SpyFu API review
Best paid search history
SpyFu's angle is history. It has been recording which keywords domains rank for and which ads they run for well over a decade, and the API exposes that archive at a low per-row price.
The paid search side is what makes it distinctive. Most SEO APIs treat ads as out of scope, so if you want to know what a competitor has been bidding on since 2015 and what their ad copy said, this is one of very few places to get it programmatically.
Who SpyFu API is for
Agencies pitching new business, competitive researchers, and anyone who needs paid and organic history in the same query. The pay-as-you-go rate makes it viable for occasional deep dives rather than continuous monitoring.
Strengths and limits
What it does well
- Very cheap per row at $0.50 per 1,000, which is among the lowest here for competitor data.
- Paid search history going back years, a dataset most SEO APIs simply do not carry.
- Genuine pay-as-you-go, so occasional research does not need a subscription.
- Subscription plans bundle a monthly API credit, which covers light use at no extra cost.
Where it falls short
- US-centric. International coverage is noticeably weaker than the global providers.
- No backlink data and no SERP endpoint, so it cannot be your only SEO API.
- Keyword volumes are estimates and tend to be less reliable than Google Ads-sourced figures.
SpyFu API pricing
Pay as you go at $0.50 per 1,000 rows beyond your included credits. Subscription plans bundle an allowance: Pro plus AI at $89 a month on annual billing includes a $40 monthly API credit, and Team or Agency at $187 includes $100. Basic plans start at $29 to $39 a month.
For occasional competitive research the pay-as-you-go rate is the appeal. A few thousand rows for a new business pitch costs pennies, with no plan to maintain between pitches.
Verdict
A cheap, focused complement rather than a primary SEO API. Buy it for paid search history and competitor keyword archaeology, particularly for US-market pitch work. Pair it with a SERP or keyword provider, because on its own it leaves too much uncovered.
SpyFu API FAQ
How much does the SpyFu API cost?
$0.50 per 1,000 rows on pay as you go. Subscription plans include a monthly API credit: $40 on Pro plus AI at $89 a month, and $100 on Team or Agency at $187.What makes SpyFu different from other SEO APIs?
Paid search history. It has recorded competitor ad copy and bidding behaviour for over a decade, which almost no SEO-focused API carries. For organic-only work it is less differentiated.Does SpyFu cover international markets?
Coverage outside the US is noticeably weaker. For non-US work, Semrush or SE Ranking will give you better data across more countries.Can SpyFu replace Semrush or Ahrefs?
No. There is no backlink data and no SERP endpoint, so it works as a cheap complement for competitor and ad history rather than as a primary SEO data source.Is SpyFu good for agency pitches?
It is one of the better tools for it. Pulling a prospect's organic and paid keyword history for a few pennies makes pitch research cheap, and the ad archive gives you something a prospect's incumbent agency probably has not shown them.
Other providers worth a look
This is an independent review. We have no affiliate relationship with SpyFu API, earn nothing if you sign up, and no provider pays for placement in the directory. Prices were read from the vendor's own pages in August 2026 and change without notice.