Looking for the best SERP API in 2025? You've come to the right place. In my experience working with various search engine data projects, choosing the right API can make or break your entire operation. Some search scraping APIs can be frustrating, as they often yield inconsistent data. Others extract data so smoothly you’ll wonder how they make web scraping so easy.
The search engine API market has evolved significantly in 2025, with new players entering the field and established providers upgrading their infrastructure. Whether you’re tracking competitor rankings, building local SEO presence, or feeding data into machine learning models, there’s never been more choice – or more confusion about which provider to pick.
After testing dozens of providers and analyzing performance metrics, pricing structures, and real-world reliability, I’ve identified the best Google SERP APIs that also work on other major search engines.
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
The top SERP APIs for 2025 are:
ScrapingBee (best overall value)
Oxylabs (enterprise-grade)
SerpApi (most features)
ZenRows (flexible scraping)
Apify (marketplace model)
DataForSEO (rank tracking focus)
Bright Data (proxy network).
ScrapingBee leads with excellent documentation, competitive pricing, and reliable Google SERP API performance that makes integration painless for developers.
Let’s see how easy it is to get started with a practical example:
import requests
import json
def scrape_google_results(query, api_key):
"""
Scrape Google SERP using ScrapingBee's API
"""
url = "https://app.scrapingbee.com/api/v1/store/google"
params = {
'api_key': api_key,
'search': query,
'nb_results': 10,
'country_code': 'US',
'language_code': 'en'
}
try:
response = requests.get(url, params=params)
response.raise_for_status()
data = response.json()
# Extract organic results
organic_results = data.get('organic_results', [])
print(f"Found {len(organic_results)} results for '{query}':")
print("-" * 50)
for i, result in enumerate(organic_results, 1):
title = result.get('title', 'No title')
url = result.get('url', 'No URL')
snippet = result.get('snippet', 'No snippet')
print(f"{i}. {title}")
print(f" URL: {url}")
print(f" Snippet: {snippet[:100]}...")
print()
return organic_results
except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
print(f"Error making request: {e}")
return None
except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
print(f"Error parsing JSON: {e}")
return None
# Example usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
API_KEY = "your_scrapingbee_api_key_here"
search_query = "best python web scraping tools"
results = scrape_google_results(search_query, API_KEY)
if results:
print(f"Successfully scraped {len(results)} results!")
This example shows why the platform stands out – clean, predictable responses with straightforward error handling. The API returns well-structured JSON that’s easy to work with, and their documentation makes integration smooth.
What Is a SERP API?
A SERP API (Search Engine Results Page API) is a service that automatically extracts and structures data from search pages, delivering it in a clean JSON or other machine-readable format. Instead of manually visiting Google or Bing and copying results by hand, these APIs handle the entire process programmatically.
The time savings are massive. What used to require hours of manual work or complex scraping scripts that constantly broke can now be accomplished with a simple API call. Check out the What is web scraping? article, where we discuss this in-depth.
Key Features to Compare
When evaluating Google SERP API options, certain features separate the reliable providers from the ones that’ll leave you frustrated. Let me walk you through the features that you should be comparing:
• Structured JSON output – You want clean, consistently formatted data that doesn't require additional parsing overhead. This is perhaps the most critical capability of any Google Search API.
• Rotating proxies are essential for avoiding IP blocks and maintaining consistent access to search results across different geographic locations. Without this feature, your scraping operations will quickly run into limitations.
• Automated CAPTCHA solving should be completely invisible to you as the user. The best services handle these challenges seamlessly, so you never have to worry about your requests getting blocked or requiring manual intervention.
• Location and language targeting capabilities matter enormously if you're doing international SEO or local market research. Being able to specify exact geographic locations and language preferences ensures you're getting relevant, localized results that match what users actually see.
• Speed and reliability metrics tell the real story of service quality. Look for providers that publish their average response times and uptime statistics. The difference between a 2-second response and a 10-second response adds up quickly when you're processing thousands of queries.
• Transparent pricing structures without hidden fees or confusing tier systems make budgeting and scaling much more predictable. The best Google SERP APIs offer clear per-request pricing or monthly plans with generous usage allowances that align with real-world usage patterns.
7 Best SERP APIs in 2025
The Google Search scraper landscape has matured significantly, with clear winners emerging based on performance, reliability, and developer experience. After extensive testing and analysis of response times, data quality, and pricing structures, these seven providers represent the best options available.
1. ScrapingBee SERP API
ScrapingBee has built something special in the API space by focusing relentlessly on developer experience and reliability. While other providers get caught up in feature arms races, this provider has perfected the fundamentals:
Clean JSON data responses
Built-in proxy management
Simple, predictable API design
Outstanding customer support
Excellent Python integration
Extensive documentation with full code snippets
Pricing that actually makes sense
The provider's API handles Google search results with impressive consistency, automatically managing proxy rotation and CAPTCHA solving with an easy setup process on your end.
