{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "dataforseo", "name": "DataForSEO", "vendor": "DataForSEO OÜ", "vendorUrl": "https://dataforseo.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "seo", "summary": "SEO data API from DataForSEO OÜ in Estonia. It returns search results pages, keyword volumes, backlinks, ranked keywords and traffic estimates as JSON, billed per request from a prepaid balance, with an official MCP server.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/dataforseo", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/dataforseo.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/dataforseo.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/dataforseo.json", "repo": "https://github.com/dataforseo/mcp-server-typescript", "license": "Proprietary service under DataForSEO's terms of service. The MCP server is Apache-2.0 and the Python client is MIT", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http", "stdio" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "dataforseo-mcp-server" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "dataforseo-client" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "dataforseo-client" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Self-serve. A person registers at app.dataforseo.com and verifies an email address or phone number, and the dashboard issues one API login and an automatically generated API password. The REST API accepts only HTTP Basic in the `Authorization` header, and the docs say credentials can't be passed in URL parameters. The credentials cover every API on the account, with no scopes. An optional IP whitelist and daily cost limits are set in the dashboard. The hosted MCP server also accepts OAuth 2.0 (authorisation code grant with PKCE, dynamic client registration, refresh and revocation, scopes `api` and `profile`).", "pricing": "usage", "pricingNotes": "Pay as you go from a prepaid balance, with a $50 minimum payment and funds that don't expire. Registration adds a $1 credit, and the sandbox at sandbox.dataforseo.com is free and returns dummy data, so an agent can start without a contract. Prices are per request and differ by API and by queue (Standard, Priority or Live). The errors page says Backlinks API access needs a minimal commitment, and the amount wasn't found (checked 2026-10-08).", "priceSummary": "$0.60 / 1k req", "where": "both", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in llms.txt, the docs introduction, the pricing pages or the home page (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 4, "popularity": { "githubStars": 251, "npmWeekly": 31548, "pypiWeekly": 49757, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.dataforseo.com/v3/", "llmsTxt": "https://dataforseo.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://github.com/dataforseo/OpenApiDocumentation/blob/master/openapi_specification.yaml", "capabilities": [ "seo.keywords", "seo.backlinks", "seo.serp", "seo.rankings", "seo.traffic", "search.serp" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "usage-based", "prepaid", "mcp", "oauth", "openapi", "llms-txt", "python", "typescript", "csharp", "java", "php", "sandbox", "status-page", "closed-source" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-06", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 64.9, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 304, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 1, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 84, "maintenance": 82, "payments": 40, "reliability": 84, "schema": 86, "security": 45, "transparency": 74 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": -6, "negativeNotes": [ "26 to 27 March 2026. An attacker took over an admin session on the WordPress marketing website through the Flamingo plugin and deployed two webshells with command execution. DataForSEO says the site holds no customer data and no other infrastructure was affected, and published a postmortem on 28 March. Fixed and documented, so the deduction is reduced (-3). https://dataforseo.com/update/postmortem-wp-incident-march-27", "16 September 2026. The Pinterest API and the Social Media API suite were retired with an announcement dated the same day, and the docs pages now return 404. We found no earlier public notice, though customers may have been told by email (-3). https://dataforseo.com/update/ending-support-pinterest-and-social-media-ap%d1%96" ], "verdict": "Per-request prices are public for every endpoint, a $1 credit and a free sandbox need no payment, and the status feed shows no incident since 15 June 2026. The REST API accepts one account-wide login and password with no scopes, and no SLA or security certification was found in the reviewed pages.", "bestFor": "Agents and products that need raw SEO data in bulk at a low unit price, across SERPs, keyword volumes, backlinks, ranked keywords and traffic estimates, and that can work with a task queue.", "strengths": [ "Per-request prices published for every API, from $0.0006 a results page in the standard queue, with the cost returned in each response", "OpenAPI 3.0.1 specification with 564 operations, llms.txt and a Markdown copy of each docs page", "Status feed shows no incident between 16 June and 8 October 2026 across 13 API components", "Appending `.ai` to a path trims the response and sets `limit` and `depth` to 10", "Hosted