---
title: "Best Search API for Coding Documentation, Independently Benchmarked (2026): Task Completion, Speed & Cost"
description: "Best search API for coding documentation by task completion: Perplexity, 77.3% at $5.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: Parallel turbo, 333ms. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits."
url: https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-coding-documentation
---

[Openbenchmarks](https://openbenchmarks.com/) [Web Search Benchmark →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) 

[Web Search](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) / Best search API for coding documentation

Independent comparison · 2026

# Best Search API for Coding Documentation (2026): Task Completion, Speed & Cost

Best search API for coding documentation by task completion: Perplexity, 77.3% at $5.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: Parallel turbo, 333ms. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits.

Compare **10 providers**, including Exa, Tavily, Brave, Parallel and Firecrawl, across **14 configurations** on **100 questions**. Compare search APIs for coding documentation on the developer board, search results only, scored by grounded task completion.

## Best by task completion

[Perplexity](#perplexity-low) 

Task completion

77.3%

Mean search time

957ms

Search price / 1,000 queries

$5.00

Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. [Official docs ↗](https://docs.perplexity.ai/api-reference/search-post) · [Pricing ↗](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing) 

## Fastest search

[Parallel turbo](#parallel-turbo) 

Task completion

64.7%

Mean search time

333ms

Search price / 1,000 queries

$1.00

Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) · [Pricing ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) 

## Cheapest search

[TinyFish](#tinyfish-search) 

Task completion

59.3%

Mean search time

2.15s

Search price / 1,000 queries

$0.00

Free-tier limits apply. Model and scrape costs are separate. [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tinyfish.ai/search-api) · [Pricing ↗](https://www.tinyfish.ai/pricing) 

[Compare all 14 configurations →](#results) · [Open benchmark code ↗](https://github.com/openbenchmarks-labs/web-search-for-coding-agents) · [Public dataset sample ↗](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openbenchmarks/OB-Code-Websearch) 

Updated 26 September 2026. Last measured 15 September 2026.

[Compare results](#results) [How to choose](#choose) [Method and sources](#method) [Questions](#faq) 

## Best search API for coding documentation

Task completion on 100 documentation tickets with the same agent using search results. A pass needs a patch that checks out and a citation from the run’s sources. The agent does not scrape the page on this board. Search latency and total task latency are shown separately. Prices are the benchmark-recorded rate basis, with the same configurations used for the quality results.

__100 questions · 14 configurations · ordered by task completion__
| Rank | Provider & configuration | Task completion | Mean search time | Recorded $ / 1,000 queries | Median task time | Median task cost | Official docs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Perplexity search\_context\_size=low /search | **77.3%** | 957ms | [$5.00](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing) Search API · POST /search | 18.31s | $0.06 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.perplexity.ai/api-reference/search-post) |
| 2 | Firecrawl firecrawl-search /v2/search | **70.3%** | 2.87s | [$5.00](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) 2 credits / 10 results | 27.95s | $0.06 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/api-reference/endpoint/search) |
| 3 | Parallel fast mode=fast /v1/search | **66.7%** | 953ms | [$1.00](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) mode=fast · 10 results | 22.09s | $0.05 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) |
| 4 | Exa fast type=fast /search | **66.3%** | 626ms | [$7.00](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) type=fast · up to 10 results | 19.97s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) |
| 5 | Parallel turbo mode=turbo /v1/search | **64.7%** | 333ms | [$1.00](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) mode=turbo · 10 results | 18.69s | $0.06 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) |
| 6 | Exa instant type=instant /search | **61.3%** | 447ms | [$7.00](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) type=instant · up to 10 results | 20.58s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) |
| 7 | TinyFish free · 30 req/min cap api.search.tinyfish.ai | **59.3%** | 2.15s | [$0.00](https://www.tinyfish.ai/pricing) 30 req/min cap | 27.84s | $0.03 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tinyfish.ai/search-api) |
| 8 | Tavily basic search\_depth=basic /search | **51.0%** | 1.72s | [$8.00](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits) 1 credit · $0.008 PAYG | 26.40s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-reference/endpoint/search) |
| 9 | Nimble search\_depth=lite · full\_content=false · focus=general /v2/search | **46.7%** | 3.15s | [$1.10](https://www.nimbleway.com/pricing) search\_depth=lite · full\_content=false | 32.72s | $0.04 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.nimbleway.com/api-reference/search/search) |
| 10 | Linkup fast depth=fast · outputType=searchResults /v1/search | **43.3%** | 1.39s | [$5.00](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/platform/pricing) depth=fast · searchResults | 26.76s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/search/overview) |
| 11 | Nimble search\_depth=standard · full\_content=false · focus=general /v2/search | **42.3%** | 878ms | [$5.00](https://www.nimbleway.com/pricing) search\_depth=standard · full\_content=false | 25.27s | $0.08 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.nimbleway.com/api-reference/search/search) |
| 12 | You extraction\_mode=highlights /v1/search | **41.3%** | 596ms | [$5.00](https://you.com/docs/administration/billing) highlights included in Web Search | 23.93s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.you.com/) |
| 13 | You extraction\_mode=highlights · knowledge=core /v1/search | **38.3%** | 677ms | [$5.00](https://you.com/docs/administration/billing) highlights · knowledge=core · same Web Search price assumption | 21.05s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.you.com/) |
| 14 | Brave count=10 · result\_filter=web /res/v1/web/search | **38.0%** | 523ms | [$5.00](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/pricing) Recorded search-request rate; see official terms. | 19.87s | $0.08 | [Official docs ↗](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/services/web-search) |

