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ALTERNATIVES.md

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Alternative Search APIs (Since Google Closed to New Users)

Google closed the Custom Search JSON API to new customers in 2024. If you don't have existing API credentials, here are working alternatives.

Option 1: SerpAPI (Recommended)

Best for: Most users, easy migration, reliable results

Pricing:

  • 100 searches/month FREE
  • $50/month for 5,000 searches
  • No daily limits (monthly quotas)

Pros:

  • Same Google results quality
  • Easy API, good documentation
  • Includes additional data (featured snippets, knowledge panels)

Cons:

  • More expensive than Google for high volume
  • Monthly billing

Setup:

  1. Sign up: https://serpapi.com/
  2. Get your API key from dashboard
  3. Install: npm install serpapi

Example Usage:

const { getJson } = require('serpapi');

getJson({
  engine: "google",
  q: "your search query",
  api_key: "YOUR_API_KEY"
}, (json) => {
  console.log(json.organic_results);
});

Option 2: ScraperAPI

Best for: High volume needs, budget-conscious

Pricing:

  • 1,000 requests/month FREE
  • $49/month for 100,000 requests
  • Pay-as-you-go options

Pros:

  • Very high volume capacity
  • Handles anti-bot protection
  • Multiple search engines supported

Cons:

  • Results can be slower
  • Requires more error handling

Setup:

  1. Sign up: https://scraperapi.com/
  2. Get API key
  3. Use their Google Search endpoint

Example Usage:

const axios = require('axios');

const response = await axios.get('http://api.scraperapi.com', {
  params: {
    api_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    url: 'https://www.google.com/search?q=your+query'
  }
});

Option 3: SearchAPI.io

Best for: Budget-conscious users, simple needs

Pricing:

  • 100 searches/month FREE
  • $29/month for 1,000 searches
  • Flexible plans

Pros:

  • Lower cost entry point
  • Google-compatible API format
  • Real-time results

Cons:

  • Smaller company
  • Less documentation

Setup:

  1. Sign up: https://searchapi.io/
  2. Get API key
  3. Very similar API to Google's format

Option 4: Bing Search API

Best for: Microsoft ecosystem users, enterprise

Pricing:

  • 1,000 queries/month FREE (Azure)
  • Pay-as-you-go after that

Pros:

  • Official Microsoft API (won't disappear)
  • Good documentation
  • Enterprise support

Cons:

  • Bing results, not Google
  • Azure account required

Setup:

  1. Create Azure account: https://azure.microsoft.com/
  2. Create Bing Search resource
  3. Get API key from Azure portal

Option 5: DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API

Best for: Simple queries, free usage

Pricing:

  • FREE (no API key required!)

Pros:

  • Completely free
  • No rate limits
  • Privacy-focused

Cons:

  • Limited to "instant answers" only
  • Not full search results
  • Less comprehensive

Example:

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.duckduckgo.com/?q=your+query&format=json'
);

Option 6: Build Your Own (Not Recommended)

Why you shouldn't:

  • Scraping Google violates their ToS
  • They actively block scrapers
  • Your IP will get blocked
  • Legal risks
  • High maintenance burden
  • Results are inconsistent

If you must:

  • Use a proxy rotation service
  • Implement extensive rate limiting
  • Be prepared for constant breakage
  • Consider the legal implications

Migration Support

We're exploring adding adapter modules to make switching between APIs easier. This would allow you to:

  • Use the same MCP interface
  • Swap backends without code changes
  • Fall back to alternatives when one fails

If you're interested in contributing to this effort, please open an issue on GitHub.

Comparison Table

Provider Free Tier Paid Starting Google Results Ease of Migration
SerpAPI 100/mo $50/mo Yes Easy
ScraperAPI 1,000/mo $49/mo Yes Medium
SearchAPI.io 100/mo $29/mo Yes Easy
Bing API 1,000/mo Pay-as-you-go No (Bing) Medium
DuckDuckGo Unlimited Free No Easy

Questions?

Open an issue on GitHub with the tag migration-help and we'll try to assist.

Last updated: January 2026