MCP server with four tools, OAuth 2.0 with PKCE, dynamic client registration and token revocation" ], "weaknesses": [ "The REST API takes one account-wide login and password over HTTP Basic, with no scopes or read-only credential", "No SLA found, and the terms disclaim liability for downtime", "Errors arrive as HTTP 200 with a `status_code` in the body, at both the response and the task level", "No security.txt, certification or bug bounty found, and the marketing website was compromised on 26 March 2026", "Pinterest and the Social Media API were retired on 16 September 2026, the day of the announcement" ], "agentNotes": [ "Check `status_code` on the response and on every task. HTTP 200 is returned for most errors, and 20000 or 20100 means success", "Append `.ai` to Live and Task GET paths to get the trimmed response. The MCP `api_request` tool does this unless `noAiMode` is true", "Build against https://sandbox.dataforseo.com/v3/ first. It is free and returns dummy data in the production structure", "Use the standard queue (`task_post`, then `task_get` or a `postback_url`) for bulk work. Live Google Ads endpoints allow 12 requests a minute", "Ask the account owner to set daily cost limits and an IP whitelist, since the credentials carry the whole prepaid balance" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 64.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 84, "maintenance": 82, "payments": 40, "reliability": 84, "schema": 86, "security": 45, "transparency": 65 }, "provenanceScore": 83 }, "connect": { "install": "npx dataforseo-mcp-server@latest", "http": "curl --location --request POST \"https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/serp/google/organic/live/regular\" --header \"Authorization: Basic ${cred}\" --header \"Content-Type: application/json\" --data-raw '[{\"keyword\":\"dataforseo\",\"location_code\":2840,\"language_code\":\"en\"}]'", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --header \"Authorization: Basic \u003cbasic_auth_token\u003e\" --transport http dfs-mcp https://mcp.dataforseo.com/http", "config": { "mcpServers": { "dataforseo": { "url": "https://mcp.dataforseo.com/v3/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/seo.keywords", "tool": "https://letme.dev/dataforseo" }, "area": "web-data", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Google Organic SERP, standard queue, per 1,000 results pages", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.6, "note": "$0.0006 a page of 10 results, about 5 minutes on average" }, { "item": "Google Organic SERP, priority queue, per 1,000 results pages", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 1.2, "note": "$0.0012 a page, up to 1 minute on average" }, { "item": "Google Organic SERP, Live, per 1,000 results pages", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 2, "note": "$0.002 a page, up to 6 seconds on average" }, { "item": "Backlinks API, per request", "unit": "call", "usd": 0.024, "note": "plus $0.000036 a row, so $0.06 for a request returning 1,000 rows" }, { "item": "Google Ads keyword data, standard task", "unit": "call", "usd": 0.06, "note": "up to 1,000 keywords a task. $0.09 in Live mode" }, { "item": "DataForSEO Labs Google, most endpoints, per task", "unit": "call", "usd": 0.012, "note": "plus a per-item charge. Historical Rank is $0.12 a task plus $0.0012 an item" }, { "item": "Minimum payment", "unit": "tx", "usd": 50, "note": "prepaid balance, funds don't expire" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "DataForSEO OÜ", "domain": "dataforseo.com", "domainRegistered": "2016-10-24", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://dataforseo.com/terms-of-service/", "privacy": "https://dataforseo.com/privacy-policy/", "statusPage": "https://status.dataforseo.com/", "changelog": "https://dataforseo.com/updates", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The terms of service (updated 12 June 2026) name DataForSEO OU, company number 14502291, registered in the Republic of Estonia. The site footer gives an address in Tallinn and one in Kharkiv, Ukraine.", "The API answers at https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/, the sandbox at https://sandbox.dataforseo.com/v3/ and the hosted MCP server at https://mcp.dataforseo.com/v3/mcp, with OAuth served from https://data.dataforseo.com.", "https://dataforseo.com/.well-known/security.txt returns 403, the same path on docs.dataforseo.com returns 404 and on api.dataforseo.com 401. No security contact or disclosure policy was found in the reviewed pages.", "The status page is the vendor's own application. Its public feed at data.dataforseo.com returns daily incident records for up to 365 days.", "RDAP for dataforseo.com gives a registration date of 2016-10-24." ], "score": 83 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/dataforseo.json", "live": { "slug": "dataforseo", "probe": { "target": "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T10:42:40.890938301Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 401, "lastMs": 140, "lastNote": "asks for credentials", "authRequired": true, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 92, "p95ms24h": 140, "samples24h": 207, "samples30d": 207, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 93, "ok": 93 }, { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 114, "ok": 114 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.dataforseo.