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Features, pricing and Editor Score side by side — to help you pick the right ai chatbots & assistants tool in 2026.
Quick verdict
On our Editor Score, Exa and Liner land almost level. Pick Exa if you want unified API for search, crawling, and research; choose Liner for citation-backed AI search answers. On pricing, both ship a free or freemium tier, so you can try each before paying.
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free tier | ||
| Best for | unified API for search, crawling, and research | citation-backed AI search answers |
AI-native web search API built for agents
AI search and research assistant with cited sources
Choose Exa if…
Choose Liner if…
Your use case decides this one: Exa leans into unified API for search, crawling, and research, while Liner is built for citation-backed AI search answers. Weigh features and pricing for your workflow. Both have a free or freemium tier, so spin up each and keep the one that clicks.
Neither is universally better — it depends on your budget and which features matter most. The side-by-side breakdown above shows where each one wins.
Exa (freemium) is best for unified API for search, crawling, and research, while Liner (freemium) is best for citation-backed AI search answers. See the full feature and pricing comparison above.
Both have paid plans — pricing depends on your usage tier. Open each tool's review for current prices, and watch for free trials.
Exa is usually the easier starting point thanks to a lower barrier to entry. Beginners should favour a free tier and a simple interface over raw power.
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Last updated August 2026. Comparisons are ranked by our Editor Score (features, value and pricing, blended with verified user reviews where a tool has them) — see our methodology.