What is Kagi?
Kagi is an ad-free, paid search engine with an AI assistant that lets you chat with models like Claude, GPT and Gemini over live search results. It is made by Kagi Inc. and funded by subscriptions rather than advertising, so it does not track users or sell data. Kagi Assistant is included with every paid plan, and the top plan unlocks flagship models and a Research mode.
Kagi's main difference is control. You can raise, lower or block domains, set lenses that focus results on forums, academic sources or programming, and get Quick Answers that summarise results with citations. Because there are no ads, the results page stays clean. People use it as a daily replacement for Google, as a research tool that combines search with AI chat, and as a privacy-focused option for work.
Main Features
- Search the web without ads, trackers or sponsored results.
- Chat with AI models over live search results in Kagi Assistant.
- Get Quick Answers that summarise results with source citations.
- Raise, lower or block domains to personalise your results.
- Use lenses to focus searches on forums, research papers, code or other source types.
- Access Research mode and flagship models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and DeepSeek on Ultimate.
How to Get Started with Kagi