Kagi
Kagi: private, ad-free search engine with AI assistant, funded by users.
Kagi is the most user-aligned search engine for privacy-conscious searchers willing to pay. Clean results, no tracking, deep customization (bangs, regex, lenses), and a genuinely useful AI assistant with native mobile apps. The cost and weaker local search are real trade-offs, but the free trial lets you test before committing. If you're tired of ads masquerading as answers and want a search engine that answers to you, Kagi is worth every penny.
Verified 15d ago · liveness 90/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/kagi
- Privacy advocates who want ad-free, no-tracking search and are willing to pay
- Power users who want fine-grained control like bangs, regex, and site limits
- Teams needing private search and AI for employees without surveillance
- Libraries seeking reliable, distraction-free search for patrons
- Users who rely on free ad-supported search and can't pay a monthly fee
- Those needing deep integration with Google services (Gmail, Maps, etc.)
- People who heavily depend on Google's local search results for businesses
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Skip Kagi if you rely on free ad-supported search, need deep Google services integration, or depend on up-to-date local business search—Kagi's local coverage is thinner and the subscription fee is non-negotiable.
Flagship AI models like Claude Opus and GPT-5.5 are only in the $25/mo Ultimate plan; the $5/mo Starter gets Quick mode with a smaller allowance, so power users often need to jump to $10 or $25.
Kagi's pricing ($5–$25/mo) fits individuals and teams who value privacy over free. It's pricier than Startpage or Brave (which have free tiers) but cheaper than running multiple AI subscriptions (e.g., Claude Pro at $20/mo + ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo). The $10/mo Professional gives unlimited search, undercutting many search-centric tools.
In short
Kagi — Kagi: private, ad-free search engine with AI assistant, funded by users. Best for Privacy advocates who want ad-free, no-tracking search and are willing to pay, Power users who want fine-grained control like bangs, regex, and site limits, Teams needing private search and AI for employees without surveillance. Free to start; paid plans from $5/mo.
What's new in Kagi
Checked 6 days agoAcross the latest 6 updates: 5 feature updates and 1 news mention.
Kagi Search adds Stocks widget, paywall link removal setting, and Assistant improvements
Stocks widget now covers ETFs with price charts; setting to auto-remove paywalled links; Assistant messages support Markdown/LaTeX; thread search and folder filtering added.
Kagi Assistant on the go and design refinements for Search
Assistant gains mobile improvements; Search undergoes design refinements for better usability.
Heads, tails, and an AI toggle
New AI toggle and other features introduced in Kagi Search.
Search widgets catching up, Assistant starts fresh
Search widgets updated; Assistant gets a fresh start feature.
An update on Kagi Translate: free access temporarily turned off
Kagi temporarily disabled free Translate access while managing costs; signed-out users affected.
Search API preview opens to all users
Kagi Search API preview is now openly available to all users.
What people actually say about Kagi — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
66 mentions across 5 sources (Hacker News, Product Hunt, Bluesky, Lemmy, Tech Press) · researched Jul 25, 2026.
Average across the 5 sources that answered — each source counts once, not each post.
- +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.
- +AI Assistant provides private access to multiple LLMs grounded by search.
- −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.
- −Limited ecosystem—only integrates with Orion Browser directly.
- • N/A — all features are included in the tier pricing with no upsells.
