# Moz API vs SpyFu API

> SpyFu scores 48.1 (D) to Moz's 45.4 (E) for keyword data. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-spyfu
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-spyfu.md (~4,050 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

SpyFu API scores 48.1 (D) on agent readiness against Moz API's 45.4 (E), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Moz API leads on agent ergonomics, maintenance & community and transparency & trust. Both do keyword data.

- Moz API: grade E, 45.4/100, rank #1194 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/moz-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/moz-api.json
- SpyFu API: grade D, 48.1/100, rank #1135 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/spyfu.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/spyfu.json
- Best SEO and search visibility data for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/seo/index.md
- All 56 seo comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/seo/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Moz API (E)

Good for: Agents that need Domain Authority, backlink lists, link intersects, keyword volume and difficulty, search intent and ranking keywords at a low entry price, on a read-only data set.

Ahead on:
- Agent ergonomics, 74 against 65
- Maintenance & community, 28 against 16
- Transparency & trust, 60 against 38

Watch for: No working public status page was found, and moz.statuspage.io reports the Moz Status page as inactive

### SpyFu API (D)

Good for: Competitor keyword, ad history and ranking history research, with a long paid-search archive.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 75 against 50
- Security & auth, 52 against 38

Watch for: API access needs a paid Pro + AI or Team plan; there is no free tier


## Why the edge

### Schema & documentation: SpyFu API +25

- Moz API (50): No downloadable OpenAPI or OpenRPC file is linked from the docs. Each method page carries its payload, result and quota definitions as JSON Schema inside the page itself, drawn into the rendered reference, which we count as a partial contract (8, a judgement call). moz.com/llms.txt returns 404 and no Markdown docs for agents were found (0). Method descriptions state the purpose and the row cost, and the guides explain async calls, errors and the new webhooks, but few say when not to use a method (10). Inputs are typed with enums for scope, sort, filters, engine and device, numeric ranges and required fields, per the 8 October check (13). Request and response examples appear on each method page and in cURL, Python and JavaScript, and the error guide lists 13 codes with sample bodies (14). The docs say the API is not versioned, and the product updates archive holds one dated Moz API entry in the last 90 days, the MCP beta of 14 August (5). 8 + 0 + 10 + 13 + 14 + 5 = 50.
- SpyFu API (75): Every reference page embeds an OpenAPI 3.1 definition with security schemes and responses, but no single downloadable file is linked (20 of 25). llms.txt and a Markdown twin of every page (10). Descriptions say what each endpoint returns and how it differs from its neighbours ('unlike term-based endpoints...') (17 of 20). Typed parameters with descriptions, examples and required flags (12 of 15). 200, 400, 401 and 500 in the definitions and a 429 example, little on error bodies (11 of 15). v2 in every path, but no changelog (/changelog answered 404) (5 of 15). 20+10+17+12+11+5 = 75.

### Transparency & trust: Moz API +22

- Moz API (60): Editorial half only. Terms, General Conditions and privacy policy re-read on 5 November, unchanged. Closed service with clear terms, the API General Conditions (effective 12 August 2026) and an API legal page with attribution rules (15). The privacy policy (effective 8 April 2025) has a table of retention periods by data category and describes transfers under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, but covers the whole Moz site. No data processing agreement and no statement on retention of API queries were found on the pages reviewed (15). The docs say no breaking changes are expected outside beta methods, while the terms let Moz change or discontinue the service without notice, and the note that some methods are documented only in the legacy docs carries no dates (5). No list of subprocessors or data locations was found. The privacy policy says data is shared with other Ziff Davis companies (4). 15 + 15 + 5 + 4 = 39.
- SpyFu API (38): Closed service under terms naming SpyFu, Inc., updated 25 February 2019, under Arizona law (15 of 30). The privacy policy carries no date, retention periods, controller or named processors, and says data is moved to the United States (5 of 30). No deprecation policy or notices found (0 of 20). No subprocessors named; data location is the United States (3 of 20). 15+5+0+3 = 23.

