Side-by-side comparison · Research & Search
Consensus vs Exa vs Wokelo
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Anyone who wants to know whether something is backed by actual studies before repeating it.
Pick it if: People using Claude Code or building their own assistants who want real web search behind them.
Pick it if: Private equity, venture, investment banking, consulting and corporate development teams that research companies and markets every week.
Consensus scores highest overall, but Exa gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | Consensus | Exa | Wokelo |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Searches academic papers and tells you what the evidence actually says. | A search engine built for AI tools, so Claude can find exactly the pages it needs. | AI research agents that write company, market and due diligence reports for dealmakers. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $20/mo | From $4 per 1 | See website |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Consensus | Exa | Wokelo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3Winner | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Consensus | Exa | Wokelo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | – | No | – |
| Desktop app | No | No | – |
| Browser extension | – | No | – |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | – | No | Yes |
| Understands images | No | No | – |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | No | No | – |
| Works in many languages | – | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 5/ 17 | 7/ 17 | 6/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Consensus | Exa | Wokelo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Occasional fact-checking. | FreeOur pick Free Personal use inside Claude Code. | EnterpriseOur pick Custom Investment, consulting and corporate strategy teams. |
ProOur pick $20/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly Anyone who checks evidence weekly. | Pay as you go From $4 per 1,000 searches Anyone whose usage outgrows the free credit. | ||
Deep $65/mo, or $45/mo billed yearly Researchers and clinicians doing frequent literature reviews. | Enterprise Custom Companies building products on top of it. | ||
Teams Custom Labs, departments and research groups. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Start on Free. If you find yourself rationing the 10 Pro messages, Pro billed yearly is good value at $12 a month. Deep is only for people whose job is literature reviews; most readers here will never need it. | Start free. The monthly $10 of credit is plenty for one person using it from Claude Code, and if you do run out you only pay for what you use. Enterprise is for software companies, not for a business that just wants better search. | There is only a sales-led contract. Ask for a trial on a live deal or project before you sign, and check which premium data sources are included at your price. |
Key features
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Consensus | Exa | Wokelo |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Consensus | Exa | Wokelo |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Consensus, Exa or Wokelo?
Consensus scores highest overall in our ratings (Consensus 4.3/5, Exa 4.0/5 and Wokelo 3.8/5). Consensus is best for fact-checking health claims and finding studies on a topic. Exa is best for web search inside Claude Code and finding sites like one you know. Wokelo is best for first-pass due diligence on a target and industry and market landscapes.
Which is cheaper, Consensus, Exa or Wokelo?
Consensus: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Exa: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at From $4 per 1. Wokelo: Pricing isn't published; check the vendor's site for a quote.
Which is easier to use, Consensus, Exa or Wokelo?
Consensus rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants to know whether something is backed by actual studies before repeating it.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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