# SerpApi alternative: same kind of JSON, prepaid credits, paid in crypto

> SerpApi alternative for 2026: Google and Bing results as JSON from $0.30/1K searches, credits that never expire, no KYC, crypto. Dated price comparison.

- URL: https://serpcrypto.com/alternatives/serpapi/
- Last updated: 2026-10-22
- Publisher: SerpCrypto (https://serpcrypto.com)

SerpApi is the best-known SERP API, with a free tier, many engines and a legal shield on larger plans. This page sets its public plans next to ours, says where each one is the better choice, and shows how to switch.

**Quick answer — What is a good SerpApi alternative that I can pay for in crypto?**

**SerpCrypto** is a SerpApi alternative that returns Google and Bing results as JSON, sold as prepaid credits that never expire and paid in crypto with no KYC. At SerpApi's list prices of 22 October 2026, 100,000 searches cost $725 a month on its Searcher plan; on SerpCrypto, 100,000 searches cost $56.25. SerpApi keeps the edge on engine count, its free tier and its U.S. Legal Shield.

## SerpApi vs SerpCrypto at a glance

|  | SerpCrypto | SerpApi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Billing model | Prepaid packs; credits never expire | Monthly plans; searches reset at the start of each billing cycle |
| Smallest paid option | 10,000 searches for $7.50 | Starter: 1,000 searches a month for $25 |
| 100,000 searches | $56.25 | $725 a month (Searcher) |
| 1,000,000 searches | $375 | $3,750 a month (Cloud 1M) |
| Free tier | None | 250 searches a month |
| Failed searches | Not charged | Not counted ("Cached, errored, and failed searches are not") |
| Engines | 6: Google Search, Google News, Google Images, Google Maps (local results), Google Shopping and Bing | Many more, including Google AI Mode |
| Legal coverage | None offered | U.S. Legal Shield, up to $2 million, from the Production plan up |
| Guaranteed throughput | Concurrency limit shown in the dashboard | Searches per hour per plan, e.g. 20,000 on Searcher |
| Payment | BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC | No payment method listed on the pricing page |
| Identity checks | No KYC: no ID, no selfie, no documents | — |

*Prices checked on October 22, 2026.*

SerpApi facts from serpapi.com/pricing, read on 2026-10-22. "—" = not stated on the pages we read.

## How much cheaper is SerpCrypto for the same number of searches?

For the volumes SerpApi sells, our list price per search is lower at every tier we compared on 22 October 2026. The gap is widest on small volumes, where SerpApi's monthly plans cost $10 to $25 per 1,000 searches.

| Searches | SerpApi plan (per month) | SerpCrypto pack | SerpCrypto per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | Developer, $75 | 10,000 searches, $7.50 | $0.75/1K searches |
| 15,000 | Production, $150 | 25,000 searches, $18.75 | $0.75/1K searches |
| 100,000 | Searcher, $725 | 100,000 searches, $56.25 | $0.56/1K searches |
| 250,000 | Volume, $1,475 | 250,000 searches, $140.63 | $0.56/1K searches |
| 500,000 | Infrastructure, $2,750 | 500,000 searches, $281.25 | $0.56/1K searches |
| 1,000,000 | Cloud 1M, $3,750 | 1,000,000 searches, $375 | $0.38/1K searches |
| 5,000,000 | Cloud 5M, $11,475 | 5,000,000 searches, $1,500 | $0.30/1K searches |

The comparison is not like for like on two points. A SerpApi plan renews every month, while a SerpCrypto pack is bought once and lasts until it is used. And SerpApi's price includes a free tier, more engines and legal coverage on larger plans, which we do not offer.

## When is SerpApi the better choice?

Choose SerpApi if one of these matters more than price or payment method:

- **You need an engine we do not cover.** SerpApi lists many more engines and verticals than our 6, including Google AI Mode.
- **You want legal coverage.** From its Production plan up, SerpApi includes a U.S. Legal Shield of up to $2 million "for the scraping and parsing of search engine data". SerpCrypto offers nothing comparable.
- **You need a guaranteed hourly volume.** SerpApi publishes a throughput per plan, for example 20,000 successful searches an hour on Searcher.
- **You want to start free.** SerpApi gives 250 searches a month without paying; we have no free tier.

It is also the provider most often cited in comparisons, so libraries and tutorials tend to use its field names first.

## When is SerpCrypto the better choice?

Choose SerpCrypto if you pay in crypto, prefer not to upload identity documents, or have uneven volumes.

- **Crypto and no KYC.** Top up from $25 in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC. Account-number login; email is optional.
- **Credits that do not reset.** A monthly plan wastes what you do not use; a prepaid pack keeps it. That suits AI agents, research projects and seasonal SEO work.
- **Price per search.** Our list prices are below SerpApi's at each plan size compared above, as of 22 October 2026.
- **One price for every engine.** Google, Maps, News, Images, Shopping and Bing each cost one credit.

## How hard is it to switch from SerpApi?

Switching is mostly a change of URL, key and a few names. Our response uses familiar block names such as `organic_results`, `people_also_ask`, `local_results`, `knowledge_graph` and `related_searches`, and requests take `q`, `gl`, `hl`, `location` and `device`.