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:57:46.912767877Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "dataforseo-client", "version": "2.1.8", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:07:49.124412304Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "dataforseo-mcp-server", "version": "3.1.3", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:07:46.059014661Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "dataforseo-client", "version": "2.1.8", "released": "2026-09-30", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:07:49.38827501Z" } ], "githubStars": 252, "npmWeekly": 23858, "pypiWeekly": 49757, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://dataforseo.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "unknown", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:34.030952357Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://dataforseo.com/updates", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:55.613928649Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "68c5489e7f0a" }, { "url": "https://dataforseo.com/privacy-policy/", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:51.451608893Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "7788afd43626" }, { "url": "https://dataforseo.com/terms-of-service/", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:53.75601832Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "bcc4a8c60fed" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T10:42:40.890938301Z" } }, "answer": "DataForSEO scores 64.9 (B) on agent readiness against SE Ranking API + MCP's 50.9 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.", "b": { "slug": "se-ranking", "name": "SE Ranking API + MCP", "vendor": "SE Ranking (SER Acquisition Inc.)", "vendorUrl": "https://seranking.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "seo", "summary": "SE Ranking is an SEO platform whose Data API returns keyword, backlink, domain, site audit and AI search data for credits. A Project API manages rank tracking in the account, and a hosted MCP server exposes both to agents.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/se-ranking", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/se-ranking.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/se-ranking.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/se-ranking.json", "repo": "https://github.com/seranking/openapi", "license": "Proprietary service under the SE Ranking API Terms of Service. The OpenAPI file and the Claude skills on GitHub are MIT", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.seranking.com", "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "REST calls take an API key as `Authorization: Token \u003ckey\u003e`, or as an `apikey` query parameter. One key covers the Data, Project, Local Marketing and SE Visible APIs, with no scopes. Keys are self-serve in the API dashboard of any plan or trial, with no app review. The MCP server signs in by OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration against the SE Ranking account, or takes the key in an `X-Api-Key` header. Sub-accounts have no keys of their own yet. Direct competitors, resale and embedding raw data in a paid product need written consent.", "pricing": "usage", "pricingNotes": "Data API calls spend credits, from $50 for 250,000 pay-as-you-go credits that don't expire. Each endpoint's credit cost is published and failed requests cost nothing. Subscription plans include 10,000 to 100,000 credits a month, an add-on starts at $540 a year for 3 million credits, and a standalone API plan at $2,148 a year for 12 million. Project API calls use the plan's limits instead of credits. A 14-day trial with 100,000 credits and MCP access needs no card and lets an agent start without a contract. Our request saw the pricing page in pounds.", "priceSummary": "$0.0002 / credit", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the API docs, the MCP docs or the API pricing page (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 0, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://seranking.com/api.html", "openapi": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/seranking/openapi/main/openapi/data-api.yaml", "registryName": "com.seranking/mcp", "capabilities": [ "seo.keywords", "seo.backlinks", "seo.rankings", "seo.traffic", "seo.serp" ], "tags": [ "official", "hosted", "mcp", "oauth", "api-key", "openapi", "closed-source", "usage-credits", "prepaid", "free-trial", "status-page", "ai-visibility" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-28", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 50.9, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 681, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 5, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 58, "maintenance": 79, "payments": 40, "reliability": 51, "schema": 58, "security": 21, "transparency": 71 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Every Data API endpoint has a published credit cost, credits sell from $50 for 250,000 with no expiry, and a 14-day trial needs no card. Keys carry full account access with no scopes or read-only mode, the key may travel in the URL, and no security page, SLA or llms.txt was found.", "bestFor": "An agent that needs keyword, backlink, domain and AI search visibility data at a published