Exa

AI-native search API that understands meaning, not just keywords

Consensus

AI-powered search engine for evidence-based scientific research

Exa

Caution

10/25

Consensus

Caution

9/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionExaConsensus

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Exa: US-based infrastructure. No EU hosting option. Indexes public web content.

Consensus: All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently offered.

2/5

US-based infrastructure. No EU hosting option. Indexes public web content.

1/5

All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently offered.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Exa: US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction. Early-stage company with standard US privacy practices.

Consensus: US-incorporated and subject to CLOUD Act; no publicised EU-specific legal frameworks or SCCs are in place.

2/5

US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction. Early-stage company with standard US privacy practices.

2/5

US-incorporated and subject to CLOUD Act; no publicised EU-specific legal frameworks or SCCs are in place.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Exa: Search queries logged for service improvement. No customer data used for training proprietary search models. API usage logs retained per standard practices.

Consensus: States it does not sell user data and does not train on user queries; full retention policy details are limited.

3/5

Search queries logged for service improvement. No customer data used for training proprietary search models. API usage logs retained per standard practices.

3/5

States it does not sell user data and does not train on user queries; full retention policy details are limited.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Exa: No security certifications publicly disclosed. Early-stage startup focused on product development.

Consensus: No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other formal third-party security certifications are currently published.

1/5

No security certifications publicly disclosed. Early-stage startup focused on product development.

1/5

No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other formal third-party security certifications are currently published.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Exa: Developer tool for search functionality. Regulatory fit depends on the application built on top. Not suitable for handling sensitive data directly.

Consensus: Acceptable for low-risk research activities; European institutional procurement will require additional assurances not currently available.

2/5

Developer tool for search functionality. Regulatory fit depends on the application built on top. Not suitable for handling sensitive data directly.

2/5

Acceptable for low-risk research activities; European institutional procurement will require additional assurances not currently available.

Total Score

10/25

9/25

Best For

Exa

Best for teams on a tight budget.

Consensus

Best for teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

Consensus vs Exa: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Consensus (Consensus, US) scores 9/25 overall with a Review Required (Caution) trust badge. AI-powered search engine for evidence-based scientific research. Exa (Exa, US) scores 10/25 with a Review Required (Caution) trust badge. AI-native search API that understands meaning, not just keywords.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Exa leads with 2/5 vs 1/5.

●Consensus (1/5): All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently offered.

●Exa (2/5): US-based infrastructure. No EU hosting option. Indexes public web content.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 2/5.

●Consensus (2/5): US-incorporated and subject to CLOUD Act; no publicised EU-specific legal frameworks or SCCs are in place.

●Exa (2/5): US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction. Early-stage company with standard US privacy practices.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 3/5.

●Consensus (3/5): States it does not sell user data and does not train on user queries; full retention policy details are limited.

●Exa (3/5): Search queries logged for service improvement. No customer data used for training proprietary search models. API usage logs retained per standard practices.

#### Certifications

Both score equally at 1/5.

●Consensus (1/5): No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other formal third-party security certifications are currently published.

●Exa (1/5): No security certifications publicly disclosed. Early-stage startup focused on product development.

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 2/5.

●Consensus (2/5): Acceptable for low-risk research activities; European institutional procurement will require additional assurances not currently available.

●Exa (2/5): Developer tool for search functionality. Regulatory fit depends on the application built on top. Not suitable for handling sensitive data directly.

Overall Verdict

Consensus and Exa are closely matched on trust and compliance, with scores of 9/25 and 10/25 respectively. The right choice depends on your specific regulatory requirements and existing technology stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Exa or Consensus?

Exa has a TrustKit score of 10/25 while Consensus scores 9/25. Exa currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Exa and Consensus compare on data residency?

Exa scores 2/5 for data residency (US-based infrastructure. No EU hosting option. Indexes public web content.), while Consensus scores 1/5 (All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently offered.).

Are Exa and Consensus GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Exa has a regulatory fit score of 2/5 and Consensus scores 2/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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