AI search engines: AI tools compared (5)

What aI search engines tools are for

AI search engines combine web page discovery with written answers that include sources. They help you explore a subject, locate information and compare explanations across websites. You ask a question in everyday language, then review the answer alongside its supporting links. Previously, understanding the differences between file formats meant opening separate pages and bringing their explanations together yourself. With an AI search engine, you can request an initial comparison and then inspect the documents behind each point. Andi can summarise a page it finds, while Exa supports searching by meaning and extracting page content. These services also suit teams that want to add web research to an application. Their output can guide your reading and help you identify relevant material. Original pages remain important when you need to check dates, qualifications, technical details or the context behind a claim.

Example uses:

• Find an explanation of a technical topic and inspect the pages used to support the answer.
• Compare information from different organisations while checking publication dates, scope and the sources each organisation uses.
• Locate relevant web pages by describing your question in the language you normally use at work.
• Summarise a discovered page to decide whether reading the complete document will address your research need.
• Add web search to an application through a service that provides a suitable programming interface.

Our picks by need

These picks follow simple rules applied to the verified data, with no partnership or affiliate link:

• Best scored : You.com. 71/100 on our access and transparency grid.
• Cheapest paid option : Perplexity. First plan at $10 per month.

The main tools at a glance

You.com 71/100

You.com is for people researching web information or integrating search through an API. It supports extracting readable page content, producing sourced answers, conducting in-depth research, and querying multiple models. Features: Search for information on the web through an API; Extract readable content from web pages; Produce answers accompanied by sources. Entry price: $1 pay as you go, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser and API.

Perplexity 70/100

Perplexity is for people seeking information on the Web with its sources. It also lets users compare and summarize documents and produce reports based on research. Features: Search for information on the Web with its sources; Compare and summarize documents; Produce reports based on research. Entry price: $10 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, and API.

Exa 61/100

Exa serves people and teams searching for web pages by meaning. It extracts page content, produces answers with sources, and monitors the appearance of new information on the Web. Features: Search for web pages by meaning; Extract page content; Produce answers with their sources. Entry price: $1 pay as you go, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, API, and Slack.

Felo 60/100

Felo helps people search for information with sources and analyze files. It also supports creating presentations, writing and editing documents, and configuring agents to carry out repeated tasks. Features: Search for information with its sources; Analyze files; Create presentations. Entry price: $149.99 per year, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, browser extension, and API.

Andi 58/100

Andi lets people searching the web obtain answers accompanied by sources. It summarizes pages found, explains complex topics, and provides structured results through an API for those retrieving search data. Features: Search for information on the web; Get an answer accompanied by sources; Summarize a page found. Free tier available. Runs on: web browser, browser extension, and API.

The category in figures

Of the 5 tools in the category, 5 (100%) offer a free tier, 100% have a public API and 1 have a French interface. Too few tools publish a monthly price to compute a reliable median. 0 disclose where data is hosted, 0 of them in Europe or on device.

Also useful

These tools belong to another category but also cover this need:

• Consensus Consensus searches scientific publications and synthesizes findings from multiple studies. It serves people wh
• AMiner AMiner lets people conducting research find scientific publications, ask questions about documents, and explor
• Grok Grok answers questions, searches the web and X, and analyzes files and images. It serves people who want to ge
• Microsoft Copilot Microsoft Copilot helps people ask questions, search for information on the web, and generate images. It also
• Parallel Search MCP Parallel Search MCP gives MCP-compatible assistants access to the web. For developers building agents, it sear
• Comet Comet is a browser that summarizes pages and compares information across tabs. It serves people who want to wr
• Semantic Scholar Semantic Scholar lets people searching for scientific publications explore an article's references and citatio
• Scite Scite helps people search scientific articles and examine citation context. It distinguishes citations support
• Together Chat Together Chat lets people using AI assistants converse with several language models. It supports web searches
• Beloga Beloga lets individuals and teams search their notes and the Web. It brings documents and links together, conn
• Onton Onton helps people explore new interior decoration from a photo. It lets them search for furniture using text

Choosing well and avoiding pitfalls

Test services with questions whose answers you can independently check. Assess page relevance, freshness and whether each linked source actually supports the associated claim. Try French queries if you work with French material, including specialist vocabulary. Access to original pages, filtering and reference export matter alongside the written response. For application development, review API documentation, returned formats and extraction conditions. Examine how queries are retained and whether content access has restrictions. Finally, compare charging methods against your expected searches, extraction needs and integration workflow before committing to a service for regular use.

Links do not guarantee that an answer is accurate. A cited page may be outdated, indirect or unrelated to the claim beside it. Search results can also leave out relevant evidence. Open important references and prefer original documents where available. Check publication dates and access conditions before reusing material. Keep confidential information out of search queries unless authorised, and review the rights attached to any text you extract, quote or incorporate into another document.

To compare with the cost of using an AI model directly, see the API price calculator.

Free or paid?

Free access generally lets you try search and sourced answers within usage restrictions. Advanced search, content extraction or programming interfaces may have separate conditions. Paying can make sense for recurring research, application integrations or export and processing needs that exceed the available free features. Check which part of your workflow actually triggers a charge.

Tools in the category with a free tier: You.com, Perplexity, Exa, Felo, and Andi.

For which jobs?

The profiles that use these tools most, based on the use cases documented by publishers: researchers, developers, students, data analysts, marketers, and content writers.