Best DataForSEO Alternatives: Features, Pricing, and How to Choose
Whether you're powering dashboards, rank tracking, or content audits, the SEO API you choose can either steer growth or bog down your product.
DataForSEO has long been a default choice for developers needing SERP and keyword data at scale. It's reliable, affordable, and has broad market adoption, but it’s not flawless. Users have voiced concerns around its complexity, pricing, documentation gaps, and customization limitations.
As tools advance, so do needs, and DataForSEO API alternatives are stepping in to fill these gaps. Users are now demanding real-time performance, fast documentation, better flexibility, and support that doesn’t feel wedged.
This guide breaks down the top DataForSEO API alternatives and what makes them stand out, so you can make an informed decision based on facts, not hype.
Key Issues to Consider When Choosing an SEO API
An SEO API is your data backbone. But the choice of it plays a significant role in how your data stack performs. With the surge of platforms offering data feeds, it's worth taking a step back and assessing the one that performs where it counts.
We have evaluated the key factors to consider when choosing an SEO API.
Data accuracy and reliability
If the data generated is off, your entire strategy is off. Look for an API that retrieves fresh data directly from search engines. Keep in mind, SEO timing is everything.
It's a plus if the SEO API offers real-time SERP tracking. Otherwise, the old data will be as useful as last week’s weather forecast. You might be optimizing for rankings or opportunities that have already shifted.
Comprehensive coverage
An SEO API should retrieve data from the regions, search engines, or devices that matter to you. Otherwise, it's just a half-built bridge.
Need hyper-localized SERP tracking in Los Angeles or data from 100 countries? Your choice of API should be able to handle that consistently. If not, keep scrolling. Without this level of reach, your insights will be limited, which in turn limits your site’s visibility.
Scalability and performance
Can the API handle thousands of requests per minute without choking under pressure? Whether you're running a single rank tracker or a full-blown SEO SaaS, delays are a deal-breaker.
The API you choose should have:
- High request throughput
- Queue handling or async support for large batches
- Low-latency responses.
- Stable uptime, with 99.9% being the ideal
In SEO, speed equals advantage. So, if the API lags or limits you at scale, you'll be stuck waiting when you should be executing.
Customization and flexibility
Not every SEO API is suitable for every purpose. Even so, your choice should adapt to your workflow, and not the other way round. Whether you're filtering KD, focusing on SERP depth, or toggling between devices, the API's flexibility lets you convert the raw data into a real strategy.
Here are the key things to look for:
- Customizable parameters like device, location, language, and more
- Clean and easy to parse JSON structure
- Granular filtering by domain, SERP type, keywords, and more
- The capacity to define the data range you want per request
Integration and documentation
An SEO API can be excellent, but it's useless if you can't work with it. A clear and well-structured documentation turns a good API into a great developer experience. You want to plug it smoothly into your stack without any guesswork.
So, ensure the SEO API has:
- Updated docs with real examples
- Interactive API explorers or Postman collections like Bishopi SEO API
- SDKs or wrappers in your preferred language
- Simple authentication (OAuth or API key-based).
- Clear error codes and response formats
The presence of these elements will save you integration time and keep you and your team sane.
Cost and licensing
Before you commit to any SEO API, understand precisely what you're paying for. Some may look affordable until you're hit with overage charges or fine-print restrictions. If the pricing feels like a puzzle, that's an outright red flag.
Check if the SEO API charges per request, keyword, or project. Does its pricing scale fairly as you expand?
Here are the areas you should watch out for:
- Transparent pricing tiers
- Volume discounts or pay-as-you-go options
- Clear data usage rights
- No surprise rate limits or hidden fees
Technical SEO considerations
If your choice of SEO API stops at keywords and SERP rankings, you’re only getting half the picture. For real SEO work, you need APIs that can dig into the backend.
Look for an SEO API that offers:
- Crawl data
- Indexing status and mobile-friendliness
- Page speed insights and Core Web Vitals
- JS rendering support for dynamic content
Top 6 DataforSEO API Alternatives
We tested potential DataforSEO API alternatives to find the common APIs that match or exceed it in terms of features, ease of use, pricing, scalability, and other key factors. We’ve compiled this list after thorough research and firsthand evaluation, so feel free to use it to find the right tool for your SEO and SERP analysis.
1. Bishopi APIs
Bishopi offers a smooth API suite that provides fast, real-time SEO and SERP data, along with simple integration. If you're looking for a DataForSEO API alternatives that let you plug in and move fast, this SEO checker API is for you. What’s more, Bishopi’s pay-as-you-go structure makes it quite affordable and accessible for everyone.
This is one of the best SEO APIs that lets you evaluate your domain rank, CTR, link popularity, organic traffic, cost, and more.
What’s more, Bishopi's UI is sleek, intuitive, and built with the end user in mind. Just plug in, filter, and act. Though DataForSEO API has power, it’s packed into a UI that feels built for engineers, not marketers.
Even better, Bishopi’s SERP API gives you an in-depth view of search engine results pages, like keyword ranking positions and organic CTRs. It is simply laser-focused on speed and clarity.
The highlight is the SERP Analyzer API, which analyzes patterns across high-performing pages. With this data, you can create and optimize your content with keyword-specific SERP correlations that put you on a competitive edge.
What sets Bishopi's APIs apart as one of the best data APIs is that they are clean, modular, and affordable. Unlike DataForSEO API, Bishopi APIs don't drown you in data—you get precisely what you need when you need it.
Still, the DataForSEO serp pricing has different prices for each metric, such as keywords, backlinks, or domains, which can complicate the tracking process for users who want to track all metrics on the go. For example, to analyze backlinks, you need to make a minimum monthly commitment of $100, along with other complex calculations for usage.
