Does Typesense or Exa have a free plan?

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

Typesense vs Exa

Q: Can I use Typesense and Exa together?

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

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

Updated May 2026

Typesense

Typesense, Inc.

Lightning-fast, open-source search engine for instant, relevant results.

0.0(0)

OPEN_SOURCE

86% data quality

Exa

Exa Labs Inc.

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

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

95% data quality

Trust & Reliability

Typesense

Users:500M+

Customers (per vendor):Codecademy, Logitech, Kick.com +6

Exa

Uptime:99.98%Status page

Overall Winner: Typesense

7.8/10 vs Exa at 7.3/10

Leads in:

Value for Money

Support

Ease of Use

AI Comparison Summary

Typesense

7.8

avg score

Exa

7.3

avg score

Typesense leads overall.

Based on 6 dimensions

How scores are calculated

Overall Winner

Typesense

7.8 / 10

Typesense

Best For

Building instant search-as-you-type experiences

Implementing faceted navigation for e-commerce

Adding geo-search capabilities to applications

Creating semantic search for content platforms

Not Ideal For

Non-technical users needing a plug-and-play search solution without development

Organizations requiring a fully managed, no-code search solution

Users who prefer a GUI-only interface for search configuration

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

Typesense is best for

🔍Research3.7

Exa is best for

💬Chat & Conversation6.0🔍Research6.0

Filter by your use case:

Pros & Cons

Typesense

Pros

Open-source with a permissive license (GPL-3.0)
Extremely fast search performance (sub-50ms)
Developer-friendly with extensive API libraries for multiple languages
Includes advanced features like vector and semantic search
Offers both self-hosted and managed cloud deployment options
Strong community support via Slack and GitHub

Cons

Requires technical expertise for self-hosting and management
May have a learning curve for those new to search engines
Cloud version has usage-based pricing beyond the free tier
No explicit mention of advanced enterprise features like SCIM provisioning

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

Typesense

7.8

/ 10

Your pick

Exa

7.3

/ 10

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How easy it is to get started and use daily

Typesense

7.0▲ +1.0

Exa

6.0

Output Quality

Quality and accuracy of generated results

Typesense

9.0

Exa

9.0

Value for Money

Cost vs. features and output quality

Typesense

8.0▲ +1.0

Exa

7.0

Customizability

Calculated

Ability to tailor to specific needs

Typesense

7.0

Exa

7.0

Support & Ecosystem

Documentation, community, and support quality

Typesense

8.0▲ +1.0

Exa

7.0

Integration Power

Calculated

Ability to connect with other tools and workflows

Typesense

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

Typesense

Task

Exa

9.0

Search Accuracy

9.0

2.0

Answer Extraction

8.0

1.0

Source Attribution

7.0

8.0

Real Time Indexing

9.0

Semantic Understanding

9.0

1.0

Multi Modal Search

2.0

9.0

Filter Refinement

7.0

3.0

Personalization

5.0

1.0

Content Detection

2.0

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, Typesense or Exa?

Both are strong options. Typesense 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 Typesense cheaper than Exa?

Typesense starts at free (open_source model). 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 Typesense and Exa?

Typesense — "Lightning-fast, open-source search engine for instant, relevant results.". 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 Typesense and Exa together?

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