Viability Score
How well maintained and how widely used is Kagi? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: September 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Ad-free search with anti-tracking
- Customizable search controls (bangs, site-specific search, regex)
- AI toggle to control AI-assisted results
- Kagi Assistant with private access to multiple LLMs
- Native iOS and Android apps for Kagi Assistant
- Search API preview for developers
- Seven-day trial with 100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions
- Kagi News for private, clickbait-free news briefs
- Kagi Summarize for article and video summaries
- Kagi Translate for 240+ languages (free access temporarily disabled June 2026)
- Small Web — curated non-commercial sites
- Stocks widget with price charts (updated Aug 2026)
- Coin-flip widget
- Settings to automatically remove paywalled links
- Direct lens URLs (e.g., /search?lens=forums)
About Kagi
Kagi is a subscription-based search engine that removes ads, trackers, and low-quality results, giving you a clean, private, and customizable search experience. It's designed for individuals, families, teams, and libraries who want to pay with their wallet instead of their attention. Since it's funded by users, Kagi's incentive is to serve you, not advertisers—so you get real answers, not sponsored content. Beyond search, Kagi offers a growing ecosystem: Kagi Assistant provides private access to multiple leading AI models, all grounded by Kagi search results, and is now available as native iOS and Android apps. You can also use Orion Browser with built-in ad-blocking, Kagi Translate for 240+ languages, Kagi News for private news briefs, and Kagi Summarize to condense long articles and videos. The search itself includes powerful customization: bangs ('!') for instant site jumps, site-specific search ('@'), regex filters, and an AI toggle to control AI-assisted results. Recent updates have expanded the platform: the Search API preview is now open to all users, a coin-flip widget adds a playful touch, and Small Web—Kagi's curated collection of non-commercial sites—has grown with new browser extensions. Kagi Translate temporarily disables free access (June 2026) while addressing running costs, so signed-out translation is no longer available. For organizations, Kagi for Teams and Kagi for Libraries offer tailored solutions for private, productive search. Compared to alternatives like Startpage or Brave Search, Kagi stands out for its deep customization and integrated AI assistant, but it lacks Google's local search depth and requires a subscription. If you value privacy and result quality, Kagi is a compelling choice that puts you first.
Behind the Verdict
Kagi isn't for everyone, but for the right person, it's a revelation. If you're someone who lives in search—researchers, writers, developers—the combination of ad-free results, granular controls like bangs and regex, and the AI assistant grounded in live search is hard to beat. The AI toggle gives you control over when you want AI-assisted results, and the native iOS and Android apps mean you can take that experience on the road. Where Kagi bites is the price. The Starter tier at $5/mo only gives you 300 searches, which sounds generous until you realize heavy search users can burn through that in a week. The Professional tier at $10/mo with unlimited searches is the sweet spot for most. The Ultimate tier at $25/mo adds premium AI models like GPT-5.5 and Claude 4.8 Opus, but unless you're using Assistant heavily, you probably don't need it. When should you pass? If you rely on Google's local search depth—finding nearby businesses, navigating with Maps, or checking reviews—Kagi will disappoint. Its local results are thinner. Also, if you're a casual searcher who doesn't mind ads, paying for search feels like a harder sell. The free trial gives you 100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions, which is enough to get a feel, but not enough to judge long-term value. Compared to Startpage or Brave Search, Kagi offers far more customization and an integrated AI assistant that actually uses your search context. Startpage is a Google proxy with less control; Brave has ads. Kagi's user-funded model means no advertising conflicts, and the fair pricing policy—where you don't get charged for months you don't use it—is a genuinely nice touch. In practice, Kagi feels like a premium product. The search results are clean, the assistant is thoughtful, and the ecosystem (Translate,
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Kagi actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You're researching a complex topic and need ad-free results plus AI help synthesizing findings.
Outcome: Use Kagi Search with bangs and lenses to find high-quality sources, then invoke Kagi Assistant to summarize and cross-reference. On Professional, you get unlimited search and a generous Quick-mode allowance.
You want to provide your team with private, ad-free search and AI assistance without tracking employee activity.
Outcome: With a Teams plan, each member gets Kagi Search and Assistant; usage is pooled, and admins get central billing. The AI toggle lets team members decide when to use AI answers.
You're building a niche search tool and need an API that respects user privacy.
Outcome: Sign up for the Search API preview, get an API key, and integrate queries into your app. Kagi's user-funded model means no ad-tracking data flowing through your product.
Use Cases
- Replace Google as your daily search engine for ad-free, private results.
- Conduct deep research on topics plagued by SEO spam using lenses and site rankings.
- Use Kagi Assistant as a single subscription for multiple AI models (Claude Opus, GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.5 Flash).
- Summarize long articles or YouTube videos with Kagi Summarize.
- Build a privacy-focused search app using the Kagi Search API.
- Stay informed with private, clickbait-free news via Kagi News.