Check three things before you move a production job. First, the `engine` values we accept: `google`, `google_news`, `google_images`, `google_maps`, `google_shopping` and `bing`. Second, paging: we use `page=1` to `10` rather than an offset. Third, the fields your code reads: the [response format](https://serpcrypto.com/docs/response/) lists every field we return, and anything not listed should be treated as absent. Run your 50 most important queries on both services for a day and compare before switching the rest.

*Python: the same query on SerpCrypto*

```python
import os

import requests

params = {
    "engine": "google",
    "q": "best crm for small business",
    "gl": "us",
    "hl": "en",
    "location": "Chicago, Illinois, United States",
}
resp = requests.get(
    "https://serpcrypto.com/api/v1/search",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["SERPCRYPTO_API_KEY"]},
    params=params,
    timeout=60,
)
resp.raise_for_status()
data = resp.json()
print([r["link"] for r in data.get("organic_results", [])][:5])
print([q["question"] for q in data.get("people_also_ask", [])])

```

## What about the lawsuits against SerpApi?

SerpApi is a defendant in two US cases about SERP scraping, and both were open on 22 October 2026. In *Google LLC v. SerpApi, LLC* (N.D. Cal.), the court granted SerpApi's motion to dismiss on 20 July 2026, Google filed an amended complaint on 10 August, and no ruling on SerpApi's second motion to dismiss had been published. In *Reddit v. SerpApi, Oxylabs, AWMProxy and Perplexity* (S.D.N.Y.), the court largely denied SerpApi's and Perplexity's motions to dismiss on 31 July 2026.

These are allegations, and no defendant has been found liable. They concern the whole SERP API industry, not one company: every provider, including SerpCrypto, collects public search results. Our [overview of the legal situation](https://serpcrypto.com/guides/is-a-serp-api-legal/) gives the timeline; it is not legal advice.

## Which pack replaces my SerpApi plan?

Take your monthly searches on SerpApi. Up to 5,000 a month, 10,000 searches lasts two months or more; at 100,000 a month, 100,000 searches covers one month for $56.25. Credits never expire.

| Plan | Quantity | Price | Price per unit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Test | 10,000 searches | $7.50 | $0.75/1K searches |
| Build | 100,000 searches | $56.25 | $0.56/1K searches |
| Volume | 1,000,000 searches | $375 | $0.38/1K searches |
| Bulk | 5,000,000 searches | $1,500 | $0.30/1K searches |

In every plan: Every engine at 1 credit per search · Failed requests not charged · Credits never expire · Country, language, city and device targeting

**Before you pay**

- Minimum top-up $25. Top up once in crypto, then buy any plan from your balance.
- Unused balance stays on your account and never expires, and it pays for search credits. When a purchase costs less than the minimum top-up, the part added only to reach the minimum is refundable on request to support within 30 days of the payment, in USDT or USDC, as long as it has not been spent. The rest of the balance is not paid back, except where the law requires it.
- Credited once your payment is checked on the blockchain. Typical network confirmation time: BTC ≈ 20 min · USDT TRC-20 ≈ 1 min · USDT ERC-20 ≈ 5 min · USDC ERC-20 ≈ 5 min · ETH ≈ 5 min · SOL ≈ 1 min · LTC ≈ 15 min

## SerpApi alternative: common questions

### Is SerpCrypto cheaper than SerpApi?

At the list prices we read on 22 October 2026, yes, at every SerpApi plan size we compared: for example $725 a month for 100,000 searches on SerpApi Searcher, against $56.25 for 100,000 searches on SerpCrypto. SerpApi includes a free tier, more engines and legal coverage that we do not offer.

### Does SerpCrypto have a free plan like SerpApi?

No. SerpApi gives 250 free searches a month. SerpCrypto has no free tier; the smallest pack is 10,000 searches for $7.50, paid from a $25 top-up.

### Can I pay SerpApi in crypto?

SerpApi's pricing page, read on 22 October 2026, lists no payment method. SerpCrypto takes BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC only, with no KYC.

### Do unused SerpApi searches roll over?

SerpApi's pricing page says searches reset at the start of each new billing cycle; on a downgrade, remaining searches move to an "Extra Credits" balance. SerpCrypto credits never expire.

### Does SerpCrypto support Google AI Mode?

No. We return the Google AI Overview when the results page shows one, but we have no AI Mode engine. SerpApi lists one.

## Sources

1. [SerpApi pricing](https://serpapi.com/pricing) — SerpApi (read 2026-10-22)
2. [Google AI Mode API](https://serpapi.com/google-ai-mode-api) — SerpApi (read 2026-10-22)
3. [Court dismisses Google's DMCA claims against SerpApi](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/court-dismisses-googles-dmca-claims-against-serpapi/583033/) — Search Engine Journal (2026-07-21)
4. [SerpApi asks judge to end Google's scraping case](https://ppc.land/serpapi-asks-judge-to-end-googles-scraping-case-over-three-unseen-contracts/) — PPC Land (2026-08-25)
5. [Is scraping Google legal?](https://parallel.ai/articles/is-scraping-google-legal) — Parallel (2026-09-26)

---

SerpCrypto: SerpCrypto is a SERP API for developers and AI agents that returns Google and Bing results as JSON, paid in crypto with no ID upload. Prepaid search credits from $0.30/1K searches never expire. No KYC — no ID, no selfie, no documents. Pay in crypto.