Brave Search API pricing
Independent web index API for agents and RAG, with an Answers endpoint.
full verification usage-based / pay as you go MCP: Yes Last checked
Search at $5 per 1,000 requests (up to 50 queries/second) with $5 of free credit each month; Answers at $4 per 1,000 requests plus token fees.
Official links: Website (opens official site in a new tab) · Pricing page (opens official site in a new tab) (plain links; no affiliate tracking)
Quick facts
| Free tier | $5 in free credits each month (about 1,000 searches); card required for verification. |
|---|---|
| How units are counted | Search: $5 / 1,000 requests, 50 QPS. Answers: $4 / 1,000 requests + $5 per million input/output tokens, 2 QPS. A credit card is required even on the free plan (anti-fraud, per FAQ). |
| MCP / agent support | Yes. 'MCP Server' listed in the API navigation. Evidence. |
| Verification | Both endpoints priced on the API page; Enterprise custom. |
Plans
| Plan | Per month (monthly billing) | Per month (annual billing) | Included | Overage / extra usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search | $0 | n/a | $5 free credits/mo | $5 per 1,000 requests | 50 QPS; Goggles; schema-enriched results |
| Answers | $0 | n/a | $5 free credits/mo (shared) | $4 per 1,000 requests + $5/M tokens | 2 QPS; streaming; OpenAI SDK compatible |
| Enterprise | not published | n/a | Custom | Custom | Zero data retention, invoicing |
Normalized prices
Effective price per unit, computed only from published numbers and assuming you use the whole included allowance. See methodology.
| Metric | Plan / rate | Billing | Monthly spend | Effective price | How computed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI/agent search query | Search | payg | none | $5.00 per 1,000 | formula$5 / 1,000 units x 1 unit(s) per request x 1,000 = $5.00 |
Best for
- Agent grounding with an independent index
- Higher-throughput search (50 QPS)
Watch-outs
- Card required for the free plan.
- Single flat price; no volume discounts published.
What we could not verify
- Answers all-in price: Token component depends on the query; not computed.
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Sources checked
Prices are read from these official pages (and the official docs where named). Confirm on the vendor's site before buying. Corrections welcome: [email protected].