Most token efficient
- Precision / 1k tokens
- 1.51
- F1
- 33.2%
- Search price / 1,000 queries
- $5.00
Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. Official docs ↗ · Pricing ↗
Independent comparison · 2026
Best Scrape API for AI Agents (2026): Token Efficiency, Quality & Cost
Best scrape API for AI agents by token efficiency: Firecrawl, 1.51 precision points per 1,000 tokens. Highest F1: Exa deep, 48.2%. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits.
Compare 12 providers, including Exa, Tavily, Brave, Parallel and Firecrawl, across 20 configurations on 45 questions. Compare scrape APIs for AI agents ranked by token efficiency, measured as precision per 1,000 task tokens when the agent can search and scrape the page.
Best by F1
- F1
- 48.2%
- Mean search time
- 47.08s
- Search price / 1,000 queries
- $12.00
Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. Official docs ↗ · Pricing ↗
Cheapest search
- F1
- 30.2%
- Mean search time
- 26.59s
- Search price / 1,000 queries
- $0.00
Free-tier limits apply. Model and scrape costs are separate. Official docs ↗ · Pricing ↗
Compare all 20 configurations → · Open benchmark code ↗ · Public dataset sample ↗
Updated 23 September 2026. Last measured 14 September 2026.
Best scrape API for AI agents, ranked by token efficiency
Token efficiency on 45 company questions. The same agent can search more than once and scrape the page. Token efficiency is precision per 1,000 task tokens, and higher is better. This page orders the comparison by that figure. F1 is shown beside it. Prices are the benchmark-recorded rate basis, with the same configurations used for the quality results.
| Rank | Provider & configuration | Precision / 1k tokens | F1 | Mean search time | Recorded $ / 1,000 queries | Median task time | Median task cost | Official docs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FirecrawlfirecrawlPOST /v2/search | 1.51 | 33.2% | 40.23s | $5.002 credits / 10 resultsScrape $0.0025 per page. | 82.06s | $0.29 | Official docs ↗ |
| 2 | Brave SearchbraveGET /res/v1/web/search | 1.35 | 29.4% | 7.15s | $5.00Recorded search-request rate; see official terms.Scrape included in the measured task cost when the provider billed it. | 45.13s | $0.28 | Official docs ↗ |
| 3 | TinyFishtinyfishGET api.search.tinyfish.ai | 1.32 | 30.2% | 26.59s | $0.0030 req/min capScrape $0.0000 per page. | 63.37s | $0.22 | Official docs ↗ |
| 4 | Nimblesearch_depth=lite · full_content=false · focus=general · extract formats=[markdown]POST /v2/search | 1.21 | 25.8% | 53.50s | $1.10search_depth=lite · full_content=falseScrape included in the measured task cost when the provider billed it. | 72.36s | — | Official docs ↗ |
| 5 | Parallel turboparallel-turboPOST /v1/search mode=turbo | 0.77 | 36.0% | 5.38s | $1.00mode=turbo · 10 resultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 48.07s | $0.41 | Official docs ↗ |
| 6 | Perplexitysearch_context_size=highPOST /search | 0.72 | 46.6% | 13.98s | $5.00Search API · POST /searchScrape included in the measured task cost when the provider billed it. | 53.89s | $0.50 | Official docs ↗ |
| 7 | Parallel fastparallel-fastPOST /v1/search mode=fast | 0.69 | 39.3% | 12.27s | $1.00mode=fast · 10 resultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 55.08s | $0.44 | Official docs ↗ |
| 8 | Nimblesearch_depth=standard · full_content=false · focus=general · extract formats=[markdown]POST /v2/search | 0.62 | 31.3% | 23.00s | $5.00search_depth=standard · full_content=falseScrape included in the measured task cost when the provider billed it. | 59.23s | — | Official docs ↗ |
| 9 | Exa deepexa-deepPOST /search type=deep | 0.61 | 48.2% | 47.08s | $12.00type=deepScrape $0.0010 per page. | 95.80s | $0.68 | Official docs ↗ |
| 10 | Parallel advancedparallel-advancedPOST /v1/search mode=advanced | 0.58 | 42.2% | 36.66s | $5.00mode=advanced · 10 resultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 80.87s | $0.60 | Official docs ↗ |
| 11 | Tavily basictavily-basicPOST /search search_depth=basic | 0.57 | 38.1% | 20.30s | $8.001 credit · $0.008 PAYGScrape $0.0032 per page. | 61.97s | $0.61 | Official docs ↗ |
| 12 | Exa instantexa-instantPOST /search type=instant | 0.55 | 44.9% | 5.90s | $7.00type=instant · up to 10 resultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 52.51s | $0.65 | Official docs ↗ |
