---
title: "Best Search API for News, Independently Benchmarked (2026): Search Accuracy, Speed & Cost"
description: "Best search API for news by accuracy: Exa fast, 99.3% at $7.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: Exa instant, 398ms. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits."
url: https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-news
---

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

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

Independent comparison · 2026

# Best Search API for News (2026): Search Accuracy, Speed & Cost

Best search API for news by accuracy: Exa fast, 99.3% at $7.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: Exa instant, 398ms. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits.

Compare **11 providers**, including Exa, Tavily, Brave, Parallel and Firecrawl, across **17 configurations** on **300 questions**. Compare search APIs for news on current questions about company events, ranked by search accuracy.

## Best by accuracy

[Exa fast](#exa-fast) 

Accuracy

99.3%

Mean search time

652ms

Search price / 1,000 queries

$7.00

Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) · [Pricing ↗](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) 

## Fastest search

[Exa instant](#exa-instant) 

Accuracy

97.7%

Mean search time

398ms

Search price / 1,000 queries

$7.00

Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) · [Pricing ↗](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) 

## Cheapest search

[TinyFish](#tinyfish-search) 

Accuracy

92.0%

Mean search time

2.62s

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 17 configurations →](#results) · [Open benchmark code ↗](https://github.com/openbenchmarks-labs/factual-lookup-company-news-search) · [Public dataset sample ↗](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openbenchmarks/OB-News-Websearch) 

Updated 21 October 2026. Last measured 21 October 2026.

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

## Best search API for news

Search accuracy on 300 company-news questions. Every API receives the same query. Accuracy is whether the results support the correct answer. Mean search time is the search request. This page orders the comparison by accuracy. Prices are the benchmark-recorded rate basis, with the same configurations used for the quality results.

__300 questions · 17 configurations · ordered by accuracy__
| Rank | Provider & configuration | Accuracy | Mean search time | Recorded $ / 1,000 queries | Mean snippet tokens | Official docs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Exa fast type=fast /search | **99.3%** | 652ms | [$7.00](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) type=fast · up to 10 results | 1,987 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) |
| 2 | Context numResults=10 · highlights maxCharacters=1200 api.context.dev/v1/web/search | **98.0%** | 15.93s | [$4.40](https://www.context.dev/pricing) 2 credits / 10 results with Highlights · $2.20 per 1,000 credits | 1,972 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.context.dev/search/overview) |
| 3 | Exa instant type=instant /search | **97.7%** | 398ms | [$7.00](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) type=instant · up to 10 results | 2,128 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) |
| 4 | Perplexity low search\_context\_size=low /search | **97.3%** | 1.38s | [$5.00](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing) Search API · POST /search | 476 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.perplexity.ai/api-reference/search-post) |
| 5 | Linkup fast depth=fast · outputType=searchResults /v1/search | **96.7%** | 1.57s | [$5.00](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/platform/pricing) depth=fast · searchResults | 3,022 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/search/overview) |
| 6 | SERP limit=10 google-search74.p.rapidapi.com | **96.0%** | 751ms | [$3.00](https://rapidapi.com/herosAPI/api/google-search74/pricing) Pro overage $0.003/request | 497 | [Official docs ↗](https://rapidapi.com/herosAPI/api/google-search74) |
| 7 | Firecrawl firecrawl-search /v2/search | **95.3%** | 510ms | [$5.00](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) 2 credits / 10 results | 678 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/api-reference/endpoint/search) |
| 8 | Nimble lite search\_depth=lite · full\_content=false · focus=general /v2/search | **94.3%** | 2.46s | [$1.10](https://www.nimbleway.com/pricing) search\_depth=lite · full\_content=false | 860 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.nimbleway.com/api-reference/search/search) |
| 9 | Brave Search llm-context count=10 /res/v1/llm/context | **94.0%** | 601ms | [$5.00](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/pricing) Search plan · LLM Context | 2,064 | [Official docs ↗](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/services/llm-context) |
| 10 | Brave Search web count=10 · result\_filter=web /res/v1/web/search | **93.3%** | 630ms | [$5.00](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/pricing) Recorded search-request rate; see official terms. | 817 | [Official docs ↗](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/services/web-search) |
| 11 | Nimble standard search\_depth=standard · full\_content=false · focus=general /v2/search | **93.0%** | 861ms | [$5.00](https://www.nimbleway.com/pricing) search\_depth=standard · full\_content=false | 2,730 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.nimbleway.com/api-reference/search/search) |
| 12 | Tavily advanced search\_depth=advanced /search | **93.0%** | 4.29s | [$16.00](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits) 2 credits · $0.008 PAYG | 2,210 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-reference/endpoint/search) |
| 13 | Linkup standard depth=standard · outputType=searchResults /v1/search | **92.0%** | 2.55s | [$5.00](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/platform/pricing) depth=standard · searchResults | 2,983 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/search/overview) |
| 14 | TinyFish free · 30 req/min cap api.search.tinyfish.ai | **92.0%** | 2.62s | [$0.00](https://www.tinyfish.ai/pricing) 30 req/min cap | 441 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tinyfish.ai/search-api) |
| 15 | You highlights core extraction\_mode=highlights · knowledge=core /v1/search | **92.0%** | 889ms | [$5.00](https://you.com/docs/administration/billing) highlights · knowledge=core · same Web Search price assumption | 2,862 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.you.com/) |
| 16 | You highlights extraction\_mode=highlights /v1/search | **90.7%** | 628ms | [$5.00](https://you.com/docs/administration/billing) highlights included in Web Search | 2,837 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.you.com/) |
| 17 | Tavily basic search\_depth=basic /search | **87.7%** | 1.88s | [$8.00](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits) 1 credit · $0.008 PAYG | 1,639 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-reference/endpoint/search) |

