Does Kagi or Exa have a free plan?

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

Kagi vs Exa

Q: Can I use Kagi and Exa together?

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

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

Updated May 2026

Kagi

Kagi Inc.

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

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

92% data quality

Exa

Exa Labs Inc.

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

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

95% data quality

Trust & Reliability

Kagi

Users:10K-100K

GDPR

Exa

Uptime:99.98%Status page

Overall Winner: Exa

7.3/10 vs Kagi at 6.8/10

Leads in:

Output Quality

Customizability

AI Comparison Summary

Kagi

6.8

avg score

Exa

7.3

avg score

Exa leads overall — particularly in Customizability.

Based on 6 dimensions

How scores are calculated

Overall Winner

Exa

7.3 / 10

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

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

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

Kagi is best for

🔍Research6.0💬Chat & Conversation5.0

Exa is best for

💬Chat & Conversation6.0🔍Research6.0

Filter by your use case:

Pros & Cons

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

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

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

Kagi

6.8

/ 10

Exa

7.3

/ 10

Your pick

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How easy it is to get started and use daily

Kagi

6.0

Exa

6.0

Output Quality

Quality and accuracy of generated results

Kagi

8.0

Exa

9.0▲ +1.0

Value for Money

Cost vs. features and output quality

Kagi

7.0

Exa

7.0

Customizability

Calculated

Ability to tailor to specific needs

Kagi

5.0

Exa

7.0▲ +2.0

Support & Ecosystem

Documentation, community, and support quality

Kagi

7.0

Exa

7.0

Integration Power

Calculated

Ability to connect with other tools and workflows

Kagi

8.0

Exa

8.0

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

Task Performance

Kagi

Task

Exa

8.0

Search Accuracy

9.0

7.0

Answer Extraction

8.0

Source Attribution

7.0

Real Time Indexing

9.0

8.0

Semantic Understanding

9.0

2.0

Multi Modal Search

2.0

9.0

Filter Refinement

7.0

9.0

Personalization

5.0

2.0

Content Detection

2.0

5.0

Knowledge Graph

6.0

* 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, Kagi or Exa?

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

Is Kagi cheaper than Exa?

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

What are the main differences between Kagi and Exa?

Kagi — "Liberate your search: free of ads, surveillance, and noise.". Exa — "Powering AI agents with fast, high-quality web search.". 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 Kagi and Exa together?

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