Serper alternative: Why teams switch to cloro for AI scraping

Serper is fast and focused. With a Google-only API that delivers results in under 1 second, they’ve optimized for speed and simplicity. A generous free tier (2,500 queries/month) makes them accessible for small projects.

But Google-only coverage is a limitation in 2025. Your audience has moved to AI platforms – ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot – and Serper can’t follow them there.

The search landscape has shifted

Modern SEO requires:

1. AI platform coverage – Not just Google, but ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot
2. AI overview scraping – Parse citations and sources from AI responses
3. Rich structured data – Not just organic results, but AI-generated content

Serper was built for Google SERP speed. cloro was built for AI-first SEO.

What Serper does well

Serper delivers on its focus:

• Blazing fast – < 1 second average response time
• Google-only – Optimized specifically for Google Search
• Simple API – One endpoint, clean responses
• Generous free tier – 2,500 queries/month free
• Affordable scale – Pricing decreases with volume ($0.30-1 per 1,000 queries)

But here’s the tradeoff: Serper provides basic Google scraping only. No AI Overviews. No knowledge panels. No citations. No AI-generated content.

If you just need organic results fast, Serper works. For modern SEO with AI-generated content, you’ll need more.

Where cloro wins

1. Platform Coverage

Serper: Google Search only.

cloro: 6+ AI platforms.

• ChatGPT – Native scraping with citations
• Perplexity – Source parsing and tracking
• Copilot – Microsoft Bing AI monitoring
• Google Search – With AI Overview parsing
• Gemini & Grok – Multi-platform coverage

Serper scrapes Google. cloro scrapes where users actually search.

2. AI Overview Scraping

Serper: Basic SERP results only. When Google shows AI Overviews, Serper doesn’t expose them.

cloro: Native AI Overview support with parsed citations and sources.

When Google shows AI-generated summaries with sources, cloro extracts both the answer and the citations—Serper misses this entirely.

3. Structured Data

Serper: Basic organic results parsing.

cloro: Rich structured data across AI platforms.

• AI-generated answers
• Citation and source tracking
• Knowledge panels
• Rich media results

4. Pricing at Scale

Serper: Per-request pricing that scales with volume.

• Entry level: ~$1 per 1,000 queries
• At scale: $0.30 per 1,000 queries
• 10K queries = $10-$30
• 100K queries = $30-$100
• 1M queries = $300-$1,000
• Costs decrease with volume but remain unpredictable

cloro: $0.90 per 1,000 for Google Search with AI Overviews included

For high-volume monitoring, get more features at a comparable price point.

5. AI Visibility Tracking

Serper: Can’t monitor AI platforms.

cloro: Built-in monitoring across AI platforms.

• ChatGPT monitoring – Track what GPT says about your brand
• Perplexity tracking – Monitor citations and source appearances
• Copilot watching – Microsoft AI result monitoring
• Change alerts – Get notified when AI responses change

When to choose Serper

Choose Serper if you need:

• Google-only results – Focused exclusively on Google Search
• Speed is critical – Sub-second response times
• Small to medium scale – Free tier or moderate usage
• Simple SERP API – Basic organic results
• Per-request pricing – Only pay for what you use

When to choose cloro

Choose cloro if you need:

• Multi-platform coverage – ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, Grok
• AI overview scraping – Parse citations and sources
• Credit-based pricing – Different models cost different amounts at high volume
• AI visibility tracking – Monitor your brand across AI platforms
• Rich structured data – Citations, sources, knowledge panels

The bottom line

Serper is excellent for fast Google Search results with a generous free tier.

But for AI-first SEO and monitoring, cloro offers:

• Multi-platform coverage – 6+ AI engines vs Google only
• AI overview scraping – Parsed citations vs basic SERP
• AI visibility – Brand monitoring across AI platforms
• Rich structured data – Citations, sources, knowledge panels

Use both: Serper for Google scraping + cloro for AI platform monitoring.

Most teams switch from Serper when they need AI platform coverage and AI Overview scraping that Serper can’t provide.