The affordable Perplexity 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. Perplexity API is a search API that returns ranked web results as structured data, with controls for domains, languages, regions and extracted content (their older Sonar chat completions ended on 27 September 2026). Perplexity API lists $1.00 with Fast Search, $5.00 standard per 1,000 searches; Serpex lists $0.50 – $0.80 — about 2× lower.
Pricing verified against Perplexity API’s public pricing page on 2026-10-01. Source. Prices change — check theirs before deciding.
Pricing compared
| Serpex | Perplexity API | |
|---|---|---|
| Search, per 1,000 | $0.50 – $0.80 | $1.00 with Fast Search, $5.00 standard |
| Page content | Included on the same request | Extracted content is a control on the Search API request itself. Their pricing page lists only the per-request price, so check their docs for how much page text comes back |
| Search + content, 10 results, per 1,000 | $3.00 – $4.80 | $1.00 to $5.00 (the request price; how much page text comes back is set by their content controls) |
| Free tier | 200 free credits on signup, no card required | No free tier listed on their pricing page |
Where Serpex is different
- Lower list price per search than either of their modes: $0.50 to $0.65 against $1.00 to $5.00 per 1,000
- Full page markdown for the results on the same request; if no page can be fetched, you pay only the plain search rate
- Free credits on signup with no card required
Where Perplexity API is the better choice
- Domain, language and region controls on every search request
- A lower-priced Fast Search mode at $1.00 per 1,000 requests
- They also sell an Agent API with a built-in web search tool, if you want them to run the model as well
Pick Perplexity API if you want their domain, language and region controls, or you already use their Agent API and prefer one vendor for search and the model.
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 Perplexity API?
Yes. Perplexity API lists $1.00 with Fast Search, $5.00 standard per 1,000 search requests. Serpex lists $0.50 – $0.80 per 1,000 — roughly 2× lower at list price. Verified against their public pricing page on 2026-10-01.
What is the main difference between Serpex and Perplexity API?
Perplexity API is a search API that returns ranked web results as structured data, with controls for domains, languages, regions and extracted content (their older Sonar chat completions ended on 27 September 2026). 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 Perplexity API instead of Serpex?
You want their domain, language and region controls, or you already use their Agent API and prefer one vendor for search and the model.
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 $1.00 to $5.00 (the request price; how much page text comes back is set by their content controls) for the equivalent on Perplexity API.
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Free credits on signup, no card required. Compare the output with Perplexity API on the queries you actually run.