Why risky:2026-02-12 — Free tier (2,000 queries/month) eliminated. Replaced with $5 prepaid metered credits at $0.003-$0.005 per query (pay-as-you-go). Credit card required, no spending cap Full history ↓
Limits, pricing history. Verified August 2026. Last updated 2026-08-19.
Brave Search API's free tier offers $5 prepaid metered credits ($0.003-$0.005 per query depending on endpoint). We rate it risky — one recorded free tier removal, on 2026-02-12.
Free tier (2,000 queries/month) eliminated. Replaced with $5 prepaid metered credits at $0.003-$0.005 per query (pay-as-you-go). Credit card required, no spending cap
Before: Free plan: 2,000 queries/month, no credit card required
After: Metered billing at $0.003-$0.005 per query with $5 prepaid minimum. No free plan. Credit card required, no spending cap
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Yes, Brave Search API offers a free tier: Credit. $5 prepaid metered credits ($0.003-$0.005 per query depending on endpoint). Web search, news, videos, images, LLM context endpoints. 50 req/sec rate limit. Attribution required. Credit card required, ...
What is Brave Search API's free tier?
Brave Search API's free tier is called "Credit". $5 prepaid metered credits ($0.003-$0.005 per query depending on endpoint). Web search, news, videos, images, LLM context endpoints. 50 req/sec rate limit. Attribution required. Credit card required, overages billed with no spending cap. Free tier (2,000 queries/mo) eliminated Feb 2026
Is Brave Search API's free tier reliable?
Brave Search API's free tier is considered risky because of one specific recorded change, on 2026-02-12: Free tier (2,000 queries/month) eliminated. Replaced with $5 prepaid metered credits at $0.003-$0.005 per query (pay-as-you-go). Credit card required, no spending cap Consider alternatives.
Is Brave Search API's free tier good for production?
Brave Search API's free tier is usable for prototyping and development, but we rate it risky because of one recorded free tier removal, on 2026-02-12. Consider alternatives with more stable pricing for critical services.
What changed in Brave Search API's pricing?
Brave Search API has had 1 recorded pricing change. Most recently: Free tier (2,000 queries/month) eliminated. Replaced with $5 prepaid metered credits at $0.003-$0.005 per query (pay-as-you-go). Credit card required, no spending cap (2026-02-12).
When will I outgrow Brave Search API's free tier?
When your usage exceeds the free tier limits, you'll need to upgrade. When you outgrow the free tier, evaluate paid plans against alternatives — sometimes a competitor's free tier covers what you need.
What category is Brave Search API in?
Brave Search API is categorized under Search on AgentDeals.
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