What is Exa?
Exa is a search API built for AI agents and developers who need current web data. Instead of returning a list of links for a human to click, it returns page text, highlights, or structured results that a model can use directly. The index covers the public web along with people, company, financial, research and news data, and you can choose a search mode by latency, from Instant (under 180ms) to Deep (around 10 seconds).
Beyond raw search, Exa offers an Agent API for asynchronous deep research runs that return structured outputs with citations, a Contents API for full page text, and a Monitors API that runs searches on a schedule and sends webhook updates when new events appear. It also provides an MCP server, a Claude connector, and integrations with many other tools, so it can be added to coding assistants, chatbots, or enrichment pipelines.
Key features
- Neural web search with page text and highlights, configurable latency from 180ms to 1s
- Agent API for asynchronous deep research with structured outputs and citations
- Contents API returning full page text with configurable livecrawl
- Monitors API that runs searches on a schedule and sends webhook updates
- Company, people and scholarly works indexes, plus enrichment as structured data
- MCP server and Claude connector for use inside AI assistants
Who is it for
- Developers building AI agents and RAG pipelines
- Coding assistant and developer tool teams
- Sales and go-to-market teams needing company and people enrichment
- Enterprises with strict security and data retention requirements
How to get started with Exa
- Create an account on the Exa website, no credit card required.
- Generate an API key in the dashboard and store it securely.
- Send your first query to the search endpoint with your chosen latency mode.
- You are building an AI agent that needs current data from the internet.
- You need results with source citations or structured data based on a schema.
- You want to monitor the web for new events and receive webhook notifications.
- You need a Polish-language interface, because the tool does not offer one.
- You need only a free plan without limits, because the free plan is capped at 10 USD in credits monthly.
Pros and cons
- Fast search modes with low latency for agent loops
- Token-efficient highlights that cut the context passed to models
- Enterprise controls including SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR and zero data retention
- Costs add up at scale: Search starts at $4 per 1k requests, Agent runs cost $0.012 to $1.00 each
- Built for developers; no consumer chat interface is described on the page
Exa pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 0 USD / month | $10 credits per month plus $10 onboarding bonus; 10 QPS, 50 agent concurrency |
Prices copied from Exa pricing, checked October 12, 2026. Currency as shown by the vendor; taxes may apply.
Is Exa free?
There is a free trial. Free Starter plan with $10 in credits per month plus a $10 onboarding bonus, no payment method required; includes MCP server access and access to all endpoints, limited to 10 search queries per second and 50 agent concurrency.
Exa alternatives
| Tool | Price from | Free plan | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 Tavily | 0.008 USD | yes | APIs & models |
 You.com | 1 USD | yes | APIs & models |
 Firecrawl | 16 USD/mo | yes | APIs & models |
 Claude Platform (Anthropic API) | 2 USD input / 10 USD output | no | APIs & models |
 Weaviate | 30 USD/mo | yes | APIs & models |
 Pinecone | 20 USD/mo | yes | APIs & models |
FAQ
What is Exa used for?
Search API that gives AI agents real-time web, people, and company data plus deep research, from one endpoint.
Is Exa free?
There is a free trial. Free Starter plan with $10 in credits per month plus a $10 onboarding bonus, no payment method required; includes MCP server access and access to all endpoints, limited to 10 search queries per second and 50 agent concurrency.
How much does Exa cost?
The vendor does not publish prices publicly or requires sign-in.
What are the best Exa alternatives?
Closest alternatives: Tavily, You.com, Firecrawl, Claude Platform (Anthropic API), Weaviate.
Data checked October 12, 2026 on the vendor website (exa.ai).