--- title: "Best Search API for Sales Agents, Independently Benchmarked (2026): Search F1, Speed & Cost" description: "Best search API for sales agents by F1: Parallel basic, 46.5% at $5.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: SERP, 2.93s. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits." url: https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search/best-search-api-for-sales-agents --- [Openbenchmarks](https://openbenchmarks.com/) [Web Search Benchmark →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) [Web Search](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) / Best search API for sales agents Independent comparison · 2026 # Best Search API for Sales Agents (2026): Search F1, Speed & Cost Best search API for sales agents by F1: Parallel basic, 46.5% at $5.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: SERP, 2.93s. 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 search APIs for sales agents that can search more than once and combine the evidence, ranked by F1. ## Best by F1 [Parallel basic](#parallel-basic) F1 46.5% Mean search time 19.77s Search price / 1,000 queries $5.00 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) ## Fastest search [SERP](#serp) F1 0.4% Mean search time 2.93s Search price / 1,000 queries $3.00 Recorded search API price. Model and scrape costs are separate. [Official docs ↗](https://rapidapi.com/herosAPI/api/google-search74) · [Pricing ↗](https://rapidapi.com/herosAPI/api/google-search74/pricing) ## Cheapest search [TinyFish](#tinyfish) F1 26.6% Mean search time 27.34s 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 20 configurations →](#results) · [Open benchmark code ↗](https://github.com/openbenchmarks-labs/multi-turn-company-search) · [Public dataset sample ↗](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openbenchmarks/OB-Company-Websearch) Updated 2 October 2026. Last measured 2 October 2026. [Compare results](#results) [How to choose](#choose) [Method and sources](#method) [Questions](#faq) ## Best search API for sales agents Mean F1 on 45 company-discovery questions with multiple constraints. The same agent can search more than once and combine search results. F1 balances precision and recall. This board uses search results. 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. __45 questions · 20 configurations · ordered by F1__ | Rank | Provider & configuration | F1 | Mean search time | Recorded $ / 1,000 queries | Median task time | Median task cost | Official docs | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Parallel basic parallel-basic POST /v1/search mode=basic | **46.5%** | 19.77s | [$5.00](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) mode=basic · 10 results | 67.63s | $1.12 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) | | 2 | Exa deep exa-deep POST /search type=deep | **45.4%** | 44.68s | [$12.00](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) type=deep | 89.50s | $0.72 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) | | 3 | Parallel advanced parallel-advanced POST /v1/search mode=advanced | **44.2%** | 36.58s | [$5.00](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) mode=advanced · 10 results | 83.43s | $0.62 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) | | 4 | Exa instant exa-instant POST /search type=instant | **43.3%** | 6.21s | [$7.00](https://exa.ai/pricing?tab=api) type=instant · up to 10 results | 49.83s | $0.65 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.exa.ai/reference/search) | | 5 | Linkup fast linkup-fast POST /v1/search depth=fast | **41.1%** | 17.52s | [$5.00](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/platform/pricing) depth=fast · searchResults | 64.20s | $0.92 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/search/overview) | | 6 | Tavily advanced tavily-advanced POST /search search\_depth=advanced | **41.1%** | 46.58s | [$16.00](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits) 2 credits · $0.008 PAYG | 92.17s | $1.03 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-reference/endpoint/search) | | 7 | Linkup standard linkup-standard POST /v1/search depth=standard | **40.6%** | 25.10s | [$5.00](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/platform/pricing) depth=standard · searchResults | 72.29s | $0.94 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/search/overview) | | 8 | You extraction\_mode=highlights POST /v1/search | **38.6%** | 7.72s | [$5.00](https://you.com/docs/administration/billing) highlights included in Web Search | 48.16s | $0.97 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.you.com/) | | 9 | You extraction\_mode=highlights · knowledge=core POST /v1/search | **38.1%** | 8.88s | [$5.00](https://you.com/docs/administration/billing) highlights · knowledge=core · same Web Search price assumption | 47.64s | $0.90 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.you.com/) | | 10 | Parallel fast parallel-fast POST /v1/search mode=fast | **38.0%** | 12.17s | [$1.00](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) mode=fast · 10 results | 53.93s | $0.46 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) | | 11 | Perplexity search\_context\_size=low POST /search | **37.8%** | 14.11s | [$5.00](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing) Search API · POST /search | 48.94s | $0.33 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.perplexity.ai/api-reference/search-post) | | 12 | Tavily basic tavily-basic POST /search search\_depth=basic | **36.5%** | 20.09s | [$8.00](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits) 1 credit · $0.008 PAYG | 63.04s | $0.61 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-reference/endpoint/search) | | 13 | Parallel turbo parallel-turbo POST /v1/search mode=turbo | **34.7%** | 5.08s | [$1.00](https://docs.parallel.ai/getting-started/pricing) mode=turbo · 10 results | 46.40s | $0.42 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference/search/search) | | 14 | Nimble search\_depth=standard · full\_content=false · focus=general POST /v2/search | **30.7%** | 12.22s | [$5.00](https://www.nimbleway.com/pricing) search\_depth=standard · full\_content=false | 52.97s | $0.47 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.nimbleway.com/api-reference/search/search) | | 15 | Firecrawl firecrawl POST /v2/search | **30.4%** | 39.44s | [$5.00](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) 2 credits / 10 results | 74.98s | $0.28 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/api-reference/endpoint/search) | | 16 | Brave Search brave GET /res/v1/web/search | **28.0%** | 7.60s | [$5.00](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/pricing) Recorded search-request rate; see official terms. | 43.52s | $0.27 | [Official docs ↗](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/services/web-search) | | 17 | TinyFish tinyfish GET api.search.tinyfish.ai | **26.6%** | 27.34s | [$0.00](https://www.tinyfish.ai/pricing) 30 req/min cap | 64.24s | $0.21 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.tinyfish.ai/search-api) | | 18 | Nimble search\_depth=lite · full\_content=false · focus=general POST /v2/search | **25.3%** | 35.13s | [$1.10](https://www.nimbleway.com/pricing) search\_depth=lite · full\_content=false | 67.95s | $0.23 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.nimbleway.com/api-reference/search/search) | | 19 | Seltz seltz-companies POST /v1/search scope=companies | **14.5%** | 8.98s | [$5.00](https://seltz.ai/pricing) Recorded search-request rate; see official terms. | 55.16s | $1.75 | [Official docs ↗](https://docs.seltz.ai/) | | 20 | SERP serp GET google-search74.p.rapidapi.com | **0.4%** | 2.93s | [$3.00](https://rapidapi.com/herosAPI/api/google-search74/pricing) Pro overage $0.003/request | 31.38s | $0.10 | [Official docs ↗](https://rapidapi.com/herosAPI/api/google-search74) | ## Choose the best search API for sales agents ### What a sales agent search is measured on The underlying task is company discovery with more than one constraint: find companies that match the brief, then support the set with sources from search results. A sales agent that builds an account list from public-web evidence is close to that task. This page ranks those search results by F1. ### List quality is precision and recall For a sales list, precision is how many returned accounts fit the brief and recall is how many fitting accounts were missed. F1 keeps both in view. A search API that returns a long undifferentiated list will not lead this board just because it returns more rows. ### Latency and cost for a sales workflow Mean search time is the search request. Median task time is the full research step, including follow-up searches and the model. Median task cost is the measured bill for that step. Use those figures to estimate a per-account research cost, then add your own email or CRM actions, which this benchmark does not score. ### Try the API on a real sales brief Write briefs with the same shape as the benchmark: several constraints, a finite set of fitting companies, and a requirement to cite a page. Run two providers with the same agent. Keep the winner only if the cited pages support the accounts a rep would actually open. ## Benchmark method and source data Mean F1 on 45 company-discovery questions with multiple constraints. The same agent can search more than once and combine search results. F1 balances precision and recall. This board uses search results. 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/multi-turn-company-search) · [Public dataset sample ↗](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openbenchmarks/OB-Company-Websearch) · [All benchmark methods →](https://openbenchmarks.com/web-search) [Compare search and search-and-scrape results →](https://openbenchmarks.com/multi-turn-company-search) ## Common questions ### What is the best search API for sales agents? Best search API for sales agents by F1: Parallel basic, 46.5% at $5.00/1,000 queries. Fastest: SERP, 2.93s. Cheapest: TinyFish, $0.00/1,000 queries within free-tier limits. ### Which benchmark does the main ranking use? Mean F1 on 45 company-discovery questions with multiple constraints. The same agent can search more than once and combine search results. F1 balances precision and recall. This board uses search results. 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 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) [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)