100tasks · hard retrieval · search & fetch and search-only
Most token-efficient web search API for coding agents
Ranked on the hard retrieval task of the web search benchmark. A pass requires a grounded source URL from that run's search or fetch.
TinyFish is most token-efficient on search & fetch at 12,844 tokens. Firecrawl is most token-efficient on search-only at 7,456 tokens.
Most token-efficient on this board is median task tokens, not search-API list price. Search & fetch and search-only are separate rankings.
Most accurate · Fastest · Most token efficient · Full benchmark
Factual lookup (accuracy per 1,000 snippet tokens, web search APIs): most token-efficient for AI agents →
[01]search & fetch
Ranking, sorted by median task tokens
Top 8 by median task tokens
| Rank | Vendor | Endpoint & configuration | Task completion | Median task time | Median task cost | Avg search time | Median task tokens | API list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TinyFish | GET api.search.tinyfish.aiGET api.fetch.tinyfish.ai format=markdown | 79.0 ± 2.0 | 24s | $0.050$0.000 search+fetch$0.050 token cost | 1.32s | 12,844 | $0 / search$0 / fetch |
| 2 | Nimble | POST /v2/search search_depth=lite · full_content=false · focus=generalPOST /v2/extract formats=[markdown] | 60.3 ± 2.5 | 40s | $0.054$0.054 token cost | 1.93s | 16,828 | $0.0011 / search |
| 3 | Firecrawl | POST /v2/searchPOST /v2/scrape | 76.0 ± 1.0 | 34s | $0.082$0.028 search+fetch$0.055 token cost | 2.81s | 17,379 | $0.005 / search$0.0025 / fetch |
| 4 | Perplexity | POST /search search_context_size=highPOST /search search_context_size=high | 77.7 ± 1.5 | 22s | $0.083$0.025 search+fetch$0.058 token cost | 991ms | 20,062 | $0.005 / search$0.005 / fetch |
| 5 | Exa deep | POST /search type=deepPOST /contents | 83.0 ± 1.0 | 37s | $0.127$0.057 search+fetch$0.070 token cost | 3.97s | 23,660 | $0.012 / search$0.001 / fetch |
| 6 | Tavily advanced | POST /search search_depth=advancedPOST /extract extract_depth=advanced | 60.0 ± 2.0 | 46s | $0.153$0.085 search+fetch$0.069 token cost | 3.41s | 26,269 | $0.016 / search$0.0032 / fetch |
| 7 | Parallel advanced | POST /v1/search mode=advancedPOST /v1/extract | 77.0 ± 1.0 | 33s | $0.096$0.019 search+fetch$0.077 token cost | 3.11s | 27,092 | $0.005 / search$0.001 / fetch |
| 8 | Tavily basic | POST /search search_depth=basicPOST /extract extract_depth=basic | 59.0 ± 1.7 | 32s | $0.113$0.043 search+fetch$0.070 token cost | 1.50s | 27,405 | $0.008 / search$0.0016 / fetch |
| 9 | Exa auto | POST /search type=autoPOST /contents | 81.7 ± 1.1 | 23s | $0.107$0.032 search+fetch$0.074 token cost | 1.19s | 27,433 | $0.007 / search$0.001 / fetch |
| 10 | Nimble | POST /v2/search search_depth=standard · full_content=false · focus=generalPOST /v2/extract formats=[markdown] | 45.0 ± 1.0 | 44s | $0.078$0.078 token cost | 905ms | 28,586 | $0.005 / search |
| 11 | Parallel basic | POST /v1/search mode=basicPOST /v1/extract | 76.0 ± 0.0 | 30s | $0.107$0.023 search+fetch$0.084 token cost | 1.59s | 32,809 | $0.005 / search$0.001 / fetch |
