What is App Stack Builder?

App Stack Builder is a free AI-powered tool that helps founders and developers choose the right tech stack for their projects based on budget, app type, team size, and skill level.

What is the best tech stack for SaaS in 2026?

The best tech stack for SaaS in 2026 typically includes Next.js 16 for frontend, Supabase for database and auth, Vercel for hosting, Stripe for payments, and PostHog for analytics. App Stack Builder can generate a personalized recommendation based on your specific budget and requirements.

Is App Stack Builder free to use?

Yes, App Stack Builder is completely free to use. You can generate unlimited tech stack recommendations without any cost.

What types of apps can I build with the recommended stacks?

App Stack Builder supports various app types including SaaS applications, web apps, mobile apps, e-commerce stores, internal tools, and AI/ML products.

How much does a SaaS tech stack cost per month?

A modern SaaS tech stack can cost anywhere from $0-50/month for bootstrapped startups using free tiers, $100-300/month for growth-stage startups, to $500+/month for enterprise-ready infrastructure. App Stack Builder helps you find the best tools within your specific budget.

What is the best tech stack for solo founders?

For solo founders, we recommend Next.js + Vercel (free), Supabase (free tier), Supabase Auth (free), Stripe (pay as you go), and Plausible or PostHog for analytics. This stack can run your entire SaaS for under $50/month.

Can I export my tech stack recommendations?

Yes, you can export your tech stack recommendations as a PDF document or copy them to your clipboard. You can also share a link to your stack with others.

AI Web Search APIs

Best Web Search APIs for AI Agents in 2026

A model only knows what it was trained on. To answer questions about today, an agent has to search the web, read the pages and cite them, and a search API is how it does that without scraping Google. Here are the four leading web search APIs for AI apps in 2026, compared on index, what each call returns and what 10,000 searches cost.

AI Web Search APIs Tools Compared

Tool	Pricing	Free tier
Exa	Free · then usage-based
Tavily	Free · paid from $30/mo
Brave Search API	Free · then usage-based
Perplexity Search API	Usage-based	—

The Best AI Web Search APIs Tools, Ranked

1. Exa

Free tier· Free · then usage-based

A search engine built for AI agents, with its own neural index. Returns links plus page text, highlights or summaries in one call, and offers deep search and research agents.

Own index, ranked by meaning
Search and page contents in one call
Monthly free credit that resets

Exa & alternatives

2. Tavily

Free tier· Free · paid from $30/mo

A web search API made for LLM apps and agents, with extract, crawl and map endpoints and ready integrations for LangChain, LlamaIndex and most agent frameworks. Part of Nebius.

Built-in integrations with most agent frameworks
Search, extract, map and crawl in one API
Free 1,000 credits every month

Tavily & alternatives

3. Brave Search API

Free tier· Free · then usage-based

Results from Brave's own independent web index, not a Google or Bing reseller, at a flat price per request. An Answers plan adds cited AI answers.

Independent index, not a Google or Bing reseller
Flat, predictable price per request
High rate limit on the Search plan

Brave Search API & alternatives

4. Perplexity Search API

· Usage-based

Raw ranked web results from Perplexity's index as JSON, plus an Agent API that searches, reads and writes a cited answer in one call with the model of your choice.

Up to five queries per billed request
Cited answers without building the loop
Cheap Fast Search tier

Perplexity Search API & alternatives

How to choose a ai web search apis tool

Choose Exa when the agent needs page text as well as links, or searches by meaning ("companies like X"). It runs its own index and returns contents in the same call.
Choose Tavily for the quickest start: it is built into most agent frameworks, and the free plan gives 1,000 credits a month.
Choose the Perplexity Search API for cheap raw results (up to five queries per billed request), or its Agent API when you want a cited answer without writing the search loop.
Choose the Brave Search API for an independent index at a flat $5 per 1,000 requests, with $5 of free credit every month.
Count what the agent does after the search. Fetching full pages, advanced modes and answer generation usually cost more than the search itself.

In-depth guideBest Web Search API for AI Agents (2026): Exa vs Perplexity vs BraveExa, the Perplexity Search API and the Brave Search API compared for AI agents: what each call returns, who owns the index, free allowances, the Sonar retirement, and what 10,000 searches a month cost once the agent reads the pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best ai web search apis tools for startups in 2026?⌄

The best ai web search apis tools for startups in 2026 include Exa, Tavily, Brave Search API, Perplexity Search API. Compare them by pricing, free tiers, and features in the list above.

What is the best free ai web search apis tool?⌄

Free ai web search apis options include Exa, Tavily, Brave Search API — all offer a free tier suitable for bootstrapped startups and MVPs.

How do I choose a ai web search apis tool?⌄

Start with your budget and team size, prefer tools with a free tier to validate, and make sure your pick integrates with the rest of your stack. App Stack Builder can recommend a complete, budget-aware stack in about 60 seconds.

Need the whole stack, not just ai web search apis?

Get a free, AI-powered tech stack — matched to your budget, app type, and team size in 60 seconds.

Build my stack free