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It's a split decision.
YepAPI is a metered API for SEO, scraping, social and e-commerce data, and 285 AI models, using one key and JSON responses. Linkup is a web-search API for AI apps, with URL extraction, deep research, private indexes and a bring-your-own-cloud option for its indexing layer. Choose YepAPI when your app needs several data categories or models behind one API. Choose Linkup when web-grounded answers, research workflows or deployment control matter more.
01Side by side
| YepAPI | Linkup | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per call or metered usage; no monthly minimums | Pay per request; custom enterprise pricing |
| Free access | $5 signup credit; no card required | Free plan; startup credits by application |
| Self-hosting | Self-hosting is not listed | Run the indexing layer in your cloud |
| API and SDKs | Single key; JSON endpoint responses | API; Python, Node.js and cURL examples |
| Docs and agent tooling | Docs, llms.txt, MCP server and agent skills | API docs with search examples |
| Integrations | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and MCP | OpenAI SDK wrapper, LangChain and CrewAI |
| Deployment model | API service; self-hosting is not listed | API or indexing layer in your cloud |
| Limits and scaling | No rate limits listed | Request and rate limits are not published |
YepAPI Choose YepAPI if
- Choose YepAPI if one key across SEO, scraping and AI fits your stack.
- Choose YepAPI if you need social or e-commerce data endpoints.
- Choose YepAPI if usage-based billing without monthly minimums suits your workload.
Linkup Choose Linkup if
- Choose Linkup if your app needs cited web-search results.
- Choose Linkup if asynchronous deep research fits your workflow.
- Choose Linkup if you need its indexing layer inside your cloud.
02Pricing at real usage
YepAPI charges per call or other metered usage, with no subscription or monthly minimum. Its pricing lists Google SERP from $0.01 per call; the homepage lists scraping at $0.01 and keyword overview from $0.03. Failed calls are not charged, and YepAPI says it has no rate limits. New accounts get $5 in signup credit without a card; that is not a recurring free plan.
Linkup also bills per request. Fetch costs $0.001–$0.006, Search $0.005–$0.006, and asynchronous Research $0.25–$2.50. Its pricing lists a free plan, plus $5,000 in credits available by application for startups. Enterprise pricing is custom. For repeated research jobs, Linkup’s Research price is a different cost line from standard search. Neither pricing page lists monthly or annual subscriptions, so estimate spend from your expected endpoint mix and request volume.
03API, SDKs and integration
YepAPI exposes endpoints for SEO, SERP data, scraping, media generation and other categories. Its homepage shows POST requests and JSON responses, with the same API key across endpoints and models. The docs include an llms.txt prompt intended for coding agents, and the homepage names Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, an MCP server and agent skills. It does not name a language-specific SDK in the listed integration details.
Linkup provides an API for search, URL fetching and research. Its homepage links API docs and shows Python, Node.js and cURL options; the example uses the linkup Python client and LinkupClient. The listed ecosystem includes an OpenAI SDK wrapper, LangChain and CrewAI. Search takes a query, depth and output type in the example. Compare the request and response shapes against your existing agent framework before choosing: YepAPI groups different data services under one key, while Linkup centers its API on web retrieval and research.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
YepAPI is presented as an API service with one key across its endpoints. The vendor does not state that it can be self-hosted. Linkup offers an API and a bring-your-own-cloud option: its homepage describes running the indexing layer inside your infrastructure, while its private index provides an access-controlled index for proprietary data. That is a deployment option for Linkup’s indexing layer, not evidence that every service runs locally.
Neither product is identified as open source, and the vendors do not publish an open-source license or a documented data-export path. Treat both as vendor services when planning portability. With YepAPI, switching means replacing endpoint calls and any reliance on its shared JSON response format. With Linkup, plan for changes to search integrations and ask how private-index data and configuration can be exported before committing.
Questions people ask
Which is better for an AI agent that needs web search?
Linkup is the closer fit for web search: it returns sourced, cited answers with full-text snippets and offers URL extraction and deep research. YepAPI can scrape URLs and provides other data services, but its main distinction is the broader set of SEO, social, commerce and AI-model endpoints.
Is YepAPI cheaper than Linkup?
It depends on the endpoint. YepAPI lists Google SERP at $0.01 per call and scraping at $0.01. Linkup lists Fetch at $0.001–$0.006 and Search at $0.005–$0.006 per request, while Research costs $0.25–$2.50. Compare the operations your app will actually call.
Can I self-host either service?
Linkup offers a bring-your-own-cloud option for running its indexing layer inside your infrastructure. YepAPI is presented as an API service, and the vendor does not state that it can be self-hosted. Ask Linkup which components run in your cloud before treating the option as a fully local deployment.
Do YepAPI and Linkup publish rate limits?
YepAPI says it has no rate limits. Linkup’s listed pricing and homepage do not publish request or rate limits, so confirm those limits with the vendor before sizing production traffic. Also check how each service handles bursts, retries and errors for your specific endpoints.