price per call, or that manages rank tracking projects for an SE Ranking customer.", "strengths": [ "Credit cost is published per endpoint, failed requests aren't charged, and pay-as-you-go packs start at $50 for 250,000 credits that don't expire", "A 14-day trial with 100,000 credits covers the API and the MCP server, with no card, per the pricing page", "Hosted MCP server at `https://api.seranking.com/mcp`, listed in the official MCP registry as `com.seranking/mcp` with 15 versions since 22 May 2026", "Rate limits are stated as 10 requests a second for the Data API and 5 for the Project API, with backoff guidance for 429", "`limit`, `offset`, `cols` and bracketed `filter` parameters size Data API responses, and an OpenAPI 3.0 file covers its 86 operations" ], "weaknesses": [ "No scoped or read-only keys. The MCP docs say a key has the same access as the account, including Project API deletes", "The API key is accepted as an `apikey` query parameter, and the OpenAPI file and its README describe only that method", "No security page, certification statement, bug bounty or readable security.txt was found, and the API terms say there is no SLA without a separate agreement", "The MCP server advertises 180+ tools with no documented way to load a subset", "The API terms let SE Ranking remove deprecated functionality at any time, with up to 30 days' notice only where practicable" ], "agentNotes": [ "Send the key as `Authorization: Token \u003ckey\u003e`, not `Bearer` and not `?apikey=`, so it stays out of URLs and logs", "Call `GET /v1/account/subscription` (0 credits) and read `units_left` before a large pull. A short balance returns `Insufficient funds`", "Set `limit` and `cols` on per-record endpoints. Backlink summaries cost 100 credits a target and keyword rows 10 credits each", "Stay under 10 requests a second on the Data API and 5 on the Project API per key. Repeated overruns block the Project API for 10 minutes", "Ask the owner before any Project API or `PROJECT_*` create, update or delete call. The key has no read-only mode and nothing confirms a delete" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 50.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 58, "maintenance": 79, "payments": 40, "reliability": 51, "schema": 58, "security": 21, "transparency": 59 }, "provenanceScore": 83 }, "connect": { "http": "curl -X GET 'https://api.seranking.com/v1/account/subscription' -H 'Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY'", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http se-ranking https://api.seranking.com/mcp", "config": { "mcpServers": { "se-ranking": { "url": "https://api.seranking.com/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/seo.keywords", "tool": "https://letme.dev/se-ranking" }, "area": "web-data", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Data API credit, pay-as-you-go", "unit": "credit", "usd": 0.0002, "note": "$50 for 250,000 credits that don't expire" }, { "item": "Domain overview, per request", "unit": "call", "usd": 0.02, "note": "100 credits at the pay-as-you-go rate. Failed requests cost nothing" }, { "item": "Keyword row (related, similar or question keywords)", "unit": "record", "usd": 0.002, "note": "10 credits a record at the pay-as-you-go rate" }, { "item": "Backlink row", "unit": "record", "usd": 0.0002, "note": "1 credit a record at the pay-as-you-go rate. A backlink summary is 100 credits a target" }, { "item": "Standalone API plan, 12 million credits a year", "unit": "month", "usd": 179, "note": "billed annually at $2,148, Data API only" }, { "item": "API add-on, 3 million credits a year", "unit": "month", "usd": 45, "note": "billed annually at $540, on top of a subscription" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "SER Acquisition Inc.", "domain": "seranking.com", "domainRegistered": "2010-09-16", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://seranking.com/legal/api-terms-of-service.html", "privacy": "https://seranking.com/legal/privacy-statement.html", "statusPage": "https://status.seranking.com", "changelog": "https://seranking.com/whats-new.html", "securityTxt": "unknown", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The API Terms of Service (3 March 2026) name SER Acquisition Inc., care of The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware, as the provider as a general rule, and Seranking Ltd., London, for some earlier customers paying in pounds.", "The privacy statement (last updated 25 June 2026) names Seranking Ltd and SER Acquisition Inc. as joint controllers and says the group shares some data with Planable Inc.", "The REST APIs and the MCP server answer at api.seranking.com.", "seranking.com/.well-known/security.txt answered 403 to our request, so we couldn't tell whether a file exists.", "status.seranking.com is a Pulsetic status page titled SE Ranking Online Status. It isn't linked from the pages we read and its content is drawn by script.", "The What's New page lists releases by year. The dates of its entries aren't in the page's HTML.", "RDAP for seranking.com gives a registration date of 2010-09-16.", "robots.txt allows the pages we read and carries no Content-Signal line." ], "score": 83 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/se-ranking.json", "live": { "slug": "se-ranking", "probe": { "target": "https://api.seranking.