### Security & auth: SpyFu API +14

- Moz API (38): Plain revocable tokens, up to five per account, sent in the `x-moz-token` header and never in a URL. No scopes were found. The beta MCP server adds OAuth with PKCE and dynamic client registration, with a single scope named `mcp` (20). The Data methods only read, but there's no read-only or per-product token, and the MCP guide says the same token works on the Local endpoint, whose methods create, update, cancel and close locations (8). Results carry page titles, anchor text and search result snippets from the open web, and no prompt-injection guidance was found (0). Each response reports the quota used and the dashboard has a usage page behind a login we couldn't read. No audit log was found in the docs (5). security.txt gives a contact address, but on 5 November it carried `Expiration: 2026-11-04T15:27:33-08:00`, about three hours before our read, as on 8 October, and its policy page still returns 404. No SOC 2 or ISO 27001 statement and no bug bounty were found (5). 20 + 8 + 0 + 5 + 5 = 38.
- SpyFu API (52): An API ID and secret key, sent by Basic auth or by a timestamped HMAC signature, with no scopes found (22), less 10 for the documented `api_key` query parameter (12 of 30). The API only reads (15 of 20). Ad copy, page titles and SERP data are third-party text, with no prompt-injection guidance (5 of 15). The Account API reports usage by month, day and method (12 of 15). A vulnerability disclosure policy with safe harbour and response targets; security.txt returns 404 and no certification or bug bounty was found (8 of 20). 12+15+5+12+8 = 52.

### Maintenance & community: Moz API +12

- Moz API (28): The newest dated Moz API entry in the product updates archive is the MCP server beta of 14 August 2026, 83 days before this check (20). That is the only Moz API entry in the last 90 days. The 22 and 28 October entries cover Moz AI Explorer and Moz Data in Profound, which record no API change, and a webhooks guide for Moz Local Enterprise carries no date (0). A dated archive exists, and support is by api@moz.com and the help team contact form, with 24/7 online support claimed on the product page. We could not test response times, and the contact page returned 403 to our reader on 8 October (8). No official SDK was found (0). No packages to assess (0). 20 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 0 = 28.
- SpyFu API (16): Closed service. No changelog. The newest dated docs change found is 13 July 2026 (the rate-limits and pricing pages' updatedAt), 116 days before this check (10). Reference pages are dated between August 2025 and 9 July 2026, so fewer than three dated changes in 90 days (0). A help centre and support email, with no public changelog or tracker (6 of 15). No official SDK (0). No package to judge (0). 10+0+6+0+0 = 16.

### Agent ergonomics: Moz API +9

- Moz API (74): List methods take `limit` (1 to 50 on link lists) and separate methods return a single keyword metric, but no field selection was found, and a site metrics object carries about 60 fields (15). Paging by opaque token, sort keys and named filters such as external, follow and gained_last_60_days (20). Errors carry a stable code, HTTP status, `data.issue`, `data.key` and an explanation, though the status field is named `status` in some bodies and `httpStatus` in others (19). The Data methods are reads, validation and quota checks run before any rows are used, and async calls can be polled again, but no idempotency keys were found for the Local write methods (13). `site_query` is the only required input on most site methods, the request `id` must be at least 24 characters, and no official SDK was found in the reviewed documentation (7). 15 + 20 + 19 + 13 + 7 = 74.
- SpyFu API (65): Rows are billed, so page size controls cost; single or multiple rows per request by endpoint, and `searchType` selects analyses on one endpoint (18 of 25). Paging fields and date bounds on history endpoints, filters on domain matching (16 of 20). 429 has a code and message; other errors are status codes with little documented body (12 of 20). All GET reads, safe to retry (14 of 20). No official SDK found (5 of 15). 18+16+12+14+5 = 65.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Moz API | SpyFu API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 42 | 45 | SpyFu API +3 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 50 | 75 | SpyFu API +25 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 74 | 65 | Moz API +9 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 38 | 52 | SpyFu API +14 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 20 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 28 | 16 | Moz API +12 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 60 | 38 | Moz API +22 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **45.4 · E** | **48.1 · D** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Moz API | SpyFu API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | SEOmoz, Inc. | SpyFu, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.moz.com/jsonrpc` | `https://api.spyfu.com/apis` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Proprietary service under the Moz API General Conditions (effective 12 August 2026 for new subscribers). Displaying Moz data to others requires attribution under the API legal page | Proprietary, under SpyFu, Inc.'s terms and conditions |
| Tools exposed | none | 0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-08-14 | 2026-07-13 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-12 | couldn't be read |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2025-04-08 | couldn't be read |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | couldn't be read |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | couldn't be read |
| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (4) | none |