## Choose the best search API for coding documentation

### Coding documentation, scored as task completion

The agent receives a documentation ticket and must produce a patch that passes its checks, citing a source returned in the run. This page uses the search-only coding board: the agent works from search results and does not scrape the page. That is the ranking for a search API for coding documentation.

### Search excerpts and the docs page

Search results include titles, URLs and excerpts. Some tickets are solvable from that excerpt. Others need the full docs page. When you need the page, compare the separate search-and-scrape coding board. Do not average the two scores into one rank.

### Time and cost of a documentation task

Mean search time is the search call. Median task time includes the agent’s edits and any repeated searches. Median task cost includes model tokens and the search API. Recorded price per 1,000 queries is the search rate alone, so a low request price and a low completed-ticket price can differ.

### Reproduce the comparison on your docs

Hold the agent and the tickets fixed. Change the search API and the result count together only when you mean to test that pair. Require a citation URL from the run’s sources. The open coding benchmark and the public dataset sample are linked below.

## Benchmark method and source data

Task completion on 100 documentation tickets with the same agent using search results. A pass needs a patch that checks out and a citation from the run’s sources. The agent does not scrape the page on this board. Search latency and total task latency are shown separately. Each row is one measured configuration. Missing measurements appear as a dash.

[Open benchmark code ↗](https://github.com/openbenchmarks-labs/web-search-for-coding-agents) · [Public dataset sample ↗](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openbenchmarks/OB-Code-Websearch) · [All benchmark methods →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) 

[Compare the coding documentation boards →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search-for-coding-agents) 

## Common questions

### What is the best search API for coding documentation?

Best search API for coding documentation by task completion: Perplexity, 77.3% at $5.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: Parallel turbo, 333ms. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits.

### Which benchmark does the main ranking use?

Task completion on 100 documentation tickets with the same agent using search results. A pass needs a patch that checks out and a citation from the run’s sources. The agent does not scrape the page on this board. Search latency and total task latency are shown separately.

### 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.

## Related search API comparisons

[Best fast web search API →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-fast-web-search-api) [Best search and scrape API →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-and-scrape-api) [Best scrape API for AI agents →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-scrape-api-for-ai-agents) [Best search API for deep research agents →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-deep-research-agents) [Best search API for company research →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-company-research) [Best search API for sales agents →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-sales-agents) [Best web search API for grounding →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-web-search-api-for-grounding) [Best search API for news →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-news) [Web search APIs for RAG →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-web-search-api-for-rag) [Search APIs for coding agents →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-coding-agents) [Fastest search API →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/fastest-search-api) 

[← Web Search Benchmark](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search)