SerpAPI credits expire. Yours shouldn't.
SerpAPI charges $25/mo for 1,000 searches that vanish on the 1st, with a 20% hourly cap that kills batch jobs. RankParse: pay per request, no hourly cap, credits that never expire.
TL;DR
Pricing at three volume tiers
SerpAPI's $25/mo minimum recurs every month, whether you use it or not. RankParse credits are yours to keep.
| Volume / mo | RankParse | SerpAPI |
|---|---|---|
| First 100 requests | Free (no card) | $25/mo (Starter min) |
| 1K requests/mo | $9 one-time (never expires) | $25/mo recurring |
| 5K requests/mo | $49 one-time (never expires) | $75/mo recurring |
What each tool covers
| RankParse | SerpAPI | |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks endpoint | ||
| Referring domains | ||
| Anchor text distribution | ||
| Domain authority score | ||
| Tech stack detection | ||
| Page metadata (title, h1, desc) | ||
| MCP server for AI agents | ||
| No subscription required | ||
| Credits never expire | ||
| Free tier (no card) | ||
| No hourly throughput cap | ||
| Live Google SERP results | ||
| Multi-engine SERP (Bing, YouTube, etc.) | ||
| Geo / location targeting |
The API call comparison
SerpAPI for SERP data. RankParse for link intelligence. Both under 3 lines.
# SerpAPI — $25/mo Starter, 1,000 searches expire monthly, 20% hourly cap
curl "https://serpapi.com/search.json?q=seo+tools&api_key=YOUR_KEY&gl=us"
# Credits expire on the 1st. Hourly limit: 200 searches (20% of 1K/mo Starter).
# RankParse — pay per request, credits never expire, no hourly cap
curl "https://api.rankparse.com/v1/domain-authority?domain=example.com" \
-H "X-API-Key: rp_your_key"
# Cost: 1 credit ($0.0049 at Growth tier). Credits never expire.When to stay with SerpAPI
SerpAPI is the right tool when:
- You need live Google SERP results — rank positions, featured snippets, People Also Ask
- Your use case is rank tracking or keyword research at scale
- You need structured shopping, images, or news SERP features
- You need multi-engine support (Bing, YouTube, Google Maps) in one API
RankParse is the right tool when you need backlink data, domain authority scores, and link intelligence — without paying a monthly subscription for searches that expire.
Common questions
Do SerpAPI credits expire?
Yes. SerpAPI monthly plan searches reset on your billing date — unused searches are lost. There is no credit rollover on any plan. RankParse credits never expire. Buy once, use whenever.
What is SerpAPI's hourly throughput cap?
SerpAPI limits each plan to 20% of monthly quota per hour. On the $25/mo Starter (1,000/mo), that's 200 searches per hour. If you're running a batch job, you'll hit this ceiling fast. RankParse has no hourly cap.
Can RankParse replace SerpAPI for rank tracking?
No — and we'll be straight about it. SerpAPI returns live Google SERP results, which is what you need for rank tracking, keyword research, and SERP feature monitoring. RankParse returns backlink data, domain authority, and link intelligence derived from Common Crawl. Different tools for different jobs.
When does it make sense to use RankParse instead of SerpAPI?
When your use case is link data: backlink audits, domain authority scoring, anchor text analysis, tech stack detection, or feeding an AI agent with SEO signals. If you're building a rank tracker or keyword research tool, SerpAPI is the right call.
What's the cheapest SerpAPI plan?
SerpAPI's Starter plan is $25/mo for 1,000 searches. There's a free tier of 250 searches/mo, but with the 20% hourly cap that's only 50 searches per hour. RankParse's free tier is 100 credits — no card, no hourly cap.
See the pricing difference at your volume
Drag the slider to your monthly request volume.
RankParse costs assume avg 2 credits/request (Growth or Scale pack pricing). Competitor figures are minimum plan costs — actual usage may be higher. Verify at source before making decisions.
No monthly plan. Credits that never expire.
100 free requests. No credit card. API key in 30 seconds.
Get API key — free