Exa vs Google Gemini: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Exa and Google Gemini to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Exa
6.7/10
Exa is a web search and retrieval API built for AI applications and agents. It gives developers semantic search, page contents, deep research, and monitoring endpoints.
Google Gemini
7.2/10
Google's family of generative AI models and assistants, sold to businesses through Gemini Enterprise, Workspace plans and a pay-per-token developer API.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.7/10 | 7.2/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Output Quality | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | $21/user/mo Gemini Enterprise Business |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | $210/mo Gemini Enterprise Business |
| Features | ||
| AI Agents | ||
| API Access | ||
| Enterprise Controls | ||
| Code Generation | Not listed | |
| Image Generation | Not listed | |
| Knowledge Base Search | Not listed | |
| Text Generation | Not listed | |
| Video Generation | Not listed | |
| Voice and Audio | Not listed | |
| Workflow Automation | Not listed | |
Exa vs Google Gemini cost by team size
Exa costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Exa | Google Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | $21/moGemini Enterprise Business |
| 5 users | FreeFree | $105/moGemini Enterprise Business |
| 10 users | FreeFree | $210/moGemini Enterprise Business |
| 25 users | FreeFree | $525/moGemini Enterprise Business |
| 50 users | FreeFree | $1,050/moGemini Enterprise Business |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Exa
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $210/mo
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose Google Gemini
- Higher Cost score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Exa
Pros
- Its semantic search matches queries by meaning, which works well for conceptual and research queries in RAG and agent pipelines.
- There is no subscription, and $10 in free credits arrives every month, so prototyping costs almost nothing.
- Exa states SOC 2 Type II certification, a HIPAA BAA, and zero data retention for enterprise customers.
- One API covers search, page contents, cited answers, monitoring, and an agent endpoint.
Cons
- List prices of $4 to $15 per 1,000 searches are higher than budget rivals such as Serper or Parallel Fast.
- Charges for page contents, summaries, and results beyond 10 make total costs harder to predict.
- Deep search can take several seconds, which is too slow for real-time chat.
- Endpoints such as /research have been retired and /findSimilar is deprecated, so existing integrations need migrating.
Google Gemini
Pros
- Many API models have a free tier, and Flash-Lite models cost from $0.10 to $0.30 per million input tokens.
- It is built into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and Drive for Workspace customers, starting with the €6.80 Starter plan.
- The Standard edition adds VPC Service Controls, customer-managed encryption keys and data-residency controls.
- The self-serve Business edition includes connectors to Microsoft 365, HubSpot and Jira as well as Google tools.
Cons
- Licensing is fragmented across Gemini Enterprise, Workspace, consumer AI plans and the API, and Plus has no public price.
- Users report unclear usage limits and silent downgrades from Pro to lighter models.
- Several API prices are scheduled to double in December 2026 and January 2027.
- Reviewers say third-party connectors to Salesforce, SAP and ServiceNow are less mature than Microsoft Copilot's.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Google Gemini scores higher on our AI Software criteria: 7.2/10 against 6.7/10 for Exa. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for Exa and 7/10 for Google Gemini.
Exa costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about $210/mo on its Gemini Enterprise Business plan for Google Gemini, billed monthly.
Yes, both Exa and Google Gemini have a free plan.
