Perplexity Search API vs Context.dev for AI agents
Perplexity Search API is raw ranked web results from Perplexity's own index (Search API), plus Sonar models that return cited AI answers. Context.dev is a web data API for AI agents (scrape, search, crawl, extract) whose search endpoint can return page content with each result.
The short answer
- Perplexity Search API: Fresh, ranked web snippets from a large independent index, or a cited answer when you want one.
- Context.dev: One credit pool for search, scraping and extraction, with page Markdown attached to results.
Side by side
| Perplexity Search API | Context.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Perplexity's own web index, which it says covers hundreds of billions of webpages. | Ranked web results (the provider does not name the engine; its country option maps to Google's gl parameter). |
| Returns | Search API: JSON results with title, URL, ranked snippet text and date. Sonar: an LLM answer with citations. | 10 to 100 results with URL, title and snippet; optional page Markdown or relevant passages per result. |
| Before the first call | An account and an API key from the API console; pay-as-you-go, no subscription. | An account and API key (Bearer); no card for the free tier. |
| Free | Not stated on its pages | 1,000 credits a month, no credit card (search costs 1 credit per 10 results). |
| Paid | Search API $5 per 1,000 requests ($1 per 1,000 with Fast Search), no token costs; Sonar models are priced per token plus a per-request fee. | Developer plan $19/month for 7,500 credits; overage $2.20 per 1,000 credits. |
| Acting on a result | Through the web page each result links to | Through the web page each result links to |
| Limits on keeping or showing results | Output may be displayed only within your own applications; rights are non-sublicensable and non-transferable. | Terms bar systematically retrieving data from the service to compile a database without written permission. |
| AI in its terms | Perplexity says it will not use customer content to train or fine-tune generative AI models. | Context.dev may use customer data to train and improve its machine-learning models, unless a separate no-training agreement applies. |
| MCP server | Official MCP server: https://github.com/perplexityai/modelcontextprotocol (npm @perplexity-ai/mcp-server) | Official MCP server: https://mcp.context.dev/mcp (OAuth or API key) |
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use Perplexity Search API?
An account and an API key from the API console; pay-as-you-go, no subscription.
Is Perplexity Search API free?
Its pages listed no free use when we read them on October 15, 2026.
What do I need before I can use Context.dev?
An account and API key (Bearer); no card for the free tier.
Is Context.dev free?
1,000 credits a month, no credit card (search costs 1 credit per 10 results).
Sources
Every line about another company comes from its own pages. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
Perplexity Search API, read on October 15, 2026:
- docs.perplexity.ai/getting-started/pricing: “The Search API charges per successful request, including a successful request with multiple queries, with no token costs.”
- docs.perplexity.ai/getting-started/pricing: “Total cost per query = token costs + a per-request fee (Sonar, Sonar Pro, and Sonar Reasoning Pro)”
- docs.perplexity.ai/getting-started/quickstart: “Pay-as-you-go pricing for all APIs. No subscription required.”
- perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-the-perplexity-search-api: “With an index covering hundreds of billions of webpages”
- docs.perplexity.ai/guides/search-quickstart: “real-time, ranked web results as structured data”
- perplexity.ai/hub/legal/perplexity-api-terms-of-service: “display such Output, in each case, solely within the Customer Applications”
- perplexity.ai/hub/legal/perplexity-api-terms-of-service: “Perplexity shall not use (or authorize third parties to use) Customer Content to train, retrain, fine-tune”
- docs.perplexity.ai/guides/mcp-server: “https://github.com/perplexityai/modelcontextprotocol”
- docs.perplexity.ai/getting-started/pricing: “Search API $5.00 Raw web search results with advanced filtering”
- docs.perplexity.ai/getting-started/pricing: “Search API with Fast Search $1”
Context.dev, read on October 15, 2026:
- context.dev/pricing: “Start with 1,000 free credits/mo, no credit card required.”
- context.dev/pricing: “Web and news search cost 1 credit per 10 results.”
- docs.context.dev/api-reference/web-scraping/search: “Search the web and optionally return page content or relevant passages with each result.”
- docs.context.dev/api-reference/web-scraping/search: “Number of results to request and return (10–100). Defaults to 10.”
- context.dev/terms: “Systematically retrieve data or other content from the Services to create or compile”
- context.dev/terms: “Context.dev may use Customer IP to train and improve the machine learning”
- docs.context.dev/install-mcp: “https://mcp.context.dev/mcp”
- context.dev/pricing: “$19 /month Start building 7,500 credits per month”