AI Plugin IndexExa CLI vs exa
Exa CLI and exa are both search and web MCP servers. exa scores higher (100 vs 54 out of 100). exa has more GitHub stars (5.1k), and exa was updated more recently (2 days ago). The table compares them side by side.
| Exa CLI | exa | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 54 / 100 | 100 / 100 |
| What it does | CLI for Exa web search, fetching, and deep research via the Exa MCP server and API. | Connect AI agents to Exa for web search, content fetching, and multi-step research. |
| Publisher | Verified: npm:@lglen | Verified: exa.ai |
| Grades | Maintenance A, Licence A, Quality C | Maintenance A, Licence A, Quality A |
| npm downloads a week | 12 | Not on npm |
| Runs | Local | Remote |
| Works with | Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, VS Code, Windsurf | Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, VS Code, Windsurf, ChatGPT |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 5,142 |
| Last commit | 25 Sept 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Listed since | 20 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Install Exa CLI | Install exa |
Questions
Is Exa CLI or exa more popular?
exa has more GitHub stars: 5,142.
Can I use Exa CLI and exa together?
Yes. AI assistants can load several MCP servers at once. Install both and the assistant picks the right one for each task.