# Tavily alternative

Competitor facts as of October 2026. Source: https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits

[Tavily source — as of October 2026](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits)

## Who each product is for

Tavily: Developers who primarily need search and want direct credit pricing and a monthly free tier.

KeepBal: agents calling supported data tools and models through one key and one prepaid wallet. Browse the current catalog before integrating.

Workload and billing comparison

| Dimension | Tavily | KeepBal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Best fit | Developers who primarily need search and want direct credit pricing and a monthly free tier. | Supported data APIs and models in a shared prepaid wallet |
| Pricing | Pay as you go: $0.008 per credit. Basic search uses 1 credit; advanced search uses 2. There are 1,000 free credits/month. | No monthly subscription. Fixed tool prices from the catalog; variable tools use provider cost plus 35%. Models have separate listed token prices. |
| Tradeoff | Choose Tavily direct if search is your main requirement: it is cheaper and includes 1,000 free credits per month. | Check supported tools and models; a shared wallet does not guarantee the lowest price. |

## Choose Tavily if…

Choose Tavily direct if search is your main requirement: it is cheaper and includes 1,000 free credits per month.

## Choose KeepBal if…

You want one key, one prepaid balance and call history across supported data tools and models. KeepBal does not provide OAuth connections for SaaS actions.

## Cost scenario

After free credits are exhausted, 1,000 basic searches × 1 credit × $0.008 = $8 direct. For advanced search, 1,000 × 2 × $0.008 = $16. Compare the same search depth and input settings before choosing.

KeepBal tool scenario (exa/contents), current catalog: 1,000 successful calls × $0.00135 = $1.35 usage. Uses the published fixed per-call price and excludes top-up fees. Inspect supported inputs before running. This is a workload example, not a matched competitor quote.

[Browse tool prices](/tools) · [Model token prices](/models) · [Inspect a tool](/docs/tools)

These examples use different billing units unless explicitly matched. KeepBal top-ups are separate from usage: $10 credit + ceil($10 × 8% to cents) + $0.35 = $11.15 before tax. Only $10 enters the wallet. Promotional credit is excluded from the usage arithmetic.

[Tool catalog](/tools) · [Model prices](/models) · [Pricing and top-up fees](/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

## When does KeepBal make sense instead of Tavily direct?

Tavily direct is cheaper and has a free tier, as of October 2026. KeepBal is for workloads combining data tools and models under one key and prepaid balance; check the live catalog for availability.

## Does KeepBal require a monthly plan?

No. KeepBal uses prepaid credit with no subscription. Paid top-ups have a fee; check Pricing before funding your wallet.

[All comparisons](/compare) · [About KeepBal](/about)