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T10:42:55.908537326Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 401, "lastMs": 110, "lastNote": "asks for credentials", "authRequired": true, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 97, "p95ms24h": 128, "samples24h": 33, "samples30d": 33, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 33, "ok": 33 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.seranking.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T07:58:31.020038985Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T10:42:55.908537326Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "DataForSEO OÜ", "b": "SE Ranking (SER Acquisition Inc.)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/", "b": "https://api.seranking.com", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Pay per use", "b": "Pay per use", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "$0.06 per call", "b": "$0.002 per record", "name": "Price for seo keywords" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary service under DataForSEO's terms of service. The MCP server is Apache-2.0 and the Python client is MIT", "b": "Proprietary service under the SE Ranking API Terms of Service. The OpenAPI file and the Claude skills on GitHub are MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "4", "b": "none", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "not listed", "b": "com.seranking/mcp", "name": "MCP registry" }, { "a": "2026-10-06", "b": "2026-09-28", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-06-12", "b": "no date given", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-07-24", "b": "2026-06-25", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "251 stars, 32k npm/wk, 50k PyPI/wk", "b": "0 stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "DataForSEO scores 64.9 (B) on agent readiness against SE Ranking API + MCP's 50.9 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, DataForSEO or SE Ranking API + MCP?" }, { "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do DataForSEO and SE Ranking API + MCP need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. DataForSEO has a hosted endpoint at https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/ and SE Ranking API + MCP at https://api.seranking.com.", "question": "Can an agent call DataForSEO and SE Ranking API + MCP without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 84 against 51", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 86 against 58", "Agent ergonomics, 84 against 58", "Security \u0026 auth, 45 against 21" ], "also": [ "Runs on your own machine" ], "goodFor": "Agents and products that need raw SEO data in bulk at a low unit price, across SERPs, keyword volumes, backlinks, ranked keywords and traffic estimates, and that can work with a task queue.", "slug": "dataforseo", "watchFor": "The REST API takes one account-wide login and password over HTTP Basic, with no scopes or read-only credential" }, { "aheadOn": null, "also": [ "No incidents deducted, where DataForSEO loses 6 points for them" ], "goodFor": "An agent that needs keyword, backlink, domain and AI search visibility data at a published price per call, or that manages rank tracking projects for an SE Ranking customer.", "slug": "se-ranking", "watchFor": "No scoped or read-only keys. The MCP docs say a key has the same access as the account, including Project API deletes" } ], "job": { "capability": "seo.keywords", "name": "Seo keywords" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-dataforseo.json", "title": "Ahrefs vs DataForSEO", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-dataforseo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-se-ranking.json", "title": "Ahrefs vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-se-ranking" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-google-search-console.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Google Search Console API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-google-search-console" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-manifold-mcp.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Manifold", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-manifold-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-moz-api.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Moz API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-moz-api" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-semrush.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-similarweb.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Similarweb", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-similarweb" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-se-ranking.json", "title": "Manifold vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-se-ranking" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-se-ranking.json", "title": "Moz API vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-se-ranking" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-semrush.json", "title": "SE Ranking API + MCP vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-similarweb.json", "title": "SE Ranking API + MCP vs Similarweb", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-similarweb" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-se-ranking.json", "title": "Google Search Console API vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-se-ranking" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 33, "dataforseo": 84, "edge": "dataforseo", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "se-ranking": 51, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 28, "dataforseo": 86, "edge": "dataforseo", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "se-ranking": 58, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 26, "dataforseo": 84, "edge": "dataforseo", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "se-ranking": 58, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 24, "dataforseo": 45, "edge": "dataforseo", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "se-ranking": 21, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "dataforseo": 40, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "se-ranking": 40, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 3, "dataforseo": 82, "edge": "dataforseo", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "se-ranking": 79, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 3, "dataforseo": 74, "edge": "dataforseo", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "se-ranking": 71, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "DataForSEO scores 64.9 (B) on agent readiness against SE Ranking API + MCP's 50.9 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do seo keywords.", "verdicts": { "dataforseo": "Per-request prices are public for every endpoint, a $1 credit and a free sandbox need no payment, and the status feed shows no incident since 15 June 2026. The REST API accepts one account-wide login and password with no scopes, and no SLA or security certification was found in the reviewed pages.", "se-ranking": "Every Data API endpoint has a published credit cost, credits sell from $50 for 250,000 with no expiry, and a 14-day trial needs no card. Keys carry full account access with no scopes or read-only mode, the key may travel in the URL, and no security page, SLA or llms.txt was found." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking.min.md" }, "markdown": "DataForSEO scores 64.9 (B) on agent readiness against SE Ranking API + MCP's 50.9 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do seo keywords.\n\n- DataForSEO: grade B, 64.9/100, rank #304 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/dataforseo.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/dataforseo.json\n- SE Ranking API + MCP: grade D, 50.9/100, rank #681 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/se-ranking.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/se-ranking.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### DataForSEO (B)\n\nGood for: Agents and products that need raw SEO data in bulk at a low unit price, across SERPs, keyword volumes, backlinks, ranked keywords and traffic estimates, and that can work with a task queue.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 84 against 51\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 86 against 58\n- Agent ergonomics, 84 against 58\n- Security \u0026 auth, 45 against 21\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Runs on your own machine\n\nWatch for: The REST API takes one account-wide login and password over HTTP Basic, with no scopes or read-only credential\n\n### SE Ranking API + MCP (D)\n\nGood for: An agent that needs keyword, backlink, domain and AI search visibility data at a published price per call, or that manages rank tracking projects for an SE Ranking customer.\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where DataForSEO loses 6 points for them\n\nWatch for: No scoped or read-only keys. The MCP docs say a key has the same access as the account, including Project API deletes\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | DataForSEO | SE Ranking API + MCP | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 84 | 51 | DataForSEO +33 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 86 | 58 | DataForSEO +28 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 84 | 58 | DataForSEO +26 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 45 | 21 | DataForSEO +24 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 40 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 82 | 79 | DataForSEO +3 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 74 | 71 | DataForSEO +3 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -6 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **64.9 · B** | **50.9 · D** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | DataForSEO | SE Ranking API + MCP |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | DataForSEO OÜ | SE Ranking (SER Acquisition Inc.) |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/` | `https://api.seranking.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |\n| Price for seo keywords | $0.06 per call | $0.002 per record |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary service under DataForSEO's terms of service. The MCP server is Apache-2.0 and the Python client is MIT | Proprietary service under the SE Ranking API Terms of Service. The OpenAPI file and the Claude skills on GitHub are MIT |\n| Tools exposed | 4 | none |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |\n| llms.txt | yes | no |\n| MCP registry | not listed | `com.seranking/mcp` |\n| Last release | 2026-10-06 | 2026-09-28 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-06-12 | no date given |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-07-24 | 2026-06-25 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 251 stars, 32k npm/wk, 50k PyPI/wk | 0 stars |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**DataForSEO.