kitio.aiPatsnap vs Exa
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Patsnap starts at See pricing page and Exa 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
- Patent novelty search
- Freedom-to-operate search
- Patent drafting agents
- TRIZ problem solving
- Research reports
- API and MCP access
- Semantic web search
- Full page contents
- Research API
- Websets
- Similar page search
| Feature | Patsnap | Exa |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AI agents for patent search, drafting and R&D research | Search engine built for AI apps, with deep research and Websets |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Patsnap | Exa Labs |
| Based in | – | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Patsnap starts at See pricing page and Exa 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
Patsnap
- Dedicated agents for patent work
- 14-day trial without a card
- Reports cite patents and papers
- Usage is metered with credits
- Team plans need a sales call
- Pricing page is hard to parse
Exa
- Built for AI use cases
- Returns full content
- Websets finds niche lists
- Mainly for developers
- Usage costs add up at scale
Which one should you choose?
Choose Patsnap if you want:
- Dedicated agents for patent work
- 14-day trial without a card
- Reports cite patents and papers
Watch out: usage is metered with credits.
Choose Exa if you want:
- Built for AI use cases
- Returns full content
- Websets finds niche lists
Watch out: mainly for developers.
Patsnap vs Exa FAQ
What is the difference between Patsnap and Exa?
Patsnap: AI agents for patent search, drafting and R&D research. Exa: Search engine built for AI apps, with deep research and Websets. Both are research & search tools.
Is Patsnap or Exa cheaper?
Patsnap starts at See pricing page and Exa starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Patsnap and Exa have free plans?
Patsnap: Yes. Exa: Yes.
Who makes Patsnap?
Patsnap is made by Patsnap.
Who makes Exa?
Exa is made by Exa Labs, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Patsnap or Exa?
Choose Patsnap if you value dedicated agents for patent work and 14-day trial without a card. Choose Exa if you value built for ai use cases and returns full content.