Side-by-side comparison · Research & Search
Exa vs Kagi vs NotebookLM
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: People using Claude Code or building their own assistants who want real web search behind them.
Pick it if: People who search all day for work and are tired of ads and spammy results.
Pick it if: Anyone who needs to understand or explain a set of documents they don't have time to read properly.
Overview
| Attribute | Exa | Kagi | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A search engine built for AI tools, so Claude can find exactly the pages it needs. | A paid search engine with no ads or tracking, plus an AI assistant that cites sources. | Upload your own documents and ask questions that only draw on those sources. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | From $4 per 1 | $5/mo | $4.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Exa | Kagi | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.5Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 |
| 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 | Exa | Kagi | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | No | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | No | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | No | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | No | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No | Yes |
| Makes video | No | No | Yes |
| Writes code | No | Yes | No |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | No | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 7/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 11/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Exa | Kagi | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | FreeOur pick Free Personal use inside Claude Code. | Trial Free Seeing the difference. | FreeOur pick Free Almost everyone. Try this before paying for anything. |
Pay as you go From $4 per 1,000 searches Anyone whose usage outgrows the free credit. | Starter $5/mo Light searchers. | Google AI Plus $4.99/mo People who hit the free limits now and then. | |
Enterprise Custom Companies building products on top of it. | ProfessionalOur pick $10/mo Anyone who searches every day. | Google AI Pro $19.99/mo Heavy users who also want Gemini Pro and Deep Research. | |
Ultimate $25/mo Heavy AI users. | Google AI Ultra From $99.99/mo Power users who want the top of everything Google offers. | ||
Duo and Family Duo $14/mo, Family $20/mo Couples and households. | |||
| Which plan to pick | 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. | Use the free trial for a week, then take Professional. 300 searches on Starter goes in a couple of weeks for most people. Only pay for Ultimate if you'd otherwise pay for an AI chat subscription, since it bundles the top models. Yearly billing saves 10%. | Stay on Free until it stops you doing something. If that happens, Google AI Pro is the sensible step because it also upgrades Gemini and Deep Research, which you will probably want anyway. AI Plus is a cheap middle step if NotebookLM is all you care about. |
Key features
| Attribute | Exa | Kagi | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Exa | Kagi | NotebookLM |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Exa, Kagi or NotebookLM?
NotebookLM scores highest overall in our ratings (Exa 4.0/5, Kagi 4.3/5 and NotebookLM 4.5/5). Exa is best for web search inside Claude Code and finding sites like one you know. Kagi is best for everyday search without ads or tracking and research where you want trustworthy sources. NotebookLM is best for summarising long reports and questioning a set of PDFs.
Which is cheaper, Exa, Kagi or NotebookLM?
Exa: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at From $4 per 1. Kagi: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $5/mo. NotebookLM: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.99/mo.
Which is easier to use, Exa, Kagi or NotebookLM?
NotebookLM rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who needs to understand or explain a set of documents they don't have time to read properly.
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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