Does Exa or Kagi have a free plan?

Exa is available for free with a free trial. Kagi is available for free with a free trial. Always verify current pricing directly with the vendor.

Exa vs Kagi

Q: Can I use Exa and Kagi together?

Yes, many teams use both tools together for different purposes. Use the Stack Builder section above to combine Exa and Kagi with other tools and save your AI toolkit.

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Updated May 2026

Exa

Exa Labs Inc.

Powering AI agents with fast, high-quality web search.

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

95% data quality

Kagi

Kagi Inc.

Liberate your search: free of ads, surveillance, and noise.

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

92% data quality

Trust & Reliability

Exa

Uptime:99.98%Status page

Customers (per vendor):Notion, Cursor, AWS +7

SOC 2

Kagi

Overall Winner: Exa

7.3/10 vs Kagi at 6.8/10

Leads in:

Output Quality

Customizability

AI Comparison Summary

Exa

7.3

avg score

Kagi

6.8

avg score

Exa leads overall — particularly in Customizability.

Based on 6 dimensions

How scores are calculated

Overall Winner

Exa

7.3 / 10

Exa

Best For

Powering AI agents with real-time web data

Deep web research with structured outputs

Reducing LLM token costs with efficient content retrieval

Monitoring news and trends for specific industries

Not Ideal For

Casual web browsing for individual users

Users without programming knowledge or AI agent development needs

Simple keyword-only search requirements where advanced semantic understanding is not critical

Kagi

Best For

Conducting research without ads or tracking

Personalizing search results to prioritize trusted sources

Accessing multiple AI models for diverse tasks

Summarizing long articles and documents quickly

Not Ideal For

Users unwilling to pay for a search engine

Individuals who prefer ad-supported search models

Those needing extensive offline functionality for search

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

Exa is best for

💬Chat & Conversation6.0🔍Research6.0

Kagi is best for

🔍Research6.0💬Chat & Conversation5.0

Filter by your use case:

Pros & Cons

Exa

Pros

Best-in-class accuracy and latency for web search
Provides structured outputs directly, simplifying data extraction
Token-efficient content highlights reduce LLM costs
Specialized web indexes for various industries (coding, finance, recruiting)
Offers a free tier for up to 1,000 requests per month
SOC 2 Type II Certified and offers Zero Data Retention for enterprise

Cons

Primarily an API, requiring technical integration
Usage-based pricing can become complex for unpredictable workloads
No direct end-user interface for general web browsing
Focus on AI agents might be overkill for simple search needs

Kagi

Pros

Completely ad-free and private search experience
Highly customizable search results with up/downranking and lenses
Integrated AI Assistant provides access to a wide range of LLMs
Offers specialized tools like Kagi Translate and Summarize
Fair pricing policy with credits for unused months
Available across web, mobile, and browser extensions

Cons

Requires a paid subscription for full functionality beyond the trial
AI Assistant usage is subject to a fair use policy based on token cost
Some advanced AI models are exclusive to higher-tier plans
No offline mode for search or AI features
May have a learning curve for advanced customization features

Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You

Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.

Quick profiles:

Ease of Use5

Output Quality5

Value for Money5

Customizability5

Support & Ecosystem5

Integration Power5

Dimension Comparison

Exa

7.3

/ 10

Your pick

Kagi

6.8

/ 10

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How easy it is to get started and use daily

Exa

6.0

Kagi

6.0

Output Quality

Quality and accuracy of generated results

Exa

9.0▲ +1.0

Kagi

8.0

Value for Money

Cost vs. features and output quality

Exa

7.0

Kagi

7.0

Customizability

Calculated

Ability to tailor to specific needs

Exa

7.0▲ +2.0

Kagi

5.0

Support & Ecosystem

Documentation, community, and support quality

Exa

7.0

Kagi

7.0

Integration Power

Calculated

Ability to connect with other tools and workflows

Exa

8.0

Kagi

8.0

Calculated = derived from verified integration count and API/open-source signals. AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

Exa

Task

Kagi

9.0

Search Accuracy

8.0

Answer Extraction

7.0

Source Attribution

8.0

9.0

Real Time Indexing

7.0

9.0

Semantic Understanding

8.0

2.0

Multi Modal Search

2.0

7.0

Filter Refinement

9.0

5.0

Personalization

9.0

2.0

Content Detection

2.0

6.0

Knowledge Graph

5.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Exa or Kagi?

Both are strong options. Exa has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews), while Kagi has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews). The best choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and workflow requirements.

Is Exa cheaper than Kagi?

Exa starts at free (freemium model) with a free trial. Kagi starts at free (freemium model) with a free trial. Use the Cost Calculator above for a detailed estimate.

What are the main differences between Exa and Kagi?

Exa — "Powering AI agents with fast, high-quality web search.". Kagi — "Liberate your search: free of ads, surveillance, and noise.". Key differences include their pricing models, platform support, integrations, and technical capabilities. See the Feature Comparison table above for a complete side-by-side breakdown.

Can I use Exa and Kagi together?

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