## Choose the best search API for news

### The news task behind this ranking

The questions cover current company events, including funding, acquisitions, launches and leadership changes, and the score is whether search results support the correct answer. That is the measurement for a search API for news on this page. Dedicated news-index products are a different mechanism and are ranked on their own page.

### Freshness, URL and the answer

A news search is only useful when the result URL is the page a reader can open and the excerpt contains the fact. Accuracy here is support for the keyed answer. It is not a score of headline writing, paywall bypass, or full-article licensing.

### Speed and price for a news search

Mean search time is the request. Price is the recorded search rate per 1,000 queries. A news application that searches once per answer can use those figures directly. An agent that searches several times per brief should also read the company-research comparison.

### Compare web search with a news index when you need one

General web search and a dedicated news index answer different product questions. This page ranks web search APIs on the company-news questions. If your application must query a press-release or newsroom index specifically, use the news-index comparison linked from the company-news benchmark.

## Benchmark method and source data

Search accuracy on 300 company-news questions. Every API receives the same query. Accuracy is whether the results support the correct answer. Mean search time is the search request. This page orders the comparison by accuracy. Each row is one measured configuration. Missing measurements appear as a dash.

[Open benchmark code ↗](https://github.com/openbenchmarks-labs/factual-lookup-company-news-search) · [Public dataset sample ↗](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openbenchmarks/OB-News-Websearch) · [All benchmark methods →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) 

[View the company-news search benchmark →](https://openbenchmarks.com/company-news) 

## Common questions

### What is the best search API for news?

Best search API for news by accuracy: Exa fast, 99.3% at $7.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: Exa instant, 398ms. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits.

### Which benchmark does the main ranking use?

Search accuracy on 300 company-news questions. Every API receives the same query. Accuracy is whether the results support the correct answer. Mean search time is the search request. This page orders the comparison by accuracy.

### 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 search API for coding documentation →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-coding-documentation) [Best web search API for grounding →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-web-search-api-for-grounding) [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)