Best AI Search Engines 2026
Last updated: April 2026
Forget ten blue links. AI search engines now give you direct, synthesized answers with citations. They understand context, and they're getting better fast.
Companies Tracked
Avg Awaira Score
Total Funding
Rankings
- 1
Perplexity AI is an AI search engine founded in 2022 that uses large language models to provide conversational...
Perplexity AI stands out for its focus on AI Search. Backed by $1.5B in funding. The team is about 100 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
$24BFunding
$1.5BCountry
United States - 2
You.com is an AI-powered search engine founded in 2020 that offers an alternative to traditional search platfo...
A strong contender in the space, You.com has built a solid reputation. They've raised $100M to date. The team is about 150 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
$1.5BFunding
$100MCountry
United States - 3
Exa AI is a search engine company founded in 2021 that specializes in providing AI-native search capabilities....
Exa AI brings a different angle to the table. They've raised $111M to date. The team is about 75 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
$700MFunding
$111MCountry
United States - 4
Elicit is an AI search platform founded in 2021 that focuses on research and information discovery using large...
Worth a serious look — Elicit has been gaining traction. Backed by $33M in funding. The team is about 35 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
$100MFunding
$33MCountry
United States - 5
Kagi is a privacy-focused search engine founded in 2018 and headquartered in the United States. The company op...
Kagi is one to watch in this category. They've raised $7M to date. The team is about 45 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
Not disclosedFunding
$7MCountry
United States - 6
Phind is an AI-powered search engine designed specifically for developers and technical users, founded in 2022...
Don't overlook Phind. With $11M raised, they're well-capitalized. The team is about 25 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
Not disclosedFunding
$10.9MCountry
United States - 7
Consensus AI operates an AI-powered search engine designed to help users navigate academic research and scient...
Consensus AI stands out for its focus on AI Search. With $19M raised, they're well-capitalized. The team is about 35 strong. Based in United States.
Valuation
Not disclosedFunding
$19.2MCountry
United States
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View rankings →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ai search?
Based on Awaira scores, Perplexity AI currently ranks #1 among ai search with a score of 86.
Which ai search is free?
Many ai search offer free tiers or trials. Check each company's profile on Awaira for pricing details — we track who's free, freemium, and paid-only.
How does Awaira rank these?
Awaira scores (0-100) are calculated from real data — funding, valuation, team size, market traction, and growth trajectory. Nobody pays to rank higher. It's purely data-driven.
How many ai search exist?
Awaira tracks 7 companies in this category right now, and we're adding more every week as the space grows.
What is ai search used for?
Forget ten blue links. AI search engines now give you direct, synthesized answers with citations. They understand context, and they're getting better fast.