Rainforest API vs Google Shopping for AI agents
Rainforest API is a paid third-party API that returns Amazon search, product, offer and review data in real time. Google's commerce developer tools are for sellers: Merchant API manages a merchant's own Merchant Center products, and UCP on Google lets merchants sell inside AI Mode in Search and Gemini.
The short answer
- Rainforest API: Getting Amazon product, price and review data without needing Amazon Associates sales.
- Google Shopping: Merchants who want their products shown and sold in Google Shopping, AI Mode and Gemini, not developers who want to search products.
Side by side
| Rainforest API | Google Shopping | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Amazon search results by keyword or category, product pages by ASIN, deals and offers, and reviews. | – |
| Returns | Ranked products with ASINs, title and price for searches; full product page data (bullets, descriptions, attributes, variations, category tree) by ASIN. | – |
| Before the first call | A Traject Data account and API key. | Merchant API needs a Merchant Center account and a Google Cloud project; UCP on Google is joined through a waitlist. |
| Free | A free trial; the pricing page does not say how many requests it includes. | – |
| Paid | Hobbyist plan $23 a month billed annually for 500 credits a month ($0.06 per extra credit). | – |
| Acting on a result | Data only; no buy, affiliate or checkout action is described. | Nothing for outside agents; UCP checkout happens inside Google's own AI Mode and Gemini. |
| Coverage | Amazon marketplaces worldwide, including US, UK, DE, FR, CA and IN. | – |
| MCP server | No official server listed | – |
Where Openpath fits
Openpath has no products listed yet. Sellers can list a product on Openpath today, free, and agents will find it through the same search as jobs and businesses. Get listed.
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use Rainforest API?
A Traject Data account and API key.
Is Rainforest API free?
A free trial; the pricing page does not say how many requests it includes.
Sources
Every line about another company comes from its own pages. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
Rainforest API, read on October 15, 2026:
- trajectdata.com/ecommerce/rainforest-api: “Search by keyword or category and return ranked products with ASINs”
- trajectdata.com/ecommerce/rainforest-api: “Pull complete product page data by ASIN: titles, bullets, descriptions, attributes, variations, category tree, and A+ content.”
- trajectdata.com/ecommerce/rainforest-api: “We support all major Amazon marketplaces including US, UK, DE, FR, CA, IN, and more.”
- docs.trajectdata.com/rainforestapi: “The Product Data API allows you to retrieve data from any Amazon domain worldwide in real-time.”
- trajectdata.com/ecommerce/rainforest-api/pricing: “Absolutely! Start a free trial to see results instantly.”
- trajectdata.com/ecommerce/rainforest-api/pricing: “$23/month ... Billed Annually”
- trajectdata.com/ecommerce/rainforest-api/pricing: “$0.06 per extra credit”
Google Shopping, read on October 15, 2026:
- developers.google.com/merchant/api/overview: “The Merchant API enables automation of account, product, and inventory management within Merchant Center”
- developers.google.com/merchant/ucp: “Adopt UCP to enable agentic actions on AI Mode in Google Search and Gemini, starting with direct buying.”
- developers.google.com/merchant/ucp: “You remain the Merchant of Record.”
- developers.google.com/merchant/ucp: “Join the waitlist”
- developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview: “The Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers.”
- developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview: “Existing Custom Search JSON API customers have until January 1, 2027 to transition to an alternative solution.”