Serper vs You.com Search API for AI agents
Serper is a low-cost API that returns Google search results as JSON. You.com Search API is a web and news search API for AI apps, with optional full-page content.
The short answer
- Serper: The cheapest way on this list to get raw Google results in JSON.
- You.com Search API: Trying web search in an agent with zero setup via the free keyless MCP, then scaling on a simple per-call price.
Side by side
| Serper | You.com Search API | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Google results: web, images, news, maps, places, videos, shopping, scholar, patents, autocomplete. | The web and news (the pages read do not say whose index). |
| Returns | JSON shaped like a Google results page: organic results with title, link and snippet, knowledge graph, People Also Ask, related searches; places with address, rating and phone. | JSON web and news results with several text snippets each; optional full page content as Markdown or HTML ($1 per 1,000 pages crawled live). |
| Before the first call | An account and an API key; no credit card for the free queries. | An API key (X-API-Key header); the free MCP profile needs no key, account or card. |
| Free | 2,500 free queries, no credit card (the page does not say they renew monthly). | 100 Web Search queries a day through the MCP with no key, account or card. |
| Paid | $50 for 50,000 credits ($1.00 per 1,000), credits valid 6 months; down to $0.30 per 1,000 at volume. | $5 per 1,000 calls (Web Search API, Standard); Contents $1 per 1,000 pages. |
| Acting on a result | Through the web page each result links to | Through the web page each result links to |
| MCP server | No official server listed | Official MCP server: https://api.you.com/mcp (keyless free profile: https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free) |
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use Serper?
An account and an API key; no credit card for the free queries.
Is Serper free?
2,500 free queries, no credit card (the page does not say they renew monthly).
What do I need before I can use You.com Search API?
An API key (X-API-Key header); the free MCP profile needs no key, account or card.
Is You.com Search API free?
100 Web Search queries a day through the MCP with no key, account or card.
Sources
Every line about another company comes from its own pages. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
Serper, read on October 15, 2026:
- serper.dev: “Get 2,500 free queries”
- serper.dev: “No credit card required”
- serper.dev: “50k credits ($1.00/1k)”
- serper.dev: “Credits valid for 6 months”
- serper.dev: “The World's Fastest & Cheapest Google Search API”
You.com Search API, read on October 15, 2026:
- you.com/pricing: “No API key, no account, no credit card”
- you.com/pricing: “100 Web Search API queries/day via MCP”
- you.com/docs/guides/search: “Multiple text snippets per result for context”
- you.com/docs/guides/search: “Every request sends your API key in the X-API-Key header.”
- you.com/docs/guides/search: “https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free”
- you.com/pricing: “Web Search API $5 /1k calls”