Kagi — A paid, ad-free, privacy-focused search engine with an AI assistant built in, starting at $5/month for 300 searches after a 100-search free trial.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
Kagi screenshots & video
Kagi in 20 seconds
Best for: privacy-conscious individuals willing to pay for ad-free, customizable search
Pricing: No ongoing free tier (one-time 100-search trial); paid plans from $5/month for 300 searches up to $25/month for unlimited searches and premium AI features.
- Kagi gives new users a one-time trial of 100 free searches and 100 Assistant interactions, with no ongoing free tier.
- Starter costs $5/month for 300 searches; Professional costs $10/month for unlimited searches.
- Ultimate costs $25/month and adds Kagi Assistant Research mode plus access to multiple flagship AI models.
- Kagi's Fair Pricing Policy automatically credits unused subscription months toward the next billing cycle.
- Kagi shows a 5.0/5 rating from 3 reviews on Product Hunt.
Limitations: No ongoing free tier; only a one-time 100-search trial is available before a subscription is required.; The entry Starter tier caps out at 300 searches/month.; The most capable AI Assistant features require the $25/month Ultimate tier.; Index coverage for niche or highly local queries can lag larger competitors like Google.
Top alternatives: Google, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Startpage — full list
What is Kagi?
Kagi is a search engine sold as a paid subscription rather than an ad-supported free service: users pay per month for search results with no ads, no tracking-based personalization, and customizable ranking (users can boost, lower, or block specific domains from their results). Beyond core web search, Kagi bundles an AI assistant (Kagi Assistant) into paid plans, with usage allowances that scale by tier: Starter and Professional include Quick mode access, while the top Ultimate tier adds Research mode and access to multiple flagship AI models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek variants) rather than a single default model. New users get a one-time trial of 100 free searches and 100 Assistant interactions before needing to subscribe; there is no ongoing free tier.
Kagi is a subscription search engine that sells search directly to users instead of running ads or selling data, positioned as a privacy-first alternative to Google. New users get a one-time free trial of 100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions; ongoing paid plans start at Starter for $5/month (300 searches/month), Professional for $10/month (unlimited searches, expanded AI Assistant usage), and Ultimate for $25/month (unlimited searches plus Kagi Assistant Research mode and access to flagship AI models including Claude, GPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek variants). Kagi's Fair Pricing Policy automatically credits unused months toward the next billing cycle. Kagi competes with Google and Bing on general search and with DuckDuckGo and Brave Search on privacy positioning, differentiating by charging directly for search rather than monetizing through advertising.
Standout feature: A Fair Pricing Policy that automatically credits any month a subscriber doesn't use their plan toward the next billing cycle, unusual for a subscription product.
Biggest weakness: There is no ongoing free tier, only a one-time 100-search trial, so anyone who wants to keep using Kagi past the trial must pay at least $5/month, a real barrier compared to fully free competitors like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo.
Pros
- No ads and no ad-driven ranking manipulation in search results.
- Users can customize ranking by boosting, lowering, or blocking specific domains.
- Kagi Assistant AI chat is bundled into paid plans rather than sold as a separate product.
- Fair Pricing Policy credits unused months automatically toward the next billing cycle.
Cons
- No ongoing free tier; the 100-search trial is one-time only, then a paid subscription is required.
- Starter tier caps out at 300 searches/month, which heavy searchers will exceed quickly.
- Access to the most capable Kagi Assistant features (Research mode, top AI models) requires the $25/month Ultimate tier.
- As a paid, smaller-scale search engine, index coverage and result freshness for niche or highly local queries can lag Google's.
Kagi pricing
From $5/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | Free | One-time trial of 100 searches and 100 Kagi Assistant interactions; not a recurring free tier. |
| Starter | $5/mo | Plus applicable sales tax. 300 searches/month, Kagi Assistant with Quick mode. |
| Professional | $10/mo | Plus applicable sales tax. Unlimited searches, Kagi Assistant with Quick mode and expanded monthly usage. |
| Ultimate | $25/mo | Plus applicable sales tax. Unlimited searches, Kagi Assistant Research mode, access to flagship AI models including Claude, GPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek variants. |
What reviewers say
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