Arky vs Kagi

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-10-18
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At a glance

DimensionArkyKagi
PricingFreemium (free tier + paid plans)Freemium (free tier + subscription plans)
Core FunctionVisual thinking canvas with AIAd-free private search engine with AI assistant
AI FeaturesAI chat with context awareness, background processing, deep web research with citationsAI Assistant with GPT-5.5, Claude 4.8 Opus, Gemini 2.5 Pro; Quick Answers; Summarize
Key IntegrationsYouTube, Vimeo, Mermaid, Notion (MCP), Linear (MCP)Orion Browser
Best ForStudents, researchers, product managers, writersPrivacy advocates, power users, teams, libraries
Latest News2026-06-04: Comments, background AI, deep research, embed blocks2026-07-02: AI toggle in search; widgets for coin flip, dice rolling

Choose Arky if you need a visual, AI-powered workspace to gather and structure complex ideas, ideal for research and project planning. Choose Kagi if you prioritize privacy and a superior search experience with AI assistance, but don't need a spatial canvas. For most buyers seeking a blend of structured note-taking and AI, Arky offers more specialized value; Kagi is purely a search/utility tool.

Try ArkyTry Kagi
Arky
Arky

Arky is a visual canvas workspace that turns scattered notes, PDFs, and research fragments into structured outlines, docs, and mind maps.

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Kagi
Kagi

Kagi is a paid ad-free private search engine with bangs, lenses, and an AI Assistant grounded in its own results.

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Pricing
Freemium
Paid
Plans
$0/seat/mo
$7/seat/mo
$0/mo
$12/mo
$30/mo
$0
$5/mo (+ Sales Tax)
$10/mo (+ Sales Tax)
$25/mo (+ Sales Tax)
Popularity
6 views
6.4k views
Skill Level
Intermediate
Beginner-friendly
API Available
Platforms
DesktopWeb
WebMobileAPI
Categories
🗺️ Diagrams, Whiteboards & Mind Maps📝 Notes & Knowledge Management
🤖 AI Assistants📰 News & Feed Digests✨ Translation & Localization
Features
Infinite spatial canvas for mapping ideas and connections
Drag, group, and nest fragments into shell hierarchies
Doc view to switch into focused linear writing
Mind map view that follows your document's shell hierarchy
Connective arrows to show relationships between concepts across the canvas
Context-aware AI chat that reads what's visible on your canvas
Floating background AI chat opened by double-pressing Alt / Option
Deep research that returns cited answers
AI Skills builder invoked through slash commands
In-place AI editing of selected text or table cells
Image generation on GPT Image 2.5
Chat voice dictation with waveform and transcript
PDF attach, highlight, quote capture, and drag-into-draft
Video blocks in documents with resumable large uploads
Mobile browsing of projects and documents with email-link sign-in
Ad-free search results with no sponsored placements
Anti-tracking search that avoids building user profiles
Privacy Pass tokens to verify subscription without linking searches
Bangs ('!') for instant jumps to a site or lens
Built-in lens bangs: !forums, !fediverse, !programming, !small_web, !academic, !usenet_archive
Site-specific search ('@') and regex filters
Shareable lens URLs for custom result sets
AI toggle to opt in or out of AI-assisted results
Setting to automatically remove paywalled links from results
Kagi Assistant grounded by Kagi search results
Quick mode and Research mode Assistant tiers
Flagship models including Claude 4.8 Opus, GPT 5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro (Preview)
Assistant Markdown and LaTeX support with thread search and folder filtering
Stocks widget covering stocks and ETFs with price charts
Native iOS and Android apps for Kagi Assistant
Integrations
Notion
Obsidian
Slack
YouTube
Vimeo
Orion Browser
PayPal
OpenNode

What real users say: Arky vs Kagi

Not marketing copy and not our opinion — a structured sweep of public discussion (reviews, forums, communities and video comments), showing what people praise and what they complain about for each tool.

Arky

25 mentions across 3 sources · 57% positive — mixed (averaged across 3 sources)

Hacker News, Product Hunt, Lemmy

What users praise

  • • Spatial canvas with markdown hierarchy for free-form ideation.
  • • AI chat understands context and works in the background.
  • • Exports to Markdown, PDF, Word, and PNG — flexible output.
  • • Imports Obsidian vaults from zip — smooth migration for note-takers.

What frustrates them

  • • Too early to judge reliability — beta software may have bugs.
  • • No integrations with popular tools like Notion or Slack.
  • • Free tier likely limited — exact restrictions not well documented.
  • • Spatial layout may not export fully, causing migration pain.

Researched Jul 3, 2026

Kagi

66 mentions across 5 sources · 81% positive (averaged across 5 sources)

Hacker News, Product Hunt, Bluesky, Lemmy, Tech Press

What users praise

  • • Completely ad-free, no tracking, and respects privacy.
  • • Power users love domain blocking/promoting result customization.
  • • Regular feature updates like Quick Answers, Small Web, and SlopStop.
  • • Ability to view Hacker News discussions directly under search results.

What frustrates them

  • • Monthly subscription is too expensive for many casual users.
  • • Non-English search results are significantly weaker than competitors.
  • • Founder's political ties and use of Yandex source raise ethical concerns.
  • • AI Assistant is less capable than dedicated tools like ChatGPT.

Researched Jul 25, 2026

Who should pick which

  • Student researching a thesis
    Pick: Arky

    Arky's spatial canvas and deep web research with citations are perfect for synthesizing multiple sources into structured outlines.

  • Privacy-conscious web surfer
    Pick: Kagi

    Kagi offers ad-free, no-tracking search with AI assistant, ideal for someone who avoids Google's data collection.

  • Product manager planning roadmap
    Pick: Arky

    Arky's visual hierarchy, drag-and-drop nodes, and Notion/Linear integrations support roadmapping and priority visualization.

  • Power user needing advanced search syntax
    Pick: Kagi

    Kagi's site limits and bangs provide fine-grained control for efficient research across specific domains.

  • Writer drafting a structured article
    Pick: Arky

    Arky's canvas-to-Docs view, markdown export, and AI structuring are tailored for compiling research into drafts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Arky vs Kagi: which should you choose?

Choose Arky if you need a visual, AI-powered workspace to gather and structure complex ideas, ideal for research and project planning. Choose Kagi if you prioritize privacy and a superior search experience with AI assistance, but don't need a spatial canvas. For most buyers seeking a blend of structured note-taking and AI, Arky offers more specialized value; Kagi is purely a search/utility tool.

Can I use Arky for team collaboration?

Yes, Arky supports real-time collaboration with canvas and doc comments, including @mentions, as of version 1.1.

Does Kagi have a mobile app?

Kagi Translate has a mobile app, but the search engine is accessible via mobile browsers; no native search app is mentioned.

Can Arky import from other tools?

Yes, Arky can import Obsidian vaults via zip and supports web scraping, but no direct Evernote or Notion import is listed.

Is Kagi's AI Assistant free?

Kagi offers a free tier, but AI Assistant usage may be limited; full access requires a subscription.

Does Arky work offline?

Arky is primarily web and desktop, but it is not mentioned as offline-only; recent updates emphasize local file access for desktop apps.

Can I disable AI features in Kagi?

Yes, as of July 2026, Kagi added an option to disable AI features in search.

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Explore each tool further

Arky
View Arky reviewArky alternatives
Kagi
View Kagi reviewKagi alternatives

Browse these categories

Best AI Diagrams, Whiteboards & Mind Maps toolsBest AI AI Assistants toolsBest AI Notes & Knowledge Management toolsBest AI News & Feed Digests tools
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Last reviewed: July 30, 2026