Tavily
Web data and browser automationA search and extraction API for AI agents, with a free monthly credit allowance. Tavily runs a remote MCP server that connects with an API key or OAuth.
MCPAPI/CLI
Research
Exa
Web data and browser automationIndependent review. IonBin has no partnership with Exa and was not paid for this page. Our evaluation is our own, based on public documentation and our research. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. How disclosure works.
A web search API built for AI applications, returning results and page contents. Exa hosts an MCP server you can try without an API key, and the API is priced per thousand requests.
Best for
- Giving an AI client fresh web search results with sources
- Research tasks that need full page text
Not for
- Answers you won't check against the cited pages
- Workloads where you need a fixed monthly price
Top use cases
- Search the web for recent sources on a topic source ↗
- Fetch the full text of result pages source ↗
- Run a deeper search for a research brief source ↗
In depth
MCP server
Exa hosts its MCP server at https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp. The docs say no API key is needed to get started, and list OAuth sign-in and an API key as authentication options. Checked 2026-10-18. source ↗
Pricing
The page lists $10 of free credits a month, Search from $4 per 1,000 requests, Contents at $1 per 1,000 pages, Deep Search at $12 to $15 per 1,000 and Monitors at $15 per 1,000. Checked 2026-10-18. source ↗
How to use it with AI
How Exa connects to each AI platform: native connector or MCP, API through code the agent writes, browser control, or file upload.
| Platform | MCP / connector | API (agent-written code) | Browser | Upload / export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (incl. Claude Code) | Not documented Exa has an official MCP server and Claude (incl. Claude Code) supports MCP, but Exa's docs don't name this pairing. Auth setup may differ. Exa MCP docs ↗Claude (incl. Claude Code) MCP docs ↗ | Not documented Claude (incl. Claude Code): Claude Code edits files and runs commands Exa publishes an API, but this pairing still needs network, authentication and execution-scope checks. Exa API ↗Claude (incl. Claude Code) docs ↗ | Inferred Claude Code with the Claude in Chrome extension (Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers). Exa is a web app; the pairing itself is not documented. Claude (incl. Claude Code) browser docs ↗ | Not documented Verify which side exports and which imports, supported formats and permissions. Exa's recorded upload/import status is no; Claude (incl. Claude Code)'s file status is yes. These flags do not establish a file-transfer route. Claude (incl. Claude Code) file docs ↗ |
| OpenAI Codex | Not documented Exa has an official MCP server and OpenAI Codex supports MCP, but Exa's docs don't name this pairing. Auth setup may differ. Exa MCP docs ↗OpenAI Codex MCP docs ↗ | Not documented OpenAI Codex: Edits files and runs commands locally; cloud tasks run in isolated workspaces Exa publishes an API, but this pairing still needs network, authentication and execution-scope checks. Exa API ↗OpenAI Codex docs ↗ | Inferred Only in the ChatGPT desktop app; not in the Codex CLI or IDE extension. Exa is a web app; the pairing itself is not documented. OpenAI Codex browser docs ↗ | Not documented Verify which side exports and which imports, supported formats and permissions. Exa's recorded upload/import status is no; OpenAI Codex's file status is yes. These flags do not establish a file-transfer route. OpenAI Codex file docs ↗ |
| Google Antigravity | Not documented Exa has an official MCP server and Google Antigravity supports MCP, but Exa's docs don't name this pairing. Auth setup may differ. Exa MCP docs ↗Google Antigravity MCP docs ↗ | Not documented Google Antigravity: Agents edit code and run tasks Exa publishes an API, but this pairing still needs network, authentication and execution-scope checks. Exa API ↗Google Antigravity docs ↗ | Inferred The /browser guide documents App and CLI support through Chrome DevTools MCP; the overview comparison conflicts on CLI availability. IDE browser features are separate. Exa is a web app; the pairing itself is not documented. Google Antigravity browser docs ↗ | Not documented Verify which side exports and which imports, supported formats and permissions. Exa's recorded upload/import status is no; Google Antigravity's file status is yes. These flags do not establish a file-transfer route. Google Antigravity file docs ↗ |
Confirmed is reserved for evidence of the specific connection route. The current named integrations include plugins, skills and CLIs, so a named platform alone does not confirm MCP or a native connector. Inferred means each side documents a relevant capability, but no document describes the pairing. Code execution still needs network and credential access; file handling still needs a compatible format and transfer direction. Not documented means the records do not establish the route. IonBin has not tested these pairings. Recorded Oct 18, 2026.
Agent compatibility
MCPAPI/CLI
| Level | Status | Detail / source |
|---|---|---|
| Native connector / MCP | Yes | Official docs ↗ |
| API / CLI | Yes | Official docs ↗ — Search and Contents API |
| Browser / manual | No | Browser access is recorded alongside a documented programmatic route. |
| File upload / import | No | Not a file import product |
Recorded Oct 18, 2026. Setup and plan limits vary; check the vendor's docs. How levels are assigned.
Appears in these proposed stacks
Connection capabilities to compare
An official MCP server is documented for this tool. These platforms separately document MCP client support: ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Gemini (Google), Google Antigravity, Grok, Grok Bot, Lindy, LM Studio, Mistral Vibe, OpenAI Codex. This inventory does not establish compatible transport, authentication or actions for a pairing. Check the connection matrix and linked sources.
Automation hubs to assess for a custom API connection: Gumloop, Make, n8n, Zapier. Verify credentials, supported requests, limits and error handling; no configured integration is implied.
Review
No long-form review yet. Verdict is based on research, not hands-on testing.
Alternatives
Firecrawl
Web data and browser automationAn API that turns web pages into clean markdown or structured data for AI use. Its MCP server can be used without a key to start, or with OAuth or an API key, and it has native connectors for ChatGPT and Claude.
MCPAPI/CLI
Research
Perplexity
AI research assistantResearch assistant with source citations, paid model options and a separate Computer product for tasks such as running code. Its official MCP server lets other assistants call Perplexity search and research; that API usage is billed separately from consumer subscriptions.
MCPAPI/CLIFile import
Content