Exa Restructures Search API Pricing, Adding Deep Search at $15 per 1k Requests and Removing Keyword Search Option
What happened
Between the Oct 6, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026 captures of Exa's pricing page, Pulse recorded 3 changes: Deep search option added at $15 per 1k requests for 26-100 results; Keyword search option removed ($2.5 per 1k requests for both 1-25 and 26-100 results); Search API pricing restructured from three separate options (Auto/Fast, Neural, Keyword) to two consolidated options (Fast/auto/neural, Deep). Pulse files it as a packaging change (new plan, plan removed, package change) with an upward direction. Pulse's latest capture (Oct 5, 2026) lists Search at $7 per 1k requests, up to 10 results + $1 per 1k page AI summaries, Agent at $0.01 per search tool call + $0.1 per request (Medium effort), Contents at $1 per 1k pages, per content type + $1 per 1k page AI summaries, Deep Search at $12 per 1k requests, up to 10 results + $1 per 1k requests, additional result above 10 and Deep-Reasoning Search at $1 per 1k page AI summaries + $1 per 1k requests, additional result above 10.
Exa's previous recorded change was "Exa Rebrands Auto Search to 'Auto / Fast' with Enhanced Description and Improved Latency" (Q3 2025). Before that Pulse recorded "Exa Introduces Research API Pricing Tier with New Model Options for Enhanced Agent Operations" (Q2 2025), "Exa Introduces Answer API Pricing at $5 per 1k Answers with Citation Support in Exa and Exa-Pro Models" (Q1 2025) and "Exa Restructures Search Pricing with New Comparison Table and Enhanced Custom Plans for Optimal User Experience" (Dec 2024). Exa has been tracked since 2024-11-17.
In the same window Google and You.com also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- Deep Search · PlanAddedNo Deep search optionDeep search option
- Search · PlanPlan removed
Keyword search option removed ($2.5 per 1k requests for both 1-25 and 26-100 results)
- Search · PackagingPackage change
Search API pricing restructured from three separate options (Auto/Fast, Neural, Keyword) to two consolidated options (Fast/auto/neural, Deep)
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Search | Plan | No Deep search option | Deep search option | Added |
| Search | Plan | Keyword search option removed ($2.5 per 1k requests for both 1-25 and 26-100 results) | Plan removed | |
| Search | Packaging | Search API pricing restructured from three separate options (Auto/Fast, Neural, Keyword) to two consolidated options (Fast/auto/neural, Deep) | Package change | |
Values as written on Exa's public pricing page in the two captures Pulse compared; where the page states no number, the cells give the wording before and after.
Evidence
The two captures Pulse comparedFull-page captures of Exa's pricing page (exa.ai) from Oct 6, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026; the change is marked around the middle of the page, where Deep search option now appears.
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Exa, pricing history
Full history- Mar 10, 2026improvedExa Restructures Search Pricing With Tiered Per-Result Model
- Mar 3, 2026packagingExa expands free tier to 1,000 monthly requests, revamps pricing
- Feb 16, 2026improvedExa drops neural search, launches sub-200ms Instant mode
- Jan 11, 2026packagingExa Restructures Search API Pricing, Adding Deep Search at $15 per 1k Requests and Removing Keyword Search Option · this change
- Q3 2025improvedExa Rebrands Auto Search to 'Auto / Fast' with Enhanced Description and Improved Latency
- Q2 2025packagingExa Introduces Research API Pricing Tier with New Model Options for Enhanced Agent Operations
- Q1 2025packagingExa Introduces Answer API Pricing at $5 per 1k Answers with Citation Support in Exa and Exa-Pro Models
- Dec 2024improvedExa Restructures Search Pricing with New Comparison Table and Enhanced Custom Plans for Optimal User Experience
Across AI & Machine Learning in the same window
All AI & Machine Learning changes- GoogleOct 12Google Workspace swaps Gems for AI skills, rewords Gemini on Starter plan
- GoogleSep 7Google Workspace: promo discount cut from 50% to 30%/20% off
- You.comAug 4You.com: Web Search API now freemium (free 100/day + $5/1k after)
- GoogleJul 6Google Vertexai delays Agent Gateway billing to July 13, extends free window
- GoogleJul 3Google Workspace: new Workspace Studio feature; AI Ultra Access dropped
Questions about this change
Did Exa raise prices in January 2026?
No list-price increase was recorded between Oct 6, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026. The change Pulse detected was a packaging change: new plan, plan removed, package change.
What changed on Exa's pricing page between Oct 6, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026?
Deep Search plan: No Deep search option → Deep search option, added; Keyword search option removed ($2.5 per 1k requests for both 1-25 and 26-100 results); Search API pricing restructured from three separate options (Auto/Fast, Neural, Keyword) to two consolidated options (Fast/auto/neural, Deep). Pulse compared the captures it took on Oct 6, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does Exa change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 0 other pricing-page changes for Exa in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "Exa Rebrands Auto Search to 'Auto / Fast' with Enhanced Description and Improved Latency" in Q3 2025; Exa has been tracked since 2024-11-17.