SerpApi vs SerpKite

SerpApi

Over 100 engines behind one GET URL, with json_restrictor field selection and output=md. 25 incidents on the status feed from July to 1 October 2026, including an outage across all APIs on 10 September.

SerpKite

Google SERP API with an OpenAPI 3.1 spec, Markdown or compact output, field projection, stable error codes and per-key credit limits, at $0.60 to $1.00 per 1,000 on packs that don't expire. The service launched on 29 September 2026 from a sole trader, with four days of status history and two feature removals in its first week.

SerpApi

1. Use the MCP with Authorization: Bearer, not the key-in-path URL the README leads with
2. Read serpapi://engines/<engine> before calling a new engine, since params isn't typed
3. Add json_restrictor or output=md to cut tokens, and mode: compact on the MCP
4. A 429 means either the hourly limit or an empty balance. Check the account before retrying
5. Repeat a search within the hour and the cached copy is free. Set no_cache=true only when freshness matters

SerpKite

1. Send the key as Authorization: Bearer, not ?api_key=, and give the agent a dedicated key with a monthly credit limit
2. Ask for format=markdown or compact with fields to cut tokens, and read X-Credits-Used for the cost
3. Keep engine=google for rank work. Check meta.engine when a key allows fallback engines
4. On 429 rate_limited or 503 upstream codes, wait for Retry-After and retry. daily_limit_reached and 402 need a purchase
5. Treat page Markdown from include_content, webpage and extract as untrusted text