Bishopi outshines here with its straightforward pricing based on the credits you use.
Besides, Bishopi has affordable pricing plans with incremental credits, quotas, and monitoring intervals. You also enjoy a 7-day free trial upon sign-up.
- Basic—$39/month
- Professional—$99/month
- Advanced—$349/month
Pros
- Clean, well-documented API
- Affordable and scalable pricing
Cons
- Limited technical SEO endpoints like schema audit
2. SerpAPI
SerpAPI is one of the top DataForSEO API alternatives, scraping search results in real-time and delivering structured data through a user-friendly API. Each of its API requests runs in a full browser and solves all CAPTCHAs, mimicking what a human would do.
You get both organic results and maps, local results, Knowledge Graph, direct answers, and shopping. SerpAPI outpaces DataForSEO in real-time Google SERP scraping with no outdated cache.
It also integrates smoothly, and you can choose your preferred language.
Pros
- Great for tracking dynamic SERP features
- Fast and highly accurate Google SERP results
Cons
- Pricing gets expensive quickly at scale
- Doesn’t cover broader SEO metrics like backlinks, keyword data, or site audits
SerpAPI has three pricing plans based on monthly searches:
- Developer—$75/month
- Production—$150/month
- Big Data—$275/month
3. Bright Data
Bright Data is a powerhouse API for web scraping. It offers enterprise-level infrastructure with one of the widest and most advanced proxy networks available. Its flexibility and scraping abilities make it a go-to for large-scale data extraction, such as SERPs, e-commerce listings, and competitor intelligence.
One aspect that makes it stand out as a DataForSEO API alternative is its Web Unlocker and ability to scrape at scale.
Pros
- Massive global proxy network
- Highly customizable scraping setup
Cons
- Overkill for smaller projects or casual use
- Higher pricing, especially at scale or with premium proxy types
Bright Data pricing varies depending on what you want to track, as displayed below.
4. Zenserp
Zenserp is a simple Google SERP API designed for users who seek reliable Google data without the complexity of enterprise-level solutions. You get clean, JSON-formatted results for organic listings, featured snippets, images, videos, local packs, ads, and more.
Compared to DataForSEO, Zenserp has an easier-to-navigate interface, its pricing is more straightforward, and the SEO API integration is smoother for users who want to get started quickly.
Pros
- Works well for light-to-medium use cases
- Fast setup and straightforward SEO API documentation
Cons
- Lacks the scalability features of DataForSEO
- Doesn’t provide deeper SEO analytics like backlinks, audits, or keyword data
Zenserp has a free plan with 50 searches. Here are its other plans:
- Small—$49.99/month
- Medium—$129.99/month
- Large—$249.99/month
- Very Large—499.99/month
5. Ahrefs API
Ahrefs API is one of the prominent API for web search that taps into its massive backlink API index and keyword research API database. This SEO tools API lets you extract high-value data into your tools, dashboards, or reports. Think backlink profiles, referring domains, anchor text data, keyword search volumes, traffic estimates, and more. If you prefer accuracy over volume, then this is for you.
As one of the top DataForSEO API alternatives, Ahrefs delivers more refined link data and keyword metrics.
Pros
- Deep keyword insights for content planning and PPC
- Clean, smooth documentation
Cons
- Not designed for building large-scale custom dashboards
- Pricing is steep, especially if you're not on a higher-tier plan
Ahrefs has three pricing plans:
- Lite—$129/month
- Standard—$249/month
- Advanced—$449/month
6. SEMrush and Moz APIs
SEMrush API alternative and Moz API alternative for DataForSEO give you access to domain authority scores, backlink data, keyword rankings, and site audits. But the APIs are designed more for high-value SEO reports or internal tools than for building custom platforms from scratch. They stand out in building brand trust and reliability.
For example, Moz’s DA metric is still a go-to standard in many SEO circles, and SEMrush is well-known for its keyword gap and competitive insights.
These APIs are ideal for agency rank trackers and anyone looking to enrich client reports with recognizable metrics. They add a layer of credibility.
Pros
- Trusted metrics like Moz DA and SEMrush KD
- Ideal for augmenting dashboards and client-facing reports
Cons
- Less customizable and flexible than DataForSEO
- API access is tied to paid platform subscriptions
Moz has four pricing plans based on the number of rows and overages.
- Starter—$5/month
- Growth—$125/month
- Advanced—2,000/month
- Enterprise—10,000/month
SEMrush has three pricing plans:
- Pro—$139/month
- Guru—$249/month
- Business—$499/month
Find Your DataForSEO API Alternatives Fit
Picking the right DataForSEO API alternatives transcends price or popularity. It centers around finding the tool that matches your use case. Don’t just take feature lists at face value. Ensure you test a few. Besides, most of these tools offer free trials or sandbox modes, allowing you to see how they perform with your data and goals.
For example, Bishopi is worth a serious look. It's built with developers in mind, without the bloat or complex pricing.
Try it today by signing up for your free trial.
FAQS
Are there APIs better than DataForSEO for backlinks?
Yes. Ahrefs API and Moz API are known for their backlink depth and trust. Ahrefs particularly offers dependable link data and keyword metrics, but at a higher price.
Is there an API that’s more customizable than DataForSEO?
Bright Data offers deep customization through its proxy infrastructure, while Bishopi strikes a balance between simplicity and flexible endpoints. If your use case is highly specialized, those two are worth exploring.
Can I use SEO APIs for commercial SaaS tools?
Yes, but check the licensing terms. Bishopi and DataForSEO are startups and SaaS friendly. Others like Moz and SEMrush may restrict usage to internal tools unless you're on a high-tier plan.
Originally published at: bishopi.io
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