The short answer
SerpApi is an API that returns structured results from search engines, including Google Maps. Prospect Cheap is a lead generation tool that searches six live sources — Google Maps, YouTube, the Facebook Ad Library, Product Hunt, TrustMRR and Skool — and returns each lead with emails, the owner's name and social profiles. Choose SerpApi for developers building products on search results; choose Prospect Cheap when you want fresh, outreach-ready lists of local businesses, creators, advertisers or founders.
Side by side
| Prospect Cheap | SerpApi | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of tool | Live lead scraper with enrichment | Scraping API |
| Where leads come from | Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook Ad Library, Product Hunt, TrustMRR, Skool | Search engines and websites via API |
| How you use it | Web app — no code, searches run on our servers | Code |
| Contact details | Emails from the website, owner name and title, mobile numbers with carrier, 6 social networks | Raw results; enrichment is separate |
| Exports | CSV, Instantly, GoHighLevel | Varies — check SerpApi |
| Pricing model | One credit per lead, from $29/month for 10,000 credits | Monthly plans by number of searches |
| Free start | 100 free credits, no card | Check SerpApi |
This table describes the products in general terms; features and prices change, so check SerpApi's website for current details.
Where SerpApi is strong
- Clean JSON results
- Many search engines
- Reliable API
If those are what you need most, SerpApi is a sensible choice.
Where Prospect Cheap is different
Prospect Cheap gives you the finished list in the browser — no code — with enrichment included and simple per-lead pricing.
- An API needs code, proxies, retries and storage before you have a single lead.
- Search results alone don't include emails or owner names; enrichment is a second project.
- Engineering time is often the biggest hidden cost.
Pricing approach
Prospect Cheap uses credits: one credit per lead you receive, and a search that fails costs nothing — the credits set aside for it go straight back. Plans are Starter ($29/month, 10,000 credits), Growth ($79/month, 50,000) and Scale ($199/month, 200,000), and subscribers can top up extra credits at any time. SerpApi's pricing is monthly plans by number of searches.
The fairest way to compare is cost per usable lead: how much you pay for each lead that has the contact details you need.
Which should you choose?
- Choose SerpApi if you are building your own product on top of search or scraping data.
- Choose Prospect Cheap if you want lists built from live sources, with emails and owner names already attached, ready for Instantly or GoHighLevel.
- Use both if they cover different parts of your workflow — many teams do.
See also: Best SerpApi alternatives · All comparisons