We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
It's a split decision.
Choose YepAPI when your application needs one usage-billed API for SEO, scraping, social and e-commerce data, or AI models. Choose SE Ranking when a team needs a web-based SEO workflow for research, rank tracking, audits, content, and AI visibility, with API and MCP access. YepAPI charges by call and includes $5 in signup credit; SE Ranking starts at $103.20 per month on annual billing, with included quotas and a 14-day trial.
01Side by side
| YepAPI | SE Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per call; no subscription or minimum | Monthly plans; annual billing saves 20% |
| Free access | $5 signup credit; no card required | 14-day trial; no card required |
| API and SDKs | Single-key JSON API across several data types | SEO API with MCP access |
| AI agent tooling | MCP server, agent skills, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex | MCP-compatible AI assistants |
| Integrations | Agent-focused integrations listed on homepage | GA4, GSC, Make.com, n8n, Zapier, others |
| Deployment model | Hosted API | Hosted SEO platform with API and MCP |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Usage limits | No rate limits; usage billed per call | Plan quotas for keywords, audits, API credits |
YepAPI Choose YepAPI if
- Choose YepAPI if one key should cover multiple data and AI endpoints.
- Choose YepAPI if you prefer call-based charges over monthly subscriptions.
- Choose YepAPI if your agents use its MCP server or agent skills.
SE Ranking Choose SE Ranking if
- Choose SE Ranking if your team needs rank tracking and site audits.
- Choose SE Ranking if you want SEO work managed in one platform.
- Choose SE Ranking if you need its broader reporting and workflow integrations.
02Pricing at real usage
YepAPI has no subscription or monthly minimum. The pricing page lists $5 in signup credit, no card required, and Google SERP calls from $0.01; the homepage lists web scraping at $0.01 per call and some other endpoints at higher prices. Your bill grows with calls and other metered usage, while failed calls are not charged. SE Ranking offers a 14-day trial, then Core costs $129 monthly or $103.20 per month on annual billing. Core includes 10 projects, one manager seat, 2,000 daily tracked keywords, 250,000 audit pages per month, and 25,000 API credits per month. Growth is $279 monthly or $223.20 per month annually, with higher quotas. API add-ons start at $29 monthly or $45 per month annually; the standalone SEO data API starts at $179 per month, annual billing only.
03API, SDKs and integration
YepAPI is a hosted API: send POST requests to endpoints such as /v1/seo/keywords/overview, /v1/serp/google, and /v1/scrape. Calls use one API key and return JSON across SEO, scraping, social and e-commerce data, and AI models. The homepage points developers to its docs and llms.txt, and lists an MCP server and agent skills for Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex. The vendor does not publish a list of language-specific SDKs or a CLI. SE Ranking offers API access to SEO and AI visibility data, plus MCP access for live queries from AI assistants. Its integrations include GA4, GSC, Data Studio, Make.com, n8n, Zapier, Whatagraph, and Agency Analytics. Both products can feed developer workflows, but YepAPI presents a broad, consistent endpoint surface; SE Ranking centers on SEO data and its platform. Confirm endpoint coverage and quotas against the relevant API docs before building around either service.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both are presented as hosted services: YepAPI exposes a web-accessible API, while SE Ranking provides a web platform with API and MCP access. Neither vendor publishes an open-source license or self-hosting option. That makes service availability, account access, and continued API compatibility part of the deployment decision; neither product is described as software you can run inside your own infrastructure. The pages do not specify a data-export path for either service. Before committing, ask each vendor which records and reports can be exported, in what formats, and whether API access covers the data your application needs to retain. YepAPI's metered endpoints may reduce dependence on a bundled SEO workflow, while SE Ranking's platform brings research, monitoring, content, and reporting features together. Moving from either product still means replacing the relevant API calls or team workflows.
Questions people ask
Is YepAPI cheaper than SE Ranking?
It depends on usage. YepAPI has no monthly fee or minimum, and charges per call; the homepage lists Google SERP and scraping calls at $0.01. SE Ranking Core starts at $129 monthly or $103.20 per month with annual billing. Compare the calls and platform features you need with SE Ranking's plan quotas.
Does YepAPI have a free plan?
YepAPI lists $5 in signup credit and says no card is required; it does not list a recurring free plan. SE Ranking offers a 14-day trial with no credit card required. Check each vendor's current terms before relying on either offer for production or ongoing development.
Can I use SE Ranking data through an API?
Yes. SE Ranking says teams can access rankings, keywords, backlinks, and AI visibility insights through its API, and query data through MCP-compatible AI assistants. Core includes 25,000 API credits per month; Growth includes 100,000. API add-ons and a standalone SEO data API are also listed.
Can I self-host YepAPI or SE Ranking?
Neither vendor publishes a self-hosting option or open-source license. YepAPI is presented as a hosted API, and SE Ranking as a web platform with API and MCP access. If self-hosting, data residency, or export controls are requirements, ask the vendor about those requirements before integrating.