Linkup
French web search API that gives AI agents sourced, cited answers with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
Quick Overview
| Company | Linkup Technologies SAS |
|---|---|
| Category | AI Search Engines |
| Headquarters | Fresnes (Paris area), France |
| Founded | 2024 |
| EU Presence | EU (France) |
| Data Location | Product data hosted on servers in Europe (queries may be processed in the US, EU, Canada and APAC unless configured under an enterprise agreement) |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR |
| Pricing | Pay as you go with 4,000 queries free; Fetch $0.001-$0.006, Search $0.005-$0.006 and Research $0.25-$2.50 per request; Enterprise custom pricing |
| Free Option | 4,000 free queries |
| Replaces | Perplexity API, Brave Search API, Tavily |
Detailed Review
Linkup is the odd one out in this category, and it is worth saying why it is here.
Nobody types into Linkup: it is a web search API that an application calls so that a language model can answer from current, cited sources instead of from frozen training data. If the question is which European company supplies web search to AI products rather than to people, this is the answer, and it sits next to the answer engines because it solves the same problem for builders.
The product is three endpoints behind one API: Search for fast, sourced results with full-text snippets, Fetch for pulling the content of a URL, and Research for asynchronous deep research that takes minutes.
Pricing is published and per request, with 4,000 queries free and Search at $0.005 to $0.006 per call, and enterprise deployments can add a private index or run inside the customer's own cloud. SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 are listed in its security documentation, and zero data retention is available on request.
Linkup Technologies SAS is registered in Fresnes, France, and its terms are governed by French law with the Paris courts competent.
The jurisdictional detail to read carefully: product data is hosted in Europe, but queries may be processed across the US, EU, Canada and APAC unless local processing is arranged under an enterprise agreement, so an EU-only guarantee is not the default. The company itself is young: the French register shows it created in July 2024, so there is a short track record to weigh against the published certifications.
What Linkup does well
- Published per-request pricing with 4,000 free queries
- Search, Fetch and Research endpoints behind one API
- SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 listed
- French company under French law, Paris courts
- Private index or bring-your-own-cloud for enterprises
Where Linkup falls short
- A developer API, not a tool for end users
- Queries may be processed outside the EU by default
- Company registered only in 2024, with a short track record
- No consumer interface to compare with the answer engines
Standout feature. The only entry here that sells web search to other AI products rather than to people, from a French company with published per-request prices.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Published per-request pricing with 4,000 free queries
- Search, Fetch and Research endpoints behind one API
- SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 listed
- French company under French law, Paris courts
- Private index or bring-your-own-cloud for enterprises
Cons
- A developer API, not a tool for end users
- Queries may be processed outside the EU by default
- Company registered only in 2024, with a short track record
- No consumer interface to compare with the answer engines
Alternatives to Linkup
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Linkup?
Linkup is the odd one out in this category, and it is worth saying why it is here.
Nobody types into Linkup: it is a web search API that an application calls so that a language model can answer from current, cited sources instead of from frozen training data. If the question is which European company supplies web search to AI products rather than to people, this is the answer, and it sits next to the answer engines because it solves the same problem for builders.
Where is Linkup based?
Linkup operates from Fresnes (Paris area), France, which places it under EU (France). Compliance: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR.
What does Linkup cost?
Pay as you go with 4,000 queries free; Fetch $0.001-$0.006, Search $0.005-$0.006 and Research $0.25-$2.50 per request; Enterprise custom pricing. 4,000 free queries.
Who is Linkup best for?
Developers who need sourced web search inside their own AI product. The only entry here that sells web search to other AI products rather than to people, from a French company with published per-request prices.
What are the drawbacks of Linkup?
A developer API, not a tool for end users. Queries may be processed outside the EU by default. Company registered only in 2024, with a short track record. No consumer interface to compare with the answer engines.
Is Linkup a good alternative to Perplexity API?
Linkup is built as a European alternative to Perplexity API: French web search API that gives AI agents sourced, cited answers with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Linkup compare to other AI Search Engines tools?
Linkup is one of several European AI Search Engines tools we cover. It is most often compared with Perplexity API, Brave Search API, Tavily.