1,530 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/search/index.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/search/
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · Updated: 2026-10-09

The 10 highest-scoring of 16 web search APIs on the Anchor benchmark, with a pick for each need and where each one falls short. Scores come from public evidence, re-checked as vendors change.

- Ranked: 16 · agent-ready (BB or better): 3 · accept x402: 2 · hosted endpoints: 14
- Full ranked table: https://www.anchorterminal.com/categories/search.md
- Head-to-head comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/search/index.md (129)
- Methodology: https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/index.md

## The shortlist

| # | Tool | Grade | Score | Best for | Price | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Tavily API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/tavily-mcp.md) | BB | 76.8 | An agent that needs search plus page text in one call and has no account yet. | $7.50 / 1k req | hosted and local |
| 2 | [You.com APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/you-com-api.md) | BB | 76.5 | An unattended agent that needs search, page text and cited answers and wants to pay per call without an account. | $5 / 1k req | hosted and local |
| 3 | [Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api.md) | BB | 74 | Agents that mix quick search with long research or enrichment jobs and want one vendor and one bill. | $1 / 1k req | hosted |
| 4 | [Linkup](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/linkup.md) | B | 68.9 | Agents that want a cited answer or schema-shaped output from one search call at a fixed price, and for European buyers who want a French vendor with zero retention on request. | $0.01 / call | hosted and local |
| 5 | [Brave Search API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/brave-search-mcp.md) | B | 68 | Agents that want an independent, non-Google index at a flat price, or that want page text in one call through LLM Context. | $5 / 1k req | hosted and local |
| 6 | [Exa API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/exa-mcp.md) | B | 66 | Agents that search in natural language and want short highlights or page text in the same call, and for keyless or wallet-paid use. | $0.007 / call | hosted and local |
| 7 | [SerpKite](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/serpkite.md) | B | 64.8 | Agents that want Google results and the top pages as Markdown in one call at a low per-1,000 price, with spend caps per key. | $1 / 1k req | hosted |
| 8 | [Valyu](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/valyu.md) | B | 64.6 | Research agents that need SEC filings, papers, patents, clinical trials or market data alongside the web, with a per-query price cap. | $1.50 / 1k pages | hosted |
| 9 | [Grep AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/grep-ai.md) | B | 64.4 | Agents that hand off a long research or due-diligence job and want a cited report or structured fields back, including business verification and sanctions screening through built-in agents. | $200 / mo | hosted |
| 10 | [TinyFish Search](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/tinyfish-search.md) | B | 63.2 | Agents that need ranked snippets and URLs at no cost and modest volume, with news and research-paper modes. | Freemium | hosted |

## Picks by need

- Highest score overall: [Tavily API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/tavily-mcp.md), BB, 76.8/100 on the benchmark. Also [You.com APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/you-com-api.md), BB, 76.5/100.
- Schema & documentation: [Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api.md), 94/100 on schema & documentation, against 89 for the overall leader.
- Agent ergonomics: [Exa API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/exa-mcp.md), 96/100 on agent ergonomics, against 81 for the overall leader.
- Security & auth: [Cloudflare Web Search API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cloudflare-web-search.md), 71/100 on security & auth, against 52 for the overall leader.
- Maintenance & community: [Exa API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/exa-mcp.md), 88/100 on maintenance & community, against 85 for the overall leader.
- Transparency & trust: [SerpApi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/serpapi.md), 84/100 on transparency & trust, against 60 for the overall leader.
- Lowest paid price per 1,000 requests: [Cloudflare Web Search API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cloudflare-web-search.md), $0.25 per 1,000 requests, the lowest of the 12 listings here with a paid price in this unit (free allowances aside). Also [Serper](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/serper.md), $0.30 per 1,000 requests.
- Paying per call with no account (x402): [Linkup](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/linkup.md), accepts x402, $0.01 a call. Also [Exa API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/exa-mcp.md), accepts x402, $0.007 a call.
- The review panel's favourite: [You.com APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/you-com-api.md), 3.8/5 from 8 panel reviews.

## How to choose

- Snippets, full text or an answer: Check whether results come back as snippets, full page text or a written answer, since a snippet may need a second fetch before the agent can ground a claim.
- Freshness of the index: Check how recently the index updates and whether you can filter by date, since a stale result can make an agent cite a page that has already changed.
- Cost per query and credit expiry: Work out the cost per query at your expected volume and check whether credits expire, since credits that lapse unused raise the real cost of each query.
- Retention and reuse of results: Check how long results and queries are logged and whether you may store or cache returned text, since the terms can limit what your agent is allowed to keep.

Each listing's verdict, strengths and weaknesses: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/search/index.md