ZenRows Alternative
A search-first ZenRows alternative
ZenRows is a general scraping API that returns HTML you still have to parse. Searlo returns already-structured Google SERP data — positions, snippets, and metadata — at $0.30 per 1,000 queries.
{ "searchTime": 0.17, "totalResults": 85000, "page": 1, "organic": [ { "position": 1, "title": "31.10. Connection Pools and Data Sources", "link": "www.postgresql.org/docs/…", "domain": "postgresql.org", "snippet": "For an environment without an application se…" }, { "position": 2, "domain": "medium.com", … }, { "position": 3, "domain": "stackoverflow.blog", … } ], "credits": 1}ZenRows excels at fetching arbitrary web pages and handing back HTML. For search specifically, that leaves you to parse the SERP, track Google's markup changes, and extract positions yourself.
Searlo skips that work for search results. One request returns the organic list with positions plus parsed SERP features, so you consume data, not markup. It is purpose-built for search, priced at $0.30 per 1,000 queries with 3,000 free credits.
Searlo also fetches arbitrary pages directly, the way ZenRows does — /scrape and /crawl sit under the same key, from 1 credit a page. A page that has to be rendered costs 5 credits from November 1, 2026, the same 5x ZenRows publishes for JavaScript rendering, on a lower baseline.
Features
No HTML parsing
Receive structured organic results and features — not a page to scrape.
Positions + rich metadata
Titles, snippets, domains, and favicons parsed into every response.
Search-native SERP fetches
Built for search results, not general page rendering. Web search median is about 1 second (p90 about 2.5 s, measured September 2026).
$0.30 per 1,000
Predictable per-query pricing built for search volume.
Get started in one request
Instead of fetching and parsing HTML, request structured search data directly:
curl "https://api.searlo.tech/api/v1/search/web?q=smart%20home%20devices&num=10" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.searlo.tech/api/v1/search/web",
params={"q": "smart home devices", "num": 10},
headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
results = r.json()["organic"]
for o in results:
print(o["position"], o["domain"], o["title"])const res = await fetch(
"https://api.searlo.tech/api/v1/search/web?q=" +
encodeURIComponent("smart home devices") + "&num=10",
{ headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" } },
);
const { organic } = await res.json();
organic.forEach(o =>
console.log(o.position, o.domain, o.title));Searlo vs ZenRows
For search-results work specifically, structured beats raw HTML.
| Capability | Searlo | ZenRows |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Search results API | General web scraping |
| Output | Parsed SERP + features | HTML to parse |
| SERP positions | Included | Extract yourself |
| Free credits | 3,000 | 5,000 |
| Scrape a page (basic) | $0.30 / 1,000 | $0.356 / 1,000 (Build plan) |
| Scrape with JS render | $0.30 / 1,000 until Oct 31, 2026; 5 credits/page ($1.50 / 1,000) from Nov 1, 2026 | 5 credits/page (5x), on ZenRows' published pricing |
Search results vs general scraping
A general scraping API is the right tool when you need arbitrary pages. But for Google search results, you want a provider that already understands the SERP: where organic results sit, what features appear, and how to keep up with Google's frequent layout changes.
Searlo specializes in exactly that, so your team never writes or maintains SERP-parsing logic.
- Skip SERP-parsing maintenance
- Get positions and features parsed
- Stay current with Google layout changes
- Search-tuned pricing
ZenRows publishes its multiplier — and it's steep
ZenRows is unusually direct about what extra features cost: a basic request is 1 credit, JavaScript rendering is 5 credits (5x), its premium option is 10 credits (10x), and the two together are 25 credits (25x) — all stated plainly on their own pricing page. At the Build plan's $0.356 per 1,000 baseline, that 25x combination works out to roughly $8.90 per 1,000 pages.
Searlo's /scrape and /crawl charge 1 credit per page, $0.30 per 1,000. From November 1, 2026, a page that had to be rendered (a JavaScript-heavy app) costs 5 credits, $1.50 per 1,000 at the Scale pack, against roughly $1.78 per 1,000 for ZenRows' 5x rendering at the Build plan's baseline.
- ZenRows: 1 credit basic, 5 credits (5x) for JS render, 10 credits (10x) for its premium option, 25 credits (25x) combined
- Searlo: 1 credit per page on /scrape and /crawl; 5 from Nov 1, 2026 for a page that has to be rendered
- ZenRows free tier: 5,000 credits (larger than Searlo's 3,000, one-time)
Switch when you
- Only need Google search results, parsed
- Don't want to maintain SERP parsers
- Need predictable per-query pricing
- Build SEO or rank-tracking tools
- Feed search results to AI agents
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How is Searlo different from ZenRows?
ZenRows returns HTML from arbitrary pages; Searlo returns parsed Google SERP data — positions and features — purpose-built for search.
Do I still need to parse the SERP?
No. Searlo returns structured organic results and SERP features, so there is no HTML parsing to write or maintain.
Is it cheaper for search use cases?
For search specifically, Searlo's $0.30 per 1,000 and zero parsing overhead usually make it cheaper end-to-end.
Does it handle Google layout changes?
Yes. Keeping pace with Google's SERP changes is Searlo's job, not yours.
Can I try it free?
Yes — 3,000 free credits to start.
Can Searlo fetch arbitrary pages the way ZenRows does?
Yes. POST /scrape returns any URL as markdown, HTML, links and tables, rendering JavaScript automatically when the page needs it; POST /crawl walks a whole site as a job. Both bill 1 credit per page, and from November 1, 2026, 5 for a page that has to be rendered. ZenRows publishes 5x for JavaScript rendering on its own pricing page.
From the team behind Searlo
We also build RenderKit — the browser-rendering API for screenshots, PDFs, and LLM-ready markdown. Same billing model, same developer-first API design.