Business Intelligence · head to head
Exa vs Periscope Data

Periscope Data
Business Intelligence
SQL and Python analytics platform
- From
- $1000/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Exa has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Exa usage-based pricing can be unpredictable without volume discounts upfront; Periscope Data the periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Exa and Periscope Data actually diverge.
| Attribute | Exa | Periscope Data |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $1000/month |
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Cloud |
| Founded | Unknown | 2012 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Exa
Nothing recorded that Periscope Data does not also cover.
Only in Periscope Data
- SQL Editor
- Python/R Integration
- Version Control
- Caching
- Dashboards
- Redshift
- BigQuery
- Snowflake
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Exa
- Web search and research APIsnot Periscope Data
- Content extraction and analysisnot Periscope Data
- Real-time monitoring and alertsnot Periscope Data
Periscope Data
- SQL-based analytics and dashboards over a data warehousenot Exa
- Python and R analysis alongside SQL in one workflownot Exa
- Shared dashboards for data teamsnot Exa
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Exa
- Usage-based pricing can be unpredictable without volume discounts upfront
- Enterprise customers need to contact sales for custom volume discount plans
Periscope Data
- The periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
- No Periscope Data pricing, plan or seat rate remains published at the original domain
- Buyers must now purchase through Sisense, whose own pricing is not published as a rate card
Pricing, plan by plan
Exa
Free- Free TierFree
- $20 in free credits (approximately 2,800 searches)
- $10 in monthly credits after first month
- Search$7/per 1000 requests
- Standard search functionality
- Deep Search$12/per 1000 requests
- In-depth search results
- Contents$1/per 1000 pages
- Content extraction
Periscope Data
$1000/month- Team$1000/month
- SQL Analytics
- Python/R
- Dashboards
- EnterpriseFree
- Advanced Features
- Custom Integrations
- Premium Support
Which should you pick?
Choose Periscope Data if
- You need sql editor.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want python/r integration.
Questions people ask
- Is Exa or Periscope Data better?
- Neither clearly leads. Exa starts at Free and Periscope Data at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Exa or Periscope Data?
- Exa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Exa and $1000/month for Periscope Data.
- Does Exa or Periscope Data run on more platforms?
- Exa runs on Web. Periscope Data runs on Web, Cloud.
- Can I use Exa for free?
- Yes. Exa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Periscope Data starts at $1000/month.
- What is Exa best used for?
- Exa is most often used for web search and research apis, content extraction and analysis, real-time monitoring and alerts. Of those, web search and research apis and content extraction and analysis are not what Periscope Data is typically brought in for.
- What can Exa do that Periscope Data cannot?
- Periscope Data covers SQL Editor, Python/R Integration, Version Control, Caching.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Exa: How much does Exa API cost?
Exa uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no subscription or minimum spend required. Search costs USD$7 per 1000 requests, Deep Search costs USD$12-15 per 1000 requests, and Contents costs USD$1 per 1000 pages. Users load credits and are charged at these published rates.
SourcePeriscope Data: Does Sisense offer a free trial?
Yes. Sisense offers a free trial of their Self-Serve plan. You can try features like data warehouse connectivity, built-in AI for natural-language queries, auto-narratives, and customer assistant features.
SourceExa: Is there a free tier for Exa?
Yes, new accounts receive USD$20 in free credits (approximately 2,800 searches) plus USD$10 in additional credits every month. This allows developers to test the API before committing to paid usage.
SourcePeriscope Data: What is the difference between Sisense Self-Serve and Enterprise plans?
The Self-Serve plan is for startups and teams and includes basic connectivity and AI features with iframe embedding. The Enterprise plan is for regulated industries and includes multi-tenant architecture, HIPAA readiness, column-level security, single sign-on, on-premise deployment options, 99.99% SLA, and 30-day backups.
SourceExa: What other costs are associated with Exa?
Beyond the main API costs, Exa charges USD$1 per 1000 results beyond the first 10 returned, USD$1 per 1000 pages for AI summaries, and USD$0.10 per Agent Compute Unit for autonomous agent usage. Contact enrichment features cost USD$0.02 per email and USD$0.07 per phone number.
SourcePeriscope Data: How do I access the Sisense Enterprise plan?
The Enterprise plan requires contacting Sisense for a demo and custom quote. There is no self-service signup for this tier.
SourceRelated pages
More on Periscope Data
Other head to heads
- Exa vs Amazon QuickSight
- Exa vs Power BI
- Exa vs Sisense
- Exa vs MicroStrategy
- Exa vs Stripe Dashboard
- Exa vs Geckoboard
- Exa vs Baremetrics
- Exa vs Klipfolio
- Exa vs ThoughtSpot
- Exa vs Pigment
- Exa vs Cyfe
- Exa vs Deepnote
- Exa vs Glean
- Exa vs Hebbia
- Exa vs Holistics
- Exa vs Jedox
- Exa vs Logi Analytics
- Exa vs Luzmo
- Exa vs Mode
- Exa vs Fabi
- Exa vs TIBCO Spotfire
- Exa vs Hex
- Exa vs Chartio
- Exa vs ChartMogul
- Exa vs Dundas BI
- Exa vs Glassbox
- Periscope Data vs Amazon QuickSight
- Periscope Data vs Power BI
- Periscope Data vs Sisense
- Periscope Data vs MicroStrategy
- Periscope Data vs Stripe Dashboard
- Periscope Data vs Geckoboard
- Periscope Data vs Baremetrics
- Periscope Data vs Klipfolio
- Periscope Data vs ThoughtSpot
- Periscope Data vs Pigment
- Periscope Data vs Cyfe
- Periscope Data vs Deepnote
- Periscope Data vs Glean
- Periscope Data vs Hebbia
- Periscope Data vs Holistics
- Periscope Data vs Jedox
- Periscope Data vs Logi Analytics
- Periscope Data vs Luzmo
- Periscope Data vs Mode
- Periscope Data vs Fabi
- Periscope Data vs TIBCO Spotfire
- Periscope Data vs Hex
- Periscope Data vs Chartio
- Periscope Data vs ChartMogul
- Periscope Data vs Dundas BI
- Periscope Data vs Glassbox

