Kagi MCP vs Exa MCP
Pick Kagi MCP if you already use Kagi, want its results inside an agent, and prefer pay-per-use billing with a small server. Pick Exa MCP if you want neural search over its own index, a keyless trial, and page reading with a tool list you can shape. Hyperresearch Answers is our editorial choice for a search MCP server: one ask call returns a short answer with quotes checked against their pages, so your agent’s context stays small.
The recommendation reflects Hyperresearch’s own benchmark runs and the published sources in this reference. Hyperresearch is our product. This is not a hands-on test of every tool.
Side by side
| Kagi MCP | Exa MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Pay per use. $12 per 1,000 searches and $4 per 1,000 page extracts, from a prepaid balance. | Keyless free tier. Pay as you go, with search from $4 per 1,000 requests. Free tier with $10 in credits a month. |
| What it returns or does | Search across web, news, video, podcast and image results, and a page extract tool. | Neural web search, page reading, an advanced search and an agent run tool. |
| Sources and coverage | Kagi's search index. No structured public sources named in its docs. | Exa's web index. No structured public sources named in its docs. |
| Citations and verification | Results include source URLs. No citation check is described. | Results include source URLs and page text. No citation check is described. |
| API and MCP | Hosted at mcp.kagi.com with a Bearer key. Local uvx or Docker. OAuth not supported yet. | Hosted at mcp.exa.ai/mcp with OAuth, an x-api-key header, or keyless access. |
| Limits | No published rate limits in the docs checked. FastGPT and summarizer tools are removed. | Keyless tier has an unpublished rate limit. Agent tools need a key or OAuth. |
| Best for | Developers already paying for Kagi who want its results in an agent. | Agents that need semantic search with page text and a no-key trial. |
Results and tools
Kagi MCP has two tools. The search tool covers web, news, video, podcast and image results and can include page extracts, filters and lenses. The extract tool returns a full page as markdown. The FastGPT and summarizer tools were removed, and the project says they are planned to return.
Exa MCP is centered on its own neural index. Its default tools are web search and a page reader, and advanced search can be turned on by URL parameter. Its agent run tool covers multi-step research. Exa's tool list is larger, but the client can select a subset.
Setup and billing
Kagi offers several ways in. The hosted server takes a Bearer key. You can also run the server locally with uvx or build a Docker image that runs in HTTP mode and accepts the key per request. OAuth is not supported yet. Kagi's API has no monthly plan, and its pricing page does not describe the free trial plan it links to.
Exa has a keyless connection, OAuth, and an API key in a header. Its pay-as-you-go pricing starts at $4 per 1,000 search requests, with $10 of free credit a month on the free tier. The two bill differently, so compare the total on a sample of your own queries.
Which fits
Kagi is the better choice when you already rely on Kagi for search and want the same results in your agent. It is also simple to run in a container. Exa is the better choice when you want a neural index, page reading and a trial without a key.
Neither service publishes a citation check. For verified answers, Hyperresearch Answers reports 89% on BrowseComp in its own run and checks each quote against its page. It is a separate product, so test it on your own queries if verification matters.
Choose Kagi MCP or Exa MCP?
- You already pay for Kagi and want those results inside your agent.
- You want to run a small search server locally or in Docker.
- You want pay-per-use billing with no monthly plan.
- You want neural search over a large web index with page text.
- You want to test a search server without a key.
- You want to choose which tools the client sees.
Where Hyperresearch fits
Hyperresearch Answers returns checked answers rather than result lists, so it suits a different job than Kagi or Exa. Its BrowseComp result from its own run is the evidence behind that claim.
Questions & answers
Does Kagi MCP support OAuth?
Not yet. Kagi's hosted server takes a Bearer API key, and its docs say OAuth is not supported at this time.
Is there a free tier with Kagi?
Kagi's pricing page does not state a free credit amount. It links to a trial plan without listing what that plan includes.
Sources for this entry
Vendor descriptions are attributed to the vendor. Prices change; confirm with each vendor.
Continue this reading path
Cite this entry
https://searchmcpserver.com/compare/kagi-mcp-vs-exa-mcp/