You.com Search API vs Bing Search API for AI agents
You.com Search API is a web and news search API for AI apps, with optional full-page content. Microsoft's Bing Search APIs were retired on August 11, 2025 and are no longer available.
The short answer
- 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.
- Bing Search API: Nothing for new projects: it is retired; Microsoft points customers to Grounding with Bing Search inside Azure AI Agents.
Side by side
| You.com Search API | Bing Search API | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | The web and news (the pages read do not say whose index). | – |
| Returns | 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 API key (X-API-Key header); the free MCP profile needs no key, account or card. | – |
| Free | 100 Web Search queries a day through the MCP with no key, account or card. | – |
| Paid | $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 | – |
| MCP server | 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 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.
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”
Bing Search API, read on October 15, 2026:
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/announcements/bing-search-api-retirement: “Bing Search APIs will be retired on August 11, 2025.”
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/announcements/bing-search-api-retirement: “the product will no longer be available to be used or new customer signup.”
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/announcements/bing-search-api-retirement: “Customers are encouraged to migrate to Grounding with Bing Search as part of Azure AI Agents.”