Tavily
$8/ 1,000 basic searches
Pay-as-you-go Search
- Basic search
- 1 credit / request
- Advanced search
- 2 credits / request
- Optional Project plan
- $30/month · 4,000 credits
Tavily vs Serper: choose research context or Google results
Tavily
- What it is
- A web research API for search, page extraction, site crawling and cited reports.
- Best for
- Gathering source context and optional answers for an agent in one search request.
- Typical output
- Ranked sources, relevance scores, content snippets and optional answers.
Serper
- What it is
- An API that returns structured Google search results and specialized search verticals.
- Best for
- Checking Google results for a query, country and language.
- Typical output
- Organic positions, links, snippets and available rich-result fields.
Need both?
Paste this prompt into your agent.
set up https://glasser.ai/SKILL.md
Show me how to use Tavily and Serper together through Glasser.What can Tavily and Serper do?
| Capability | Tavily | Serper |
|---|---|---|
| Web discovery | ||
| Content retrieval | ||
| Site collection | Not covered here | |
| Research & answers | Not covered here | |
| Specialized search | Not covered here |
Limits & data comparison
| Compare by | Tavily | Serper |
|---|---|---|
| Limits | 1,000 requests / minute with production keys Direct Crawl: 100/min; Research creation: 20/min. Search can return up to 20 results. | Starter: 50 queries / second The selected Glasser Web Search accepts up to 20 results and provides one page with no offset. |
| Data fields | Title, URL, relevance score and matched content Optional raw content and generated answer; Extract reports failed URLs separately. | Google rank, title, URL and snippet Knowledge graph and related searches appear when Google returns them; page extraction is a separate call. |
| Collection & context controls | Search depth, domains, dates and topics Crawl and Map offer path/depth controls; instructions focus collection on a task. | Query, country and language Use specialized endpoints for news, papers, shopping, images or local places. |
| Execution & Reliability | Search and Extract return in the request; Research is a job Extract has a configurable wait and per-URL failures. Poll Research status; respect Retry-After on 429 responses. | Search returns a result page in the request Keep a client timeout and handle provider errors. A separate scrape can fail even when search found the URL. |
| Glasser access | Search, Extract, Crawl, Map and Research All five operations are available through Glasser; depth and volume affect the charge. | Google search verticals and single-page scraping Supported operations share a Glasser balance; each vertical has its own price and input contract. |
Tavily vs Serper pricing
Serper
$50initial top-up
Starter · prepaid credits
- Included
- 50,000 search credits
- Task usage
- $1 / 1,000 web searches
- Validity
- 6 months; unused credit remains
Task-based cost example
Tavily: 1,000 basic searches + Serper: 1,000 Google web searches
| Task volume | Direct: entry spend | Glasser: task charges |
|---|---|---|
| Tavily: 1,000 basic searches | $8.001,000 × $0.008; no subscription | $8.001,000 × $0.008 |
| Serper: 1,000 Google web searches | $50.00$50 Starter top-up; task uses $1, leaving $49 | $1.001,000 × $0.001 |
| Entry spend / task charges | $58.00 | $9.00 |
Inputs and outputs
Tavily
- InputA question, domains and search depth
- OperationSearch and collect context
- OutputScored sources and optional answer
Serper
- InputA query with country and language
- OperationRetrieve Google results
- OutputPositions, links and snippets
Still unsure? Choose based on your task
Prepare context for a research agent
Use Tavily for scored content snippets, optional answers and follow-up extraction from selected sources.
Check Google search positions
Use Serper when the task needs Google organic positions, snippets and rich-result fields for a query and market.
Turn search results into a sourced brief
Discover the Google results with Serper, then send selected URLs to Tavily Extract and let your agent write the brief.
Why Use Tavily and Serper Through Glasser?
One API Key
Access both providers with one Glasser key.
One Balance
Use one shared balance for both providers.
Pay as You Go
Pay per use, with no Glasser subscription.
Agent-Ready Integration
Connect your agent via Skill, MCP or CLI.
Questions before you choose
Is a Serper search equivalent to a Tavily search?
The outputs serve different tasks. Serper exposes Google result positions and snippets. Tavily packages source context and optional answers for research. Compare the full workflow if a separate extraction or LLM call is needed.
Why does direct Serper show $50 for a small task?
The Starter purchase funds 50,000 search credits. A 1,000-query task consumes $1 of those credits, leaving $49 for later use. Glasser charges the stated task usage without that provider-specific package purchase.
Can I use Tavily and Serper together in one AI agent?
Yes, for their connected operations. Use Serper to discover Google results, then Tavily Extract to collect selected pages for a sourced brief. Your agent coordinates the requests using one Glasser key and shared balance.
Can my agent automatically choose between Tavily and Serper?
A tool-using agent can discover endpoints, inspect their inputs and prices, and select an operation for your task. Tell it which output, source filters and request volume you need. Ask for approval before paid calls; Glasser does not make that routing decision for the agent.
How do I control API spending through Glasser?
Search and Inspect are free. Ask your agent to estimate the planned batch, inspect the charge rules and wait for approval before running it. Keep batches small and review final charges; failures can be billable under the endpoint’s rules. The comparison excludes free allowances and does not promise lower unit prices.
Can I use Glasser with Claude Code, Codex and ChatGPT?
Use the Glasser Skill and CLI with local coding agents such as Claude Code or Codex. ChatGPT can connect through the Glasser MCP integration. Follow the setup guide for your client, then inspect the selected operation before making a paid call.