| 13 | Tavily advancedtavily-advancedPOST /search search_depth=advanced | 0.43 | 41.0% | 44.65s | $16.002 credits · $0.008 PAYGScrape $0.0032 per page. | 92.63s | $0.90 | Official docs ↗ |
| 14 | Linkup standardlinkup-standardPOST /v1/search depth=standard | 0.36 | 42.0% | 27.77s | $5.00depth=standard · searchResultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 81.01s | $0.91 | Official docs ↗ |
| 15 | Youextraction_mode=highlightsPOST /v1/search | 0.35 | 38.5% | 7.55s | $5.00highlights included in Web SearchScrape $0.0010 per page. | 45.63s | $0.86 | Official docs ↗ |
| 16 | Linkup fastlinkup-fastPOST /v1/search depth=fast | 0.35 | 39.9% | 17.28s | $5.00depth=fast · searchResultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 68.02s | $0.90 | Official docs ↗ |
| 17 | Youextraction_mode=highlights · knowledge=corePOST /v1/search | 0.31 | 38.5% | 9.18s | $5.00highlights · knowledge=core · same Web Search price assumptionScrape $0.0010 per page. | 48.52s | $0.89 | Official docs ↗ |
| 18 | Parallel basicparallel-basicPOST /v1/search mode=basic | 0.27 | 42.3% | 21.58s | $5.00mode=basic · 10 resultsScrape $0.0010 per page. | 68.62s | $1.09 | Official docs ↗ |
| 19 | Seltzseltz-companiesPOST /v1/search scope=companies | 0.10 | 16.3% | 9.30s | $5.00Recorded search-request rate; see official terms.Scrape included in the measured task cost when the provider billed it. | 60.10s | $1.74 | Official docs ↗ |
| 20 | SERP (RapidAPI)serpGET google-search74.p.rapidapi.com | 0.00 | 0.0% | 3.50s | $3.00Pro overage $0.003/requestScrape included in the measured task cost when the provider billed it. | 33.44s | $0.10 | Official docs ↗ |
Choose the best scrape API for AI agents
What this scrape API ranking measures
An agent scrape is scored here as part of search and scrape. The same agent can search, choose a URL, and scrape the page. This page ranks those runs by token efficiency: precision per 1,000 task tokens. F1 is shown beside the rank. A scrape endpoint that returns markdown is useful when the agent can cite the page it opened.
Keep the scraped page attached to the source URL
Store the URL, title and scraped text together. Pass that bundle into the agent with a stable citation id. The benchmark counts a result when the company’s set matches the question and the run can point at its sources. A scrape with no source URL is harder to check and is outside this score.
Token efficiency and scrape cost
Token efficiency on this page is precision per 1,000 task tokens. Higher is better. Median task tokens include the scraped page the agent reads. Search price per 1,000 queries is the recorded search rate. Page scrape often has its own rate, credit, or inclusion in the same plan. Median task cost includes the agent’s model spend and the vendor calls measured for the run.
Match the scrape format to the agent
Markdown and extracted text are the formats these configurations return into the agent. HTML dumps raise token use. Test the same questions with the scrape format you will ship, and cap how many pages the agent may open per answer. The table’s official docs link is the place to confirm the current request fields.
Benchmark method and source data
Token efficiency on 45 company questions. The same agent can search more than once and scrape the page. Token efficiency is precision per 1,000 task tokens, and higher is better. This page orders the comparison by that figure. F1 is shown beside it. Each row is one measured configuration. Missing measurements appear as a dash.
Open benchmark code ↗ · Public dataset sample ↗ · All benchmark methods →
Common questions
What is the best scrape API for AI agents?
Best scrape API for AI agents by token efficiency: Firecrawl, 1.51 precision points per 1,000 tokens. Highest F1: Exa deep, 48.2%. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits.
Which benchmark does the main ranking use?
Token efficiency on 45 company questions. The same agent can search more than once and scrape the page. Token efficiency is precision per 1,000 task tokens, and higher is better. This page orders the comparison by that figure. F1 is shown beside it.
What does the price per 1,000 queries include?
The recorded search endpoint’s request price. Model-token spend, page scrape and plan conditions are separate. Rows with a task measurement show median task cost in its own column. Check the linked provider terms for current pricing.
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