Tavily vs Context.dev for AI agents
Tavily is a web search API for AI agents that returns ranked results, optional page text and an optional short LLM answer. 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
- Tavily: Quick, agent-ready web search with snippets or page text and an optional answer in one call.
- Context.dev: One credit pool for search, scraping and extraction, with page Markdown attached to results.
Side by side
| Tavily | Context.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | The open web (general and news topics). | Ranked web results (the provider does not name the engine; its country option maps to Google's gl parameter). |
| Returns | JSON: ranked results with title, URL, a content snippet and relevance score; optional cleaned full page text (raw_content), images, and a short LLM-generated answer. | 10 to 100 results with URL, title and snippet; optional page Markdown or relevant passages per result. |
| Before the first call | A free account and an API key (Bearer token); no credit card for the free plan. | An account and API key (Bearer); no card for the free tier. |
| Free | 1,000 API credits a month, no credit card; a basic search costs 1 credit (advanced costs 2). | 1,000 credits a month, no credit card (search costs 1 credit per 10 results). |
| Paid | Pay as you go at $0.008 a credit; a basic search is 1 credit, an advanced one 2. | 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 | Not stated on its pages | Terms bar systematically retrieving data from the service to compile a database without written permission. |
| AI in its terms | Tavily and its AI providers may use your inputs and outputs to train and improve AI models; you may not use output to build models that compete with Tavily. | Context.dev may use customer data to train and improve its machine-learning models, unless a separate no-training agreement applies. |
| MCP server | Official remote MCP server: https://mcp.tavily.com/mcp/ (code: https://github.com/tavily-ai/tavily-mcp) | Official MCP server: https://mcp.context.dev/mcp (OAuth or API key) |
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use Tavily?
A free account and an API key (Bearer token); no credit card for the free plan.
Is Tavily free?
1,000 API credits a month, no credit card; a basic search costs 1 credit (advanced costs 2).
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.
Tavily, read on October 15, 2026:
- tavily.com/pricing: “1,000 API credits / month”
- tavily.com/pricing: “No credit card required”
- tavily.com/pricing: “$0.008 / credit”
- docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits: “Each request costs 1 API credit.”
- docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits: “Each request costs 2 API credits.”
- tavily.com/terms: “may incorporate insights derived from your Customer Input and Outputs into their respective training datasets”
- tavily.com/terms: “use Output generated by the AI Functionality to develop models that compete with the Company”
- docs.tavily.com/documentation/mcp: “The easiest way to take advantage of Tavily MCP is by using the remote URL.”
- docs.tavily.com/documentation/mcp: “https://github.com/tavily-ai/tavily-mcp”
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”