Exa
Search APIsExa is an AI search tool built for question answering, not plain Google result lists.
The verdict
Exa fits teams building AI tools that look up facts. On an open benchmark of 300 company-news questions from September 26, 2026, Exa got 99.3% right at $7 per 1,000 searches.
It costs more per search than SearchApi and does a different job.
Best for
Teams building AI tools that look up facts and want the most correct answers.
Not for
Skip it if you need plain Google titles and links. SearchApi or SerpApi fit that job.
Pricing truth
$7 per 1,000 searches. That figure comes from an open benchmark of 300 company-news questions dated September 26, 2026. No self-serve monthly plan is sourced here. Checked October 12, 2026.
When we use it
- Look up facts inside an AI product that answers questions.
- Run company-news questions when you care more about correct answers than raw Google links.
- Compare it against a Google-result API when the job is research, not list building.
- Skip it when you only need titles and links from Google.
How to wire it
- Decide whether your job needs AI answers or a plain Google result list.
- If you need Google titles and links, use SearchApi instead.
- If you also need page text, use Firecrawl.
- Treat the $7 per 1,000 figure as a benchmark cost, not a plan card.
Margin notes
- The 99.3% score is from one 300-question company-news test.
- Exa returns AI search results, not a drop-in Google SERP dump.
- Price it against SearchApi only when both tools can do the same job.