Exa vs Perplexity Sonar API
Exa and Perplexity Sonar API are both Web Search APIs, compared here on pricing, compliance, capabilities, and developer experience from structured, cited data - not reviews or paid placement. Exa offers a free tier while Perplexity Sonar API does not, so Exa is easier to trial before committing. On compliance, Exa additionally documents HIPAA. Exa supports webhooks for event-driven integration; the other does not document them. For coding-agent use, Perplexity Sonar API scores higher on agent-friendliness (90 vs 65).
| Field | Exa | Perplexity Sonar API |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1 1,000 requests | $1 1M tokens |
| Pricing model | Usage | Usage |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self-serve signup | ✓ | ✓ |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| HIPAA | ✓ | ✗ |
| GDPR | · | · |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sandbox | ✗ | ✗ |
| Documented actions | 13 | 9 |