| 12 | You | POST /v1/search extraction_mode=highlights · knowledge=corePOST /v1/contents | 54.0 ± 2.0 | 28s | $0.117$0.026 search+fetch$0.091 token cost | 678ms | 37,453 | $0.005 / search$0.001 / fetch |
| 13 | You | POST /v1/search extraction_mode=highlightsPOST /v1/contents | 55.0 ± 1.7 | 27s | $0.119$0.027 search+fetch$0.092 token cost | 638ms | 42,806 | $0.005 / search$0.001 / fetch |
| 14 | Linkup standard | POST /v1/search depth=standardPOST /v1/fetch mode=standard | 48.3 ± 4.9 | 48s | $0.147$0.038 search+fetch$0.108 token cost | 2.00s | 57,791 | $0.005 / search$0.005 / fetch |
[02] search only
Search-only, same sort
Top 8 by median task tokens
| Rank | Vendor | Endpoint & configuration | Task completion | Median task time | Median task cost | Avg search time | Median task tokens | API list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Firecrawl | POST /v2/search | 70.3 ± 1.5 | 28s | $0.059$0.025 search$0.034 token cost | 2.87s | 7,456 | $0.005 / search |
| 2 | TinyFish | GET api.search.tinyfish.ai | 59.3 ± 1.5 | 28s | $0.035$0.000 search$0.035 token cost | 2.15s | 7,469 | $0 / search |
| 3 | Nimble | POST /v2/search search_depth=lite · full_content=false · focus=general | 46.7 ± 3.8 | 33s | $0.043$0.005 search$0.037 token cost | 3.15s | 8,713 | $0.0011 / search |
| 4 | Perplexity | POST /search search_context_size=low | 77.3 ± 2.1 | 18s | $0.059$0.025 search$0.034 token cost | 957ms | 8,765 | $0.005 / search |
| 5 | Parallel fast | POST /v1/search mode=fast | 66.7 ± 1.5 | 22s | $0.054$0.005 search$0.049 token cost | 953ms | 12,460 | $0.001 / search |
| 6 | Brave | POST /res/v1/llm/context | 38.0 ± 2.6 | 20s | $0.082$0.025 search$0.057 token cost | 523ms | 14,103 | $0.005 / search |
| 7 | Parallel turbo | POST /v1/search mode=turbo | 64.7 ± 2.1 | 19s | $0.059$0.005 search$0.054 token cost | 333ms | 14,130 | $0.001 / search |
| 8 | Nimble | POST /v2/search search_depth=standard · full_content=false · focus=general | 42.3 ± 2.5 | 25s | $0.079$0.025 search$0.054 token cost | 878ms | 14,859 | $0.005 / search |
| 9 | Tavily basic | POST /search search_depth=basic | 51.0 ± 5.3 | 26s | $0.097$0.040 search$0.057 token cost | 1.72s | 16,299 | $0.008 / search |
| 10 | You | POST /v1/search extraction_mode=highlights | 41.3 ± 3.1 | 24s | $0.097$0.025 search$0.072 token cost | 596ms | 20,333 | $0.005 / search |
| 11 | You | POST /v1/search extraction_mode=highlights · knowledge=core | 38.3 ± 3.2 | 21s | $0.096$0.025 search$0.071 token cost | 677ms | 20,786 | $0.005 / search |
| 12 | Exa fast | POST /search type=fast | 66.3 ± 1.5 | 20s | $0.103$0.035 search$0.068 token cost | 626ms | 22,344 | $0.007 / search |
| 13 | Exa instant | POST /search type=instant | 61.3 ± 2.9 | 21s | $0.105$0.035 search$0.070 token cost | 447ms | 22,423 | $0.007 / search |
| 14 | Linkup fast | POST /v1/search depth=fast | 43.3 ± 1.1 | 27s | $0.100$0.025 search$0.075 token cost | 1.39s | 24,057 | $0.005 / search |
[03] faq
Common questions
What is the most token-efficient web search API for coding agents?
TinyFish is most token-efficient on search & fetch at 12,844 tokens. Firecrawl is most token-efficient on search-only at 7,456 tokens. That is the LLM bill for the coding loop, not search-API list price.