Tavily vs Brave Search API for Coding Agents
Which search API to use for retrieval in coding agents.
Quick answer
For most coding agents, start with Tavily for LLM-friendly retrieval + citations.
Comparison
| Dimension | Tavily | Brave |
|---|---|---|
| LLM-friendly output | Strong | Good |
| Generic web breadth | Medium | High |
| Integration friction | Low | Low-medium |
Strategy
Use two-stage retrieval:
- cheap search first
- deep search only when confidence is low