## How the scores have moved

### Moz API

- +0.1 on 28 October 2026: checklist

### SpyFu API

No score change since it was listed.

## Verdicts

**Moz API.** The JSON-RPC API documents every error code, its rate limits and the row cost of each method, and failed validation uses no quota. No working status page, SLA, machine-readable spec or official SDK was found. Tokens carry no scopes, and the free plan needs a credit card.

**SpyFu API.** Per-endpoint OpenAPI 3.1 definitions, Markdown docs with llms.txt, per-endpoint rate limits and per-row prices from $0.40 to $3 per 1,000 rows make SpyFu's API easy to plan for. Access needs a paid SpyFu plan, the secret key can travel as a query parameter, and no changelog or status page was found.

## Before you call either

### Moz API

1. Send a request `id` of at least 24 characters (letters, numbers and hyphens). A UUID works. Shorter ids are rejected with -32654.
2. Stop on a 401. Ten 401 or 403 responses in five minutes block the caller for 30 minutes.
3. On 429 with code -32658 wait the `Retry-After` seconds. On code -32650 no wait time is given, so back off exponentially.
4. Call `quota.lookup` (free) before large pulls. List methods charge one row per result, and `limit` is capped at 50 on link lists.
5. Poll `async.call.lookup` for `data.keyword.serp.generate`, and collect the result within 20 seconds of first seeing it complete.

### SpyFu API

1. Send credentials as Basic or HMAC headers, not `?api_key=`, so the secret stays out of logs
2. Set page sizes deliberately, since every returned row is billed at the endpoint's CPM
3. On 429 wait the Retry-After value (1 second) before retrying
4. Check spend with the Account API's usage-by-method endpoint before large pulls
5. Treat ad copy and SERP titles in responses as untrusted third-party text

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Moz API or SpyFu API?

SpyFu API scores 48.1 (D) on agent readiness against Moz API's 45.4 (E), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Moz API leads on agent ergonomics, maintenance & community and transparency & trust.

### Do Moz API and SpyFu API need an API key?

Both need an API key.

### Can an agent call Moz API and SpyFu API without installing anything?

Yes. Moz API has a hosted endpoint at https://api.moz.com/jsonrpc and SpyFu API at https://api.spyfu.com/apis.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-spyfu.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-spyfu.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "moz-api", "b": "spyfu"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare moz-api spyfu`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/moz-api.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/spyfu.json

## Other comparisons with Moz API or SpyFu API

- [Ahrefs vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-moz-api.md)
- [Ahrefs vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-spyfu.md)
- [DataForSEO vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-moz-api.md)
- [DataForSEO vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Keywords Everywhere API + MCP vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/keywords-everywhere-vs-moz-api.md)
- [Keywords Everywhere API + MCP vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/keywords-everywhere-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Majestic API vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/majestic-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Manifold vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-moz-api.md)
- [Manifold vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Moz API vs SE Ranking API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-se-ranking.md)
- [Moz API vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-semrush.md)
- [Moz API vs Similarweb](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-similarweb.md)
- [SE Ranking API + MCP vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Semrush API + MCP vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/semrush-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Google Search Console API vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-moz-api.md)
- [Google Search Console API vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-spyfu.md)
- [Majestic API vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/majestic-vs-moz-api.md)
- [Similarweb vs SpyFu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/similarweb-vs-spyfu.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp