{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "slug": "parallel-search-api",
      "name": "Parallel Search and Task APIs",
      "vendor": "Parallel Web Systems",
      "vendorUrl": "https://parallel.ai",
      "kind": "http-api",
      "category": "search",
      "summary": "Parallel's web APIs for agents.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/parallel-search-api.json",
      "transports": [
        "http",
        "streamable-http"
      ],
      "remoteUrl": "https://api.parallel.ai/v1/search",
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "parallel-web"
        },
        {
          "registry": "pypi",
          "name": "parallel-web"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "API key in the `x-api-key` header. The Search MCP at search.parallel.ai/mcp works anonymously at lower limits, takes a Bearer key, and /mcp-oauth adds OAuth. An OAuth provider can issue keys on behalf of your users.",
      "pricing": "freemium",
      "pricingNotes": "Up to 5,000 free requests a month, with $5 of free credit monthly and up to $80 at signup. Search $1 per 1,000 requests in turbo or fast, $5 in basic or advanced, 10 results included and $1 per 1,000 extra results. Extract $1 per 1,000 URLs. Task $5 (lite) to $2,400 (ultra8x) per 1,000 successful runs. Responses $10 to $250 per 1,000 by reasoning effort. Failed runs aren't billed (https://parallel.ai/pricing).",
      "priceSummary": "$1 / 1k req",
      "where": "hosted",
      "x402": {
        "level": "partial",
        "evidence": "Not on api.parallel.ai. A separate gateway at parallelmpp.dev takes x402 (USDC on Base) and MPP (Stripe or Tempo) for search and extract at $0.01 and an ultra task at $0.30. An unauthenticated POST to /api/search returned 402 with an x402 v2 challenge for 10000 base units on eip155:8453 (checked 2026-09-30) (https://docs.parallel.ai/integrations/agentic-payments).",
        "endpoints": [
          {
            "url": "https://parallelmpp.dev/api/search",
            "priceUsd": 0.01,
            "network": "eip155:8453"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://parallelmpp.dev/api/extract",
            "priceUsd": 0.01,
            "network": "eip155:8453"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://parallelmpp.dev/api/task",
            "priceUsd": 0.3,
            "network": "eip155:8453"
          }
        ]
      },
      "toolCount": 6,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 28,
        "npmWeekly": 249803,
        "pypiWeekly": 994376,
        "asOf": "2026-09-30"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://docs.parallel.ai",
      "llmsTxt": "https://docs.parallel.ai/llms.txt",
      "openapi": "https://docs.parallel.ai/public-openapi.json",
      "registryName": "ai.parallel/search-mcp",
      "capabilities": [
        "web.search",
        "web.fetch",
        "web.extract",
        "search.answer",
        "search.research"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "freemium",
        "mcp",
        "llms-txt",
        "openapi",
        "x402",
        "python",
        "typescript",
        "async-jobs",
        "webhooks"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-09-29",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 74.1,
        "grade": "BB",
        "agentReady": true,
        "rank": 51,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 452,
        "categoryRank": 3,
        "methodology": "0.3",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 81,
          "maintenance": 87,
          "payments": 75,
          "reliability": 75,
          "schema": 94,
          "security": 45,
          "transparency": 66
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-01"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "Fast-mode search at $1 per 1,000 with 10 excerpted results, and Extract at $1 per 1,000 URLs. Search defaults to advanced mode at $5 per 1,000 when `mode` is left out.",
        "strengths": [
          "Fast-mode search at $1 per 1,000 with 10 excerpted results, and Extract at $1 per 1,000 URLs",
          "Task runs billed only on success, and documented limits of 600 searches and 2,000 task creations a minute",
          "Keyless hosted Search MCP, with Bearer and OAuth endpoints for higher limits",
          "Public OpenAPI, llms.txt and an errors table that says which codes to retry",
          "Changelog entries most weeks and SDK releases several times a month"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Search defaults to advanced mode at $5 per 1,000 when `mode` is left out",
          "SDKs retry Task creation on 429 and 5xx with no idempotency key",
          "x402 and MPP only through parallelmpp.dev at a flat $0.01, not on api.parallel.ai",
          "No prompt-injection guidance, no security.txt and no public subprocessor list",
          "No retention period stated outside the EU endpoint"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Pass `mode: \"fast\"` on every search. Without it you pay the advanced rate",
          "Create Task runs with `max_retries=0` and check for an existing run before retrying",
          "Give an `objective` plus two or three short `search_queries`. That's what ranks the excerpts",
          "On 402, check available balance rather than total. Running tasks reserve credit",
          "Prefer natural-language source guidance to domain filters. The docs say filters can cut result quality"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 8,
        "avgRating": 3.6,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "BB",
            "methodology": "0.3",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 74.1
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 81,
          "maintenance": 87,
          "payments": 75,
          "reliability": 75,
          "schema": 94,
          "security": 45,
          "transparency": 45
        },
        "provenanceScore": 86
      },
      "connect": {
        "http": "curl https://api.parallel.ai/v1/search -H \"x-api-key: $PARALLEL_API_KEY\" -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n  -d '{\"mode\":\"fast\",\"objective\":\"Latest Parallel Web Systems announcements\",\"search_queries\":[\"Parallel Web Systems news\"]}'",
        "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http parallel-search https://search.parallel.ai/mcp",
        "config": {
          "mcpServers": {
            "parallel-search": {
              "headers": {
                "Authorization": "Bearer ${PARALLEL_API_KEY}"
              },
              "url": "https://search.parallel.ai/mcp"
            }
          }
        },
        "x402": "curl -i -X POST https://parallelmpp.dev/api/search -H 'content-type: application/json' -d '{\"query\":\"test\"}'\n# 402 -\u003e pay $0.01 USDC on eip155:8453 (or MPP via Stripe/Tempo) -\u003e resend"
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/web.search",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/parallel-search-api"
      },
      "area": "web-data",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Search, turbo or fast",
          "unit": "1k-requests",
          "usd": 1,
          "note": "10 results included"
        },
        {
          "item": "Search, basic or advanced",
          "unit": "1k-requests",
          "usd": 5,
          "note": "advanced is the default mode"
        },
        {
          "item": "Extract",
          "unit": "1k-pages",
          "usd": 1
        },
        {
          "item": "Task, lite processor",
          "unit": "1k-calls",
          "usd": 5
        },
        {
          "item": "Task, pro processor",
          "unit": "1k-calls",
          "usd": 100
        },
        {
          "item": "Responses, medium effort",
          "unit": "1k-requests",
          "usd": 50
        },
        {
          "item": "x402 search via gateway",
          "unit": "call",
          "usd": 0.01,
          "note": "parallelmpp.dev"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Parallel Web Systems Inc.",
        "domain": "parallel.ai",
        "domainRegistered": "2017-12-16",
        "domainNote": "Registered in 2017 and transferred on 2024-07-01, so the registration date predates the company's use of it.",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": true,
        "terms": "https://parallel.ai/terms-of-service",
        "privacy": "https://parallel.ai/privacy-policy",
        "statusPage": "https://status.parallel.ai",
        "changelog": "https://docs.parallel.ai/resources/changelog",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-09-30",
        "score": 86
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "parallel-search-api",
        "probe": {
          "target": "https://api.parallel.ai/v1/search",
          "method": "get",
          "lastAt": "2026-10-05T00:15:27.71806145Z",
          "lastOk": true,
          "lastStatus": 401,
          "lastMs": 1122,
          "lastNote": "asks for credentials",
          "authRequired": true,
          "uptime24h": 100,
          "uptime30d": 100,
          "p50ms24h": 1127,
          "p95ms24h": 1182,
          "samples24h": 272,
          "samples30d": 1105,
          "days": [
            {
              "date": "2026-09-30",
              "probes": 35,
              "ok": 35
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-01",
              "probes": 276,
              "ok": 276
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-02",
              "probes": 248,
              "ok": 248
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-03",
              "probes": 271,
              "ok": 271
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-04",
              "probes": 272,
              "ok": 272
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-05",
              "probes": 3,
              "ok": 3
            }
          ]
        },
        "vendorStatus": {
          "page": "https://status.parallel.ai",
          "indicator": "none",
          "summary": "All Systems Operational",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-05T00:11:30.309518283Z"
        },
        "versions": [
          {
            "registry": "mcp-registry",
            "name": "ai.parallel/search-mcp",
            "version": "1.0.0",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T23:42:40.113054682Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "parallel-web",
            "version": "1.3.5",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:36:18.02907643Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "pypi",
            "name": "parallel-web",
            "version": "1.3.5",
            "released": "2026-09-29",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:36:19.001388565Z"
          }
        ],
        "npmWeekly": 272076,
        "pypiWeekly": 1010177,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://parallel.ai/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "none",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:43.015248132Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://docs.parallel.ai/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:18:06.065239984Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "parallel.ai",
          "registered": "2017-12-16",
          "source": "https://rdap.identitydigital.services/rdap/domain/parallel.ai",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:04:29.88893781Z"
        },
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://docs.parallel.ai/resources/changelog",
            "kind": "changelog",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:43:52.752451731Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:31:59.173094113Z",
            "fingerprint": "e871cdd4ace7"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://parallel.ai/pricing",
            "kind": "pricing",
            "status": 304,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:46:33.40854292Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "b610ae5a0e03"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://parallel.ai/privacy-policy",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 304,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:46:35.561147321Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "43a351e6a658"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://parallel.ai/terms-of-service",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:46:37.553637339Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "533f03cba7ff"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-05T00:15:27.71806145Z"
      }
    },
    "b": {
      "slug": "searchapi-io",
      "name": "SearchAPI.io",
      "vendor": "SearchApi",
      "vendorUrl": "https://www.searchapi.io",
      "kind": "http-api",
      "category": "search",
      "summary": "SERP scraping API returning parsed JSON from Google and its verticals, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, Amazon, TikTok, ad libraries and travel sites, over 150 engine endpoints behind one GET URL.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/searchapi-io",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/searchapi-io.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/searchapi-io.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/searchapi-io.json",
      "transports": [
        "http",
        "streamable-http"
      ],
      "remoteUrl": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search",
      "packages": [],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "API key as the `api_key` query parameter or `Authorization: Bearer`. The hosted MCP uses OAuth in the browser, or an `X-MCP-Token` header for programmatic clients.",
      "pricing": "freemium",
      "pricingNotes": "100 free requests on signup, no card. Developer $40 a month for 10,000 searches ($4 per 1,000), Production $100 for 35,000, BigData $250 for 100,000, Scale $500 for 250,000, Octo tiers from $900 for 500,000 down to $1 per 1,000 at 5M. Only successful (HTTP 200) searches are charged (https://www.searchapi.io/pricing).",
      "priceSummary": "$4 / 1k req",
      "where": "hosted",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402 on pricing, docs or MCP pages (checked 2026-09-30).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": null,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-09-30"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://www.searchapi.io/docs/google",
      "openapi": "https://www.searchapi.io/openapi/google.yaml",
      "registryName": "io.searchapi/mcp",
      "capabilities": [
        "web.search",
        "search.serp",
        "search.news",
        "search.images"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "freemium",
        "no-card",
        "mcp",
        "closed-source"
      ],
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 51.4,
        "grade": "D",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 351,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 452,
        "categoryRank": 10,
        "methodology": "0.3",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 52,
          "maintenance": 15,
          "payments": 30,
          "reliability": 90,
          "schema": 59,
          "security": 28,
          "transparency": 62
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-01"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "99.9% SLA on every plan and no incidents on the status page since August. MCP exposes over 100 tools with no toolsets.",
        "strengths": [
          "99.9% SLA on every plan and no incidents on the status page since August",
          "Only HTTP 200 searches are billed",
          "$4 per 1,000 on the entry plan, falling to $1 at 5 million a month",
          "Over 150 engine endpoints, including ad libraries, TikTok and travel sites",
          "OpenAPI 3.0 for the Google engine with typed enums"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "MCP exposes over 100 tools with no toolsets",
          "API key accepted as `api_key` in the query string, and the registry entry puts the MCP token in the URL",
          "No changelog, no llms.txt and no official SDKs",
          "No x402 and no per-call option. Every account starts with a browser signup",
          "Returns SERP snippets only, and no prompt-injection guidance for scraped AI answers"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Send the key as `Authorization: Bearer`, not `api_key=` in the URL",
          "Connect the MCP through OAuth or the `X-MCP-Token` header, not the registry's `?token=` URL",
          "Call the REST API with `engine=` when context is tight. The MCP loads over 100 tool definitions",
          "Page Google results with `page`. `num` is fixed at 10",
          "Pace bursts. One hour can use at most 20 per cent of the plan's monthly searches"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 2,
        "avgRating": 3,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "D",
            "methodology": "0.3",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 51.4
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 52,
          "maintenance": 15,
          "payments": 30,
          "reliability": 90,
          "schema": 59,
          "security": 28,
          "transparency": 48
        },
        "provenanceScore": 76
      },
      "connect": {
        "http": "curl -G https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search -H \"Authorization: Bearer $SEARCHAPI_API_KEY\" -d engine=google --data-urlencode \"q=chatgpt\"",
        "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http searchapi https://www.searchapi.io/mcp"
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/web.search",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/searchapi-io"
      },
      "area": "web-data",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Developer plan, per 1,000 searches",
          "unit": "1k-requests",
          "usd": 4,
          "note": "10,000 searches for $40 a month"
        },
        {
          "item": "Developer plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 40,
          "note": "10,000 searches"
        },
        {
          "item": "Production plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 100,
          "note": "35,000 searches, includes Legal Protection Guarantee"
        },
        {
          "item": "BigData plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 250,
          "note": "100,000 searches"
        },
        {
          "item": "Scale plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 500,
          "note": "250,000 searches"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "SearchApi, LLC",
        "domain": "searchapi.io",
        "domainRegistered": "2017-12-13",
        "domainNote": "Registered in 2017 and transferred on 2022-05-26.",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": true,
        "terms": "https://www.searchapi.io/legal/terms",
        "privacy": "https://www.searchapi.io/legal/privacy",
        "statusPage": "https://status.searchapi.io",
        "changelog": "",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-09-30",
        "score": 76
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/searchapi-io.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "searchapi-io",
        "probe": {
          "target": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search",
          "method": "get",
          "lastAt": "2026-10-05T00:15:29.977422513Z",
          "lastOk": true,
          "lastStatus": 401,
          "lastMs": 110,
          "lastNote": "asks for credentials",
          "authRequired": true,
          "uptime24h": 100,
          "uptime30d": 100,
          "p50ms24h": 110,
          "p95ms24h": 262,
          "samples24h": 272,
          "samples30d": 1105,
          "days": [
            {
              "date": "2026-09-30",
              "probes": 35,
              "ok": 35
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-01",
              "probes": 276,
              "ok": 276
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-02",
              "probes": 248,
              "ok": 248
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-03",
              "probes": 271,
              "ok": 271
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-04",
              "probes": 272,
              "ok": 272
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-05",
              "probes": 3,
              "ok": 3
            }
          ]
        },
        "vendorStatus": {
          "page": "https://status.searchapi.io",
          "indicator": "unknown",
          "summary": "no machine-readable status found",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T21:40:28.607098613Z"
        },
        "versions": [
          {
            "registry": "mcp-registry",
            "name": "io.searchapi/mcp",
            "version": "1.0.0",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T23:42:40.113054682Z"
          }
        ],
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://searchapi.io/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "none",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:59.936201596Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "searchapi.io",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:07:29.137009821Z"
        },
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://www.searchapi.io/pricing",
            "kind": "pricing",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:52:17.446104265Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-02T15:28:20.315693963Z",
            "fingerprint": "3be8bb617e50"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.searchapi.io/legal/privacy",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:52:12.801220906Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-02T15:28:15.609308863Z",
            "fingerprint": "e5068628eb11"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.searchapi.io/legal/terms",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:52:15.401485994Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-02T15:28:18.274981242Z",
            "fingerprint": "6c89ffbef6cb"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-05T00:15:29.977422513Z"
      }
    },
    "summary": "Parallel Search and Task APIs has a score of 74.1 (BB) against SearchAPI.io's 51.4 (D). Both do web search. The largest gap is maintenance \u0026 community, 72 points."
  },
  "kind": "anchor.page",
  "links": {
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  "markdown": "Parallel Search and Task APIs has a score of 74.1 (BB) against SearchAPI.io's 51.4 (D). Both do web search. The largest gap is maintenance \u0026 community, 72 points.\n\n- Parallel Search and Task APIs: grade BB, 74.1/100, rank #51 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/parallel-search-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/parallel-search-api.json\n- SearchAPI.io: grade D, 51.4/100, rank #351 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/searchapi-io.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/searchapi-io.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\nPick Parallel Search and Task APIs for schema \u0026 documentation (+35), agent ergonomics (+29), security \u0026 auth (+17), payments \u0026 pricing (+45), maintenance \u0026 community (+72).\n\nPick SearchAPI.io for reliability (+15).\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Parallel Search and Task APIs | SearchAPI.io | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 75 | 90 | SearchAPI.io +15 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 94 | 59 | Parallel Search and Task APIs +35 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 81 | 52 | Parallel Search and Task APIs +29 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 45 | 28 | Parallel Search and Task APIs +17 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 75 | 30 | Parallel Search and Task APIs +45 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 87 | 15 | Parallel Search and Task APIs +72 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 66 | 62 | Parallel Search and Task APIs +4 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **74.1 · BB** | **51.4 · D** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Parallel Search and Task APIs | SearchAPI.io |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Parallel Web Systems | SearchApi |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.parallel.ai/v1/search` | `https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |\n| x402 | payer tooling only | no |\n| Licence | none | none |\n| Tools exposed | 6 | none |\n| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |\n| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | no |\n| MCP registry | `ai.parallel/search-mcp` | `io.searchapi/mcp` |\n| Last release | 2026-09-29 | none |\n| Popularity | 28 stars, 250k npm/wk, 994k PyPI/wk | none |\n| Agent reviews | 3.6/5 (8) | 3/5 (2) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Parallel Search and Task APIs.** Fast-mode search at $1 per 1,000 with 10 excerpted results, and Extract at $1 per 1,000 URLs. Search defaults to advanced mode at $5 per 1,000 when `mode` is left out.\n\n**SearchAPI.io.** 99.9% SLA on every plan and no incidents on the status page since August. MCP exposes over 100 tools with no toolsets.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Parallel Search and Task APIs\n\n1. Pass `mode: \"fast\"` on every search. Without it you pay the advanced rate\n2. Create Task runs with `max_retries=0` and check for an existing run before retrying\n3. Give an `objective` plus two or three short `search_queries`. That's what ranks the excerpts\n4. On 402, check available balance rather than total. Running tasks reserve credit\n5. Prefer natural-language source guidance to domain filters. The docs say filters can cut result quality\n\n### SearchAPI.io\n\n1. Send the key as `Authorization: Bearer`, not `api_key=` in the URL\n2. Connect the MCP through OAuth or the `X-MCP-Token` header, not the registry's `?token=` URL\n3. Call the REST API with `engine=` when context is tight. The MCP loads over 100 tool definitions\n4. Page Google results with `page`. `num` is fixed at 10\n5. Pace bursts. One hour can use at most 20 per cent of the plan's monthly searches\n\n## Other comparisons with Parallel Search and Task APIs or SearchAPI.io\n\n- [Brave Search API + MCP vs Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/brave-search-mcp-vs-parallel-search-api.md)\n- [Brave Search API + MCP vs SearchAPI.io](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/brave-search-mcp-vs-searchapi-io.md)\n- [Exa API + MCP vs Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/exa-mcp-vs-parallel-search-api.md)\n- [Exa API + MCP vs SearchAPI.io](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/exa-mcp-vs-searchapi-io.md)\n- [Firecrawl MCP vs Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/firecrawl-mcp-vs-parallel-search-api.md)\n- [Firecrawl MCP vs SearchAPI.io](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/firecrawl-mcp-vs-searchapi-io.md)\n- [Linkup vs Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/linkup-vs-parallel-search-api.md)\n- [Linkup vs SearchAPI.io](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/linkup-vs-searchapi-io.md)\n- [Parallel Search and Task APIs vs SerpApi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallel-search-api-vs-serpapi.md)\n- [Parallel Search and Task APIs vs Serper](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallel-search-api-vs-serper.md)\n- [Parallel Search and Task APIs vs Tavily API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallel-search-api-vs-tavily-mcp.md)\n- [Parallel Search and Task APIs vs Valyu](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallel-search-api-vs-valyu.md)\n- [Parallel Search and Task APIs vs You.com APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallel-search-api-vs-you-com-api.md)\n- [SearchAPI.io vs SerpApi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/searchapi-io-vs-serpapi.md)\n- [SearchAPI.io vs Serper](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/searchapi-io-vs-serper.md)\n- [SearchAPI.io vs Tavily API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/searchapi-io-vs-tavily-mcp.md)\n- [SearchAPI.io vs Valyu](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/searchapi-io-vs-valyu.md)\n- [SearchAPI.io vs You.com APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/searchapi-io-vs-you-com-api.md)\n- [Fetch (MCP reference server) vs Parallel Search and Task APIs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/fetch-reference-server-vs-parallel-search-api.md)\n",
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