- Translate text or voice across 240+ languages with Kagi Translate mobile apps (free access temporarily disabled).
- Browse with zero surveillance using Orion Browser on Mac, iOS, or Linux.
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-09-14
Limitations
- Kagi's AI Assistant features are tiered: the $5/mo Starter plan provides only Quick mode, while Research mode and flagship models (e.g., Claude 4.8 Opus, Gemini 3.1 Pro, GPT 5.5) require the $25/mo Ultimate plan.
- Monthly search/Assistant interaction allowances scale by plan: 300 searches on Starter, unlimited on Professional and Ultimate.
- Pricing is subscription-based with no free tier beyond the 100-search free trial, and sales tax applies on top of the listed price.
- Unused months are credited back rather than refunded.
as of 2026-08-25
Verification history
We have re-verified Kagi 19 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
Showing the 6 most recent of 19 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Kagi tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Trial
$0
Ideal for
Curious searchers who want to test Kagi before committing—100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions is enough to feel the difference.
What this tier adds
Free entry point: 100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions, no payment required.
Starter
$5/mo (+ Sales Tax)
Ideal for
Light searchers who want ad-free privacy and occasional AI help—300 searches a month is tight for heavy use but fine for moderate browsing.
What this tier adds
Adds 300 searches and Kagi Assistant with Quick mode and a limited interaction allowance.
Professional
$10/mo (+ Sales Tax)
Ideal for
Freelancers, researchers, and power users who search heavily—unlimited search removes the cap, making it ideal for daily, extensive use.
What this tier adds
Unlocks unlimited Kagi Search and a larger Assistant usage allowance versus Starter.
Ultimate
$25/mo (+ Sales Tax)
Ideal for
Heavy AI users who want Research mode and flagship models—priced at $25/mo, it's for those who'd otherwise pay for multiple AI subscriptions.
What this tier adds
Adds Research mode, flagship models (Claude Opus, GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.5 Flash), and highest-level support.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Kagi's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Kagi's pricing ($5–$25/mo) fits individuals and teams who value privacy over free. It's pricier than Startpage or Brave (which have free tiers) but cheaper than running multiple AI subscriptions (e.g., Claude Pro at $20/mo + ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo). The $10/mo Professional gives unlimited search, undercutting many search-centric tools.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Kagi — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For search-only: ~2 minutes to create account and start searching. For AI Assistant: add ~5 minutes to customize and test Quick mode. For API integration: allow 30–60 minutes to read docs and make your first call.
Switching to or from Kagi
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From Google: set Kagi as your default search engine in your browser; use bangs (!g) to fall back to Google when needed.
- →From Startpage/Brave: simply switch your default search URL; Kagi's interface will feel familiar.
- →From DuckDuckGo: you can keep its bangs by adding them to Kagi's settings for a similar experience.
- ↗To Google/Bing: switch your browser's default search back; Kagi doesn't lock your data.
- ↗To Startpage/Brave: export your settings if needed; Kagi has no search history to export since it doesn't store it.
- ↗To a self-hosted searxng: likely a one-time setup, but you'll lose Kagi's AI Assistant and curated lenses.
Integrations
Resources & Guides
- Resourcekagi.com
Changelog
Better search results with no ads. Welcome to Kagi (pronounced kah-gee), a paid search engine that gives power back to the user.
- Resourcekagi.com
Kagi Blog
Kagi Blog - Tales from Kagi
- Resourcekagi.com
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Kagi Search Help
- Resourcekagi.com
Kagi Specials
Better search results with no ads. Welcome to Kagi (pronounced kah-gee), a paid search engine that gives power back to the user.
- Resourcekagi.com
Assets
Better search results with no ads. Welcome to Kagi (pronounced kah-gee), a paid search engine that gives power back to the user.
- Resourcekagi.com
Kagi Search Pricing and Plans
Better search results with no ads. Welcome to Kagi (pronounced kah-gee), a paid search engine that gives power back to the user.
Tutorials & Learning
YouTube returned 6 videos for “Kagi”, and we withheld 6: 6 could not be judged, because “Kagi” is a single word that other videos use for other things. We are showing none, because we could not prove any of them are about Kagi.
Official links
Tools that pair well with Kagi
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Kagi, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Featured Head-to-Head Comparisons
Kagi vs Readtube
If you're a privacy-focused searcher who hates ads and wants deep search controls plus an AI assistant, choose Kagi. If you're drowning in YouTube subscriptions and prefer reading over watching, choose ReadTube. They solve completely different problems — pick based on your primary need.
Jobright Ai vs Kagi
Kagi and Jobright.ai serve completely different needs: Kagi is a privacy-focused search engine with an AI assistant, while Jobright is a specialized job search tool. If you want ad-free, private web searching with optional AI help, pick Kagi. If you're actively job hunting and want AI to match you to openings, autofill applications, and get referrals, Jobright is the clear choice.
Ai Pdf Summarizer By Pdf Guru vs Kagi
Choose AI PDF Summarizer if your core need is extracting key points from PDFs quickly with interactive chat, and you want basic PDF editing for occasional use. Choose Kagi if you prioritize privacy in search and want an ecosystem that includes AI summaries of web articles, translate, and a private browser — but note Kagi's summarization works on web pages, not arbitrary PDFs you upload.
Kagi vs Swiftscan Ai Document Scanner
Pick Kagi if you need a private, ad-free search engine with powerful AI models and ecosystem tools (translate, news, summaries). Choose SwiftScan AI Document Scanner if you're on iOS and need intelligent document scanning with AI translation/summarization. They serve completely different needs, so your choice depends on whether you're searching or scanning.
Hermespet vs Kagi
If you need a full privacy-first search ecosystem with AI, choose Kagi. If you want a native, local, always-on AI companion on your desktop that lets you run multiple models in parallel without subscription, go with HermesPet. They solve different problems—search vs. on-device AI assistant.
Arky vs Kagi
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.
Hyperwrite vs Kagi
If you need a private search engine with ad-free browsing, news, translation, and grounded AI across models, Kagi is the clear choice. If instead you want an AI writing copilot that speeds up email, content, and academic research inside Chrome, HyperWrite wins. The overlap is minimal: Kagi redefines search; HyperWrite redefines writing. Pick by your primary pain point — data privacy and search quality vs. faster typing and citation-backed drafting.
Interachat vs Kagi
If you want an AI companion that remembers everything and cares about your privacy in a chat app, Interachat is unique but very early-stage. If you need a private, ad-free search engine with powerful AI summarization and translation, Kagi is mature and ready to use today. Choose Interachat for emotional depth and long-term conversation memory; choose Kagi for a complete private web ecosystem with leading LLMs.
Ai Perfect Assistant vs Kagi
If you need a private, ad-free search engine with a powerful AI assistant and value zero tracking, Kagi is the clear winner. If your daily work is deeply embedded in Microsoft 365 and you want AI help directly inside Word, Excel, or Outlook, AI Perfect Assistant is the practical choice. Kagi has broader AI model access (GPT-5.5, Claude 4.8) and a richer ecosystem, while AI Perfect Assistant offers deep Office integration and over 60 templates.
Kagi vs Mailopoly
Mailopoly is for inbox chaos – it unifies email, Slack, WhatsApp, and more into one AI-powered hub. Kagi is for search privacy – it delivers ad-free results with powerful AI summarization. Choose Mailopoly if you need to consolidate communications; choose Kagi if you want a clean, private search experience. They solve completely different problems – no direct overlap.
Kagi vs Rephrase
If you spend all day typing in macOS apps and want instant grammar/tone fixes without leaving your workflow, Rephrase’s one-time $49.99 is a steal. But if you need a full privacy-first search engine with AI that answers questions from the web, Kagi’s subscription brings way more breadth. They solve different problems: polish vs search. Choose the one that matches your daily bottleneck.
Kagi vs Simplify
If you're actively job hunting (especially for entry-level or switching careers), Simplify is a no-brainer — it's free and packed with tools to speed up applications and improve your resume. If you value privacy and an ad-free search experience across all your browsing, Kagi is worth paying for, especially with its multi-model AI Assistant. These tools don't compete; they solve different problems, so choose based on your immediate need.
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