** Per-request prices are public for every endpoint, a $1 credit and a free sandbox need no payment, and the status feed shows no incident since 15 June 2026. The REST API accepts one account-wide login and password with no scopes, and no SLA or security certification was found in the reviewed pages.\n\n**SE Ranking API + MCP.** Every Data API endpoint has a published credit cost, credits sell from $50 for 250,000 with no expiry, and a 14-day trial needs no card. Keys carry full account access with no scopes or read-only mode, the key may travel in the URL, and no security page, SLA or llms.txt was found.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### DataForSEO\n\n1. Check `status_code` on the response and on every task. HTTP 200 is returned for most errors, and 20000 or 20100 means success\n2. Append `.ai` to Live and Task GET paths to get the trimmed response. The MCP `api_request` tool does this unless `noAiMode` is true\n3. Build against https://sandbox.dataforseo.com/v3/ first. It is free and returns dummy data in the production structure\n4. Use the standard queue (`task_post`, then `task_get` or a `postback_url`) for bulk work. Live Google Ads endpoints allow 12 requests a minute\n5. Ask the account owner to set daily cost limits and an IP whitelist, since the credentials carry the whole prepaid balance\n\n### SE Ranking API + MCP\n\n1. Send the key as `Authorization: Token \u003ckey\u003e`, not `Bearer` and not `?apikey=`, so it stays out of URLs and logs\n2. Call `GET /v1/account/subscription` (0 credits) and read `units_left` before a large pull. A short balance returns `Insufficient funds`\n3. Set `limit` and `cols` on per-record endpoints. Backlink summaries cost 100 credits a target and keyword rows 10 credits each\n4. Stay under 10 requests a second on the Data API and 5 on the Project API per key. Repeated overruns block the Project API for 10 minutes\n5. Ask the owner before any Project API or `PROJECT_*` create, update or delete call. The key has no read-only mode and nothing confirms a delete\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, DataForSEO or SE Ranking API + MCP?\n\nDataForSEO scores 64.9 (B) on agent readiness against SE Ranking API + MCP's 50.9 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.\n\n### Do DataForSEO and SE Ranking API + MCP need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call DataForSEO and SE Ranking API + MCP without installing anything?\n\nYes. DataForSEO has a hosted endpoint at https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/ and SE Ranking API + MCP at https://api.seranking.com.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"dataforseo\", \"b\": \"se-ranking\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare dataforseo se-ranking`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/dataforseo.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/se-ranking.json\n\n## Other comparisons with DataForSEO or SE Ranking API + MCP\n\n- [Ahrefs vs DataForSEO](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-dataforseo.md)\n- [Ahrefs vs SE Ranking API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-se-ranking.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Google Search Console API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-google-search-console.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Manifold](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-manifold-mcp.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-moz-api.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-semrush.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Similarweb](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-similarweb.md)\n- [Manifold vs SE Ranking API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-se-ranking.md)\n- [Moz API vs SE Ranking API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-se-ranking.md)\n- [SE Ranking API + MCP vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-semrush.md)\n- [SE Ranking API + MCP vs Similarweb](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-similarweb.md)\n- [Google Search Console API vs SE Ranking API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-se-ranking.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-09", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "DataForSEO vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "url": "" } ], "description": "DataForSEO scores 64.9 (B) on agent readiness against SE Ranking API + MCP's 50.9 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do seo keywords. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "DataForSEO B 64.9", "SE Ranking API + MCP D 50.9", "scores" ], "h1": "DataForSEO vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-dataforseo-vs-se-ranking.png", "path": "/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "DataForSEO vs SE Ranking API + MCP for AI agents, B 64.9 vs D 50.9", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-se-ranking" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2250, "slim": 780 }, "version": 1 }