Unlike the competitors, ScrapingBee's pricing is transparent and predictable. The plans start at reasonable monthly rates with clear usage limits, and there are no surprise charges or hidden fees that suddenly appear on your bill.
The API design is refreshingly straightforward, with intuitive parameter names and response structures that don’t require extensive documentation diving to understand. The platform's Python SDK is excellent, making it easy to set search parameters even if you're scraping Google for the first time.
The technical implementation is solid across the board. Response times are competitive, typically under 3 seconds for most queries, and their infrastructure handles traffic spikes gracefully. The support team actually responds when you need help, which unfortunately isn’t something you can take for granted in this space.
For developers building SEO tools, rank tracking applications, or market research platforms, this provider offers the sweet spot of reliability, ease of use, and fair pricing. It's perfect for teams in need of a Google search API that works consistently well.
2. Oxylabs SERP API
Oxylabs positions itself as the enterprise solution in the Google Search API market with infrastructure built for large-scale operations. Their platform combines extensive data extraction tools with dedicated account management and enterprise-grade SLAs.
The provider is known for:
• Robust infrastructure
• Dedicated account management
• Comprehensive coverage of Google search results and other search engines
• Advanced features, including historical data access
• Custom parsing options for specialized requirements
The drawbacks are substantial for non-enterprise users. Pricing is complex and expensive, typically requiring custom quotes rather than transparent rates. Onboarding involves lengthy sales calls and contract negotiations, while technical setup demands detailed configuration and often custom integration work.
However, once you run successful requests and get your parsed data, you might find that Oxylabs is worth the effort.
3. SerpApi
SerpApi has established itself as the feature powerhouse of the Google SERP API world, supporting an impressive array of search engines beyond just Google. Their platform includes advanced capabilities for comprehensive search extraction across multiple platforms with solid technical implementation.
Key highlights:
• Extensive search engine coverage
• Advanced features, including image search and shopping results
• Social media search API integration
• Well-structured, consistent JSON responses across different search engines
• Reasonable response times (2-3 seconds for most queries)
The major downside is cost. At $15 per 1,000 requests, SerpApi ranks among the most expensive options available. High-volume applications face potentially prohibitive costs that escalate quickly. Their pricing structure often forces upgrades to higher plans even when only needing a subset of features.
For simpler use cases requiring basic SERP data, the premium pricing for unused features doesn't make financial sense. SerpApi delivers the best value for applications that genuinely need their comprehensive feature set and have the budget to support premium pricing.
4. ZenRows
ZenRows markets itself as a flexible web scraping API that includes SERP functionality, rather than a dedicated SERP scraping provider. This broader focus brings both advantages and limitations. Their platform can handle various scraping tasks beyond search results, but the lack of complete SERP coverage demonstrates that it is less mature than providers like ScrapingBee.
Key benefits:
• Flexible platform handling multiple web scraping needs
• Single API for different search types
• Competitive pricing for a general-purpose scraping platform
• Adequate documentation for general web scraping tasks
ZenRows sometimes delivers a malformed JSON structure, and it lacks specialized Google Search API features. Response times are inconsistent, varying with request complexity and system load.
While pricing is competitive for their broader platform, the value proposition weakens when evaluated purely for Google SERP API functionality – you're paying for capabilities you might not need while getting less specialized search results extraction.
For projects that require both search results data and general web scraping, ZenRows might be a suitable option, but specialized providers offer better performance and value.
5. Apify
Apify operates on a unique marketplace model where individual developers create and maintain specific scraping "actors" for different websites and use cases. Their actor for scraping Google search is generally reliable, with good data extraction capabilities, and the marketplace approach provides specialized solutions for niche requirements.
Key benefits:
• Marketplace model with specialized "actors" to extract data
• Popular and reliable Google Search actor
• Potential for finding niche solutions not available elsewhere
• Customizable workflows for complex scraping requirements
However, this marketplace model creates significant drawbacks for production applications. You're dependent on individual developers to maintain the actors, with no guarantee of long-term support or consistent updates. When Google changes its search result structure, you're at the mercy of the actor developer to provide timely updates.
The setup is considerably more complex than traditional APIs, requiring an understanding of Apify's actor system, run configurations, and platform-specific data storage.
Their pricing model adds another layer of complexity, with costs based on compute units rather than straightforward per-request rates. While powerful for complex workflows, Apify is typically overkill for standard search data needs, making it suitable only when you specifically require its broader ecosystem.
6. DataForSEO
DataForSEO has built its entire platform around the needs of SEO professionals. Their strength lies in providing comprehensive SEO tools alongside search results data, making them particularly valuable for agencies and professionals requiring integrated analytics.
