Exa vs Firecrawl:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Firecrawl had more branded searches than Exa among search API platforms worldwide. Firecrawl had about 135,000 branded searches, while Exa had 21,400. Firecrawl made up 26.2% of all search API platform searches we track, and Exa accounted for 4.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about search API platforms, Exa and Firecrawl each appeared in three of the five answers. Exa was mentioned before Firecrawl in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Firecrawl, about 6 searches for every 1 for Exa
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Exa, named ahead of Firecrawl in 3 of 4 answers
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Top search API platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Exa was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Firecrawl was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Exa was listed before Firecrawl in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- SerpApi4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Firecrawl3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Tavily3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Brave Search API3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Exa3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Serper3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Algolia1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Meilisearch1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Typesense1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Elastic1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about search API platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which search API platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best search API platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best search API platform for site search?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“search api platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best search api”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Exa or Firecrawl more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Exa and Firecrawl by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 search API platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Firecrawl, Exa. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Firecrawl | Tavily | SerpApi | OpenSearch | Algolia | Brave Search API | Exa | Meilisearch | Serper | Typesense | Elastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 18.6% | 12.4% | 18.6% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 6.8% | 1.8% | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 16.2% | 13.2% | 19.8% | 16.2% | 14.2% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 5.9% | 2% | 3.2% | 3.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 18.8% | 12.6% | 23% | 12.6% | 11.2% | 2.1% | 6.4% | 5.6% | 1.6% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.9% | 14.7% | 18% | 12% | 10.6% | 6.6% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 18.8% | 18.8% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 7.5% | 15.4% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 22.9% | 22.9% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 7.4% | 12.6% | 3.4% | 3.8% | 2% | 2.1% | 2% |
| Apr 2026 | 30% | 20.2% | 13.5% | 9% | 7.9% | 6% | 3.9% | 3.3% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 2% |
| May 2026 | 27.9% | 22.8% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 7.3% | 5.6% | 4.2% | 3.8% | 1.9% | 2% | 1.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.2% | 23.1% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 7.4% | 4.6% | 4.2% | 3.8% | 2% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.9% | 21.1% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 8.3% | 5.2% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.8% | 21.2% | 11.7% | 9.5% | 8.3% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.2% | 21.4% | 14.4% | 11.8% | 8.3% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
How has the Exa and Firecrawl comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Firecrawl was ahead of Exa in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Exa’s share of searches among search API platforms worldwide moved from 3.2% to 4.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.8K to 21.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Firecrawl’s share of searches among search API platforms worldwide moved from 18.6% to 26.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 135K.
How did search popularity change for search API platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Firecrawl lost share of searches among search API platforms worldwide, from 31.8% to 26.2%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Exa worldwide rose 67.2% over 12 measured months, from 12.8K to 21.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Exa’s and Firecrawl’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among search API platforms
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