Exa vs Zerve
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Exa starts at See pricing page and Zerve starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Semantic web search
- Full page contents
- Research API
- Websets
- Similar page search
- Objective-driven Superagents
- Parallel worker agents
- Runs on your compute
- Code-level inspection
- Backtesting workflows
| Feature | Exa | Zerve |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Search engine built for AI apps, with deep research and Websets | Parallel AI agents for investment research on your infrastructure |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Made by | Exa Labs | Zerve |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Exa starts at See pricing page and Zerve starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Starter
Free
- $10 free credits every month
- $10 onboarding bonus
- All endpoints, 10 QPS
Search
From $4 / 1K requests
- Web search for agents
- Up to 10 results per request
Contents
$1 / 1K pages
- Full page contents for LLMs
- Configurable livecrawl
Agent
$0.012–$1.00 / run
- Async deep research runs
- Structured outputs with citations
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Exa
- Built for AI use cases
- Returns full content
- Websets finds niche lists
- Mainly for developers
- Usage costs add up at scale
Zerve
- Every step is inspectable as code
- Runs on your own infrastructure
- Enterprise trial available
- Enterprise pricing only
- Focused on finance teams
- Needs your own compute
Which one should you choose?
Choose Exa if you want:
- Built for AI use cases
- Returns full content
- Websets finds niche lists
Watch out: mainly for developers.
Choose Zerve if you want:
- Every step is inspectable as code
- Runs on your own infrastructure
- Enterprise trial available
Watch out: enterprise pricing only.
Exa vs Zerve FAQ
What is the difference between Exa and Zerve?
Exa: Search engine built for AI apps, with deep research and Websets. Zerve: Parallel AI agents for investment research on your infrastructure. Both are research & search tools.
Is Exa or Zerve cheaper?
Exa starts at See pricing page and Zerve starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Exa and Zerve have free plans?
Exa: Yes. Zerve: No.
Who makes Exa?
Exa is made by Exa Labs, based in United States.
Who makes Zerve?
Zerve is made by Zerve.
Which should I choose, Exa or Zerve?
Choose Exa if you value built for ai use cases and returns full content. Choose Zerve if you value every step is inspectable as code and runs on your own infrastructure.