Alternatives · AI Research
Exa alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded Exa alternative is AlphaSense (1.8 GPA).
Exa compared with 5 alternatives: Tavily, Perplexity, Serper, Brave Search API and AlphaSense.
Exa has a free plan. 3 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Exa sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExaThis tool | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Tavily | Free plan · from $30/mo | Yes | Web |
| Perplexity | Free plan · from $17/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Serper | Free trial · from $50 one-time | Trial only | Web |
| Brave Search API | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| AlphaSense | Paid | No | Web |
How each one differs from Exa
Tavily
Web search, extract and crawl API built for AI agents
- Tavily starts at $30 per month for 4,000 API credits.
- Tavily also covers sERP API.
Suits: Developers adding live web search to an AI agent or RAG app
Perplexity
AI search assistant that answers questions with cited sources
- Perplexity starts at $17 per month when billed annually ($20 a month on the US App Store).
- Perplexity also lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension.
- Perplexity also covers chat assistant.
- Perplexity does not cover AI agents and research, which Exa does.
Suits: Research questions where you want the sources behind each answer
Serper
Google search results API sold in prepaid credit packs
- Serper starts at $50 one-time for 50,000 credits ($1.00 per 1,000 queries).
- Serper has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Exa.
- Serper also covers sERP API.
- Serper does not cover AI search, AI agents and research, which Exa does.
Suits: AI chatbots and agents that need current Google results
Brave Search API
Web search API from Brave's own index, built for AI agents and apps
- Brave Search API also covers sERP API.
- Brave Search API does not cover AI search, AI agents and research, which Exa does.
Suits: Developers grounding AI agents and chatbots in current web results
AlphaSense
AI market intelligence search across filings, research and transcripts
- AlphaSense has no free plan, unlike Exa.
- AlphaSense also covers chat assistant.
- AlphaSense does not cover AI agents, which Exa does.
Suits: Investment banks, funds and consultancies doing company and market research
Limits worth knowing in Exa
- The free Starter allowance is $10 of credits per month; past that, the Developer plan bills by usage with no fixed monthly price.
- Per-request prices: search from $4 per 1,000 requests, contents $1 per 1,000 pages, monitors $2 per 1,000 requests, agent runs $0.012 to $1.00 each.
- Zero data retention is an Enterprise option with a $12,000 annual commitment in API credits.
- It is an API for developers, not a reading or note-taking app; it has no desktop or mobile apps.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Exa?
The alternatives to Exa in this directory are Tavily, Perplexity, Serper, Brave Search API and AlphaSense. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Exa.
Is there a free alternative to Exa?
Yes. Tavily, Perplexity and Brave Search API have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Exa alternatives work on Android?
The Exa listing does not include an Android app. Perplexity lists one.
Which Exa alternatives work on iOS?
The Exa listing does not include an iOS app. Perplexity lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.