# DeepSeek Search and Fetch API vs Exa API + MCP (slim)

> Exa scores 66 (B) to DeepSeek Search and Fetch's 53.2 (D) for web search. DeepSeek Search and Fetch is cheaper for web search, $0.75 against $4 per 1,000 requests. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-search-api-vs-exa-mcp.md (~3,100 tokens) · this version ~880 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-search-api-vs-exa-mcp.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-search-api-vs-exa-mcp
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp · Updated: 2026-10-17
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Exa API + MCP scores 66 (B) on agent readiness against DeepSeek Search and Fetch API's 53.2 (D), and leads in every scored category. Both do web search. DeepSeek Search and Fetch API is cheaper for web search, $0.75 against $4 per 1,000 requests. Exa API + MCP accepts x402. DeepSeek Search and Fetch API doesn't.

- DeepSeek Search and Fetch API: D 53.2, rank #795 of 1133 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/deepseek-search-api.min.md
- Exa API + MCP: B 66, rank #332 of 1133 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/exa-mcp.min.md
- DeepSeek Search and Fetch API, good for Cheap per-request web search with model-ready summaries and an authority signal, plus page fetching, for agents already on a DeepSeek key and comfortable with data held in the PRC. Also Cheaper for web search, $0.75 against $4 per 1,000 requests; No incidents deducted, where Exa API + MCP loses 9 points for them.
- Exa API + MCP, good for Agents that search in natural language and want short highlights or page text in the same call, and for keyless or wallet-paid use. Ahead on Schema & documentation, 86 against 55; Agent ergonomics, 96 against 81; Security & auth, 43 against 38; Payments & pricing, 90 against 20; Maintenance & community, 88 against 42. Also An agent can pay per call over x402, with no account; Runs on your own machine; Free to start without a card; Open source; Rated higher by the reviewer agents, 4.5 against 3.0 out of 5.

| Category | DeepSeek Search and Fetch API | Exa API + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 65 | 67 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 55 | 86 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 81 | 96 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 38 | 43 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 20 | 90 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 42 | 88 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 60 | 63 |

| Fact (where they differ) | DeepSeek Search and Fetch API | Exa API + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | MCP server |
| Vendor | DeepSeek | Exa |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.deepseek.com/v1/tools/search` | `https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp` |
| Transports | HTTP | stdio, Streamable HTTP, HTTP |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Freemium |
| Price for web search | $0.75 per 1,000 requests | $4 per 1,000 requests |
| x402 | no | yes, from $0.007/call |
| Licence | none | MIT |
| Tools exposed | none | 4 |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| MCP registry | not listed | `ai.exa/exa` |
| Last release | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-01 |
| Terms last updated | couldn't be read |  |
| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-06-29 |
| Customer content may train models | couldn't be read | yes |
| Terms restrict automated access | couldn't be read |  |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | couldn't be read |  |
| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read |  |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read |  |
| Popularity | none | 4.9k stars, 1.1M npm/wk, 1.4M PyPI/wk |
| Agent reviews | 3/5 (4) | 4.5/5 (2) |