The affordable Brave Search API alternative
Serpex is a web search API for AI agents that returns search results and the full page content behind them as LLM-ready markdown in a single request. Brave Search API is search backed by Brave's own independent index, including an LLM-oriented context endpoint. Brave Search API lists $5.00 per 1,000 searches; Serpex lists $0.50 – $0.80 — about 10× lower.
Pricing verified against Brave Search API’s public pricing page on 2026-10-01. Source. Prices change — check theirs before deciding.
Pricing compared
| Serpex | Brave Search API | |
|---|---|---|
| Search, per 1,000 | $0.50 – $0.80 | $5.00 |
| Page content | Included on the same request | The LLM Context endpoint is priced the same per call |
| Search + content, 10 results, per 1,000 | $3.00 – $4.80 | $5 |
| Free tier | 200 free credits on signup, no card required | $5 of credit each month, renewing; a credit card is required (anti-fraud) |
Where Serpex is different
- Roughly 8× lower cost per search
- Full page markdown for the results, not just snippets and context
Where Brave Search API is the better choice
- A genuinely independent index — not a reseller of another engine's results
- Strong, public privacy stance with no user profiling
- Predictable flat per-call pricing with no tiering to reason about
Pick Brave Search API if index independence or privacy guarantees are a requirement you have to answer for — that is a real reason to pay more.
What the Serpex request looks like
One call returns the results and the page content behind them. There is no second request to orchestrate.
curl -X POST https://api.serpex.dev/api/search \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SERPEX_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"query": "how does retrieval augmented generation work",
"include_content": true,
"content_results": 5
}'We have the answers
Find answers to the most common questions about our pricing, API and features.
Is Serpex cheaper than Brave Search API?
Yes. Brave Search API lists $5.00 per 1,000 search requests. Serpex lists $0.50 – $0.80 per 1,000 — roughly 10× lower at list price. Verified against their public pricing page on 2026-10-01.
What is the main difference between Serpex and Brave Search API?
Brave Search API is search backed by Brave's own independent index, including an LLM-oriented context endpoint. Serpex returns search results and the full page content behind them as LLM-ready markdown in a single API call, which is the difference that matters for most retrieval pipelines.
When should I use Brave Search API instead of Serpex?
Index independence or privacy guarantees are a requirement you have to answer for — that is a real reason to pay more.
Can I get both search results and page content in one request?
With Serpex, yes — set include_content on a normal search call and each result comes back with the page converted to markdown. That costs $3.00 – $4.80 per 1,000 requests for 10 results with content, against roughly $5 for the equivalent on Brave Search API.
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Contact support (opens in a new tab)Try it against your own queries
Free credits on signup, no card required. Compare the output with Brave Search API on the queries you actually run.