Here's what it offers:
• Comprehensive SEO platform with every SERP feature needed
• Historical ranking data integration
• Advanced keyword research capabilities and related searches
• Thorough documentation with examples for common SEO use cases
The technical implementation is solid but not exceptional. It's not the fastest SERP API api as response times average 4-5 seconds. While their JSON structure is well-designed with useful SEO-specific metadata, the platform's main limitation is its broad focus.
At $10 per 1,000 requests, the pricing is reasonable for the full feature set, but it becomes expensive if you only need basic data. The platform complexity can overwhelm developers seeking simple search results.
DataForSEO delivers the best value for SEO professionals utilizing their comprehensive toolkit, while more focused providers offer better solutions for straightforward search extraction or applications outside the SEO space.
7. Bright Data SERP API
Bright Data brings their extensive proxy infrastructure expertise to the market, offering solid infrastructure and reliable extraction capabilities. Their residential proxies provide excellent geographic coverage, making them particularly strong for local SEO research and international market analysis.
Key benefits:
• Industry-leading proxy network with exceptional geographic coverage
• Fast response times (typically 2-3 seconds) with good reliability
• Clean, well-structured JSON responses
• Reduced likelihood of blocking or rate-limiting issues
However, Bright Data suffers from significant usability challenges. The platform is complex and clearly designed for enterprise users, with a steep learning curve for most API applications.
Their pricing structure lacks transparency, often requiring custom quotes instead of clear per-request rates. Lengthy onboarding processes and sales interactions delay implementation.
While you are likely to enjoy every serp feature offered, it hardly justifies the cost. Unless you specifically need their advanced proxy capabilities or have enterprise-scale requirements, simpler alternatives offer better developer experience and value.
How to Choose the Right SERP API
Selecting the right API requires looking beyond feature lists to assess what truly matters for your specific use case. Consider these key factors when making your decision:
• Budget alignment – Calculate your expected daily request volume and compare costs. The difference between $1.22 and $15 per 1,000 successful requests adds up dramatically at scale.
• Technical requirements – Evaluate your team's expertise and development bandwidth. Some APIs require extensive setup and constant maintenance, while others offer to auto-generate code to get you running quickly.
• Scale considerations – A solution perfect for 1,000 daily queries might fail at 100,000. Review API metrics captured in performance dashboards and measured latency statistics from providers.
• Geographic coverage – If you need results from multiple languages or specific regions, verify actual support quality. Many providers claim global coverage but deliver poor results outside major English markets.
• Authentication method – Consider the security and complexity of API key authentication systems, especially for enterprise implementations or real-time apps.
• Data completeness – Determine if you need specialized data like rich snippets, knowledge graph information, or raw HTML alongside standard results.
• Integration effort – Factor in development time for setup, monitoring dashboards implementation, and retry behavior configuration when calculating the total cost.
• Support quality – Evaluate documentation, interactive playground availability, and support responsiveness, especially if you're building critical lead generation tools.
Final Thoughts: Start With ScrapingBee
The market offers a wide range of providers and all comes with their own benefits. The best API isn't necessarily the one with the most features, but the one that aligns with your specific requirements and technical capacity.
If you’re ready to start extracting search results but feeling overwhelmed by the options, ScrapingBee offers the most straightforward path forward. The free trial gives you hands-on experience with a well-designed Web Scraping API without requiring credit card information or lengthy signup processes. The documentation is clear enough that you can have working code within minutes, not hours.
What makes ScrapingBee particularly appealing for getting started is its focus on developer experience. The API responses are clean and predictable, error messages are actually helpful, and their Python SDK eliminates most of the boilerplate code you’d otherwise need to write. You can focus on building your application rather than wrestling with API integration details. So why not try it today?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best SERP API for SEO in 2025?
ScrapingBee offers the best overall value for SEO professionals, combining reliable data collection, competitive pricing, and excellent developer experience. Try out the platform with a free trial – no credit cards required.
Are SERP APIs safe and legal?
Yes, SERP APIs are legal when used responsibly and in compliance with search engines’ terms of service. Reputable providers handle technical compliance and rate limiting automatically to ensure safe usage.
How much do SERP APIs cost?
SERP API costs range from $1.22 to $15 per 1,000 requests, depending on features and provider. Most offer free trials or starter plans to test functionality before committing to paid plans.
Do SERP APIs include proxies?
Yes, all major SERP APIs include proxy management and rotation as part of their service. This handles IP blocking and geographic targeting automatically without requiring separate proxy subscriptions.
Kevin worked in the web scraping industry for 10 years before co-founding ScrapingBee. He is also the author of the Java Web Scraping Handbook.
