AI search replaced “ten blue links” with “one sourced answer” — but the leaders differ on whether they show their work. We ran the same research questions through each.

1. Perplexity — best cited answers

Perplexity is the default for a reason: it answers and footnotes every claim with clickable sources. Best when you need the answer and proof it’s not making it up.

2. You.com — best customizable

You.com layers AI over a tunable results page — pick models, keep traditional links, add apps. Best when you want control, not a black box.

3. Exa — best for deep / semantic search

Exa indexes by meaning, not just keywords, which surfaces papers and posts a normal search misses. Best for research where the exact phrasing is unknown.

4. Komo — best clutter-free

Komo strips the page to a clean answer with light sources. Best for quick lookups where speed and calm beat exhaustiveness.

5. Andi — best conversational

Andi answers like a helper, with a chat follow-up and a minimal UI. Best when the first answer usually needs a second question.

How to choose

• Need sources on everything → Perplexity
• Want to tune the experience → You.com
• Semantic / academic dig → Exa
• Fast clean lookup → Komo
• Conversational follow-up → Andi

Every tool above links to its full profile in our AI tools directory with editor ratings, pros, cons, and side-by-side comparisons.