GoogleMapsAPI.io vs SerpApi · ValueSERP · ScaleSERP
$29/mo vs $75/mo
entry plan ($0.20–$0.50/1K places vs $15/1K calls).
SerpApi is a general-purpose search engine scraper that charges $75/month for just 5,000 searches ($15.00 per 1,000 requests), bills per request even when only a handful of places are returned, and lacks website email enrichment. GoogleMapsAPI.io is purpose-built for Google Maps intelligence—delivering up to 100 places per call at $0.20–$0.50 per 1,000 places, plus non-expiring Pay-As-You-Go packs from $10.
Cost per 1,000 Google Maps Business Records (with Phone, Website & Hours)
$1.00 = 10,000 Credits (5 Credits / place). Empty search results (0 matches) cost 0 Credits. Crypto top-ups automatically include +5% Bonus Credits.
Side-by-side comparison.
| Capability | GoogleMapsAPI.io | serpapi.com | Official Google Places | Outscraper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry pricing | $10 PAYG or $29/mo (350,000 Credits) | $75/mo (5,000 searches) | $32.00 / 1,000 calls | $2.85 / 1,000 places |
| Cost for 100,000 Google Maps places | $20 – $50 total | $75+ (requires 5,000+ paginated calls) | $3,200+ | $100 – $285 |
| Billing unit | Per returned record (0 Credits if empty) | Per HTTP request (even if 1 result) | Per HTTP request + FieldMask SKUs | Per returned record |
| Website email & social link extraction | Built-in (/v1/leads/enrich) | Not available | Not available | Paid add-on |
| Non-expiring Pay-As-You-Go credits | Yes ($10 / $50 / $100 / $500) | No (credits expire every 30 days) | No | Yes |
Competitor pricing verified from public pricing pages as of November 2026. Actual costs may vary based on plan tier, concurrency add-ons, and overage rates. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. GoogleMapsAPI.io rates: $0.20 / 1K places (Business), $0.25 / 1K places (Pro), $0.50 / 1K places (Base PAYG).
Why engineering teams switch from SerpApi.
Stop Paying $0.015 for Sparse or Empty Map Viewport Calls
When scanning a geographic grid with SerpApi (engine=google_maps), every single coordinate check costs 1 full search credit ($0.015)—even if the viewport is over a residential area with 0 or 2 businesses. GoogleMapsAPI.io charges strictly per returned business record (and 0 Credits when a viewport returns 0 results).
Up to 100 Places per Request Instead of 20
SerpApi forces you to paginate 20 results at a time using start=0, 20, 40, burning 5 API calls to retrieve 100 places. GoogleMapsAPI.io returns up to 100 places in a single /v1/places/search or /v1/places/nearby call.
Enrich Decision-Maker Emails Without a Second Vendor
SerpApi stops at the raw SERP HTML. GoogleMapsAPI.io includes /v1/leads/enrich to extract verified emails and social media handles directly from the business's domain.
Switch from SerpApi engine=google_maps to GoogleMapsAPI.io
Replace SerpApi's generic search endpoint with dedicated, typed Google Maps routes:
import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://serpapi.com/search.json",
params={
"engine": "google_maps",
"q": "plumbers in Chicago",
"ll": "@41.8781,-87.6298,14z",
"api_key": "serpapi_secret_key",
},
)
places = res.json().get("local_results", [])import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://api.googlemapsapi.io/v1/places/nearby",
headers={"x-api-key": "gm_live_your_api_key"},
params={
"q": "plumbers",
"lat": 41.8781,
"lng": -87.6298,
"zoom": 14,
"limit": 100,
},
)
places = res.json()["data"]Interactive Engineering Workbench · Benchmark vs SerpApi
Verify real-time latency, credit math & JSON schema
Frequently asked questions
- Do my credits expire at the end of the month like SerpApi?
- Pay-As-You-Go credit packs ($10, $50, $100, $500) never expire. Monthly subscription plans grant high-volume bonus credits (+20% to +150%) for teams with recurring monthly pipelines.
- Does GoogleMapsAPI.io support Google Maps Reviews like SerpApi's google_maps_reviews engine?
- Yes. Call GET /v1/places/reviews?place_id=...&sort=newest&limit=100 at 2 Credits ($0.00008–$0.0002) per review—up to 90% cheaper than SerpApi.
Test it against SerpApi for free.
Every new account receives 2,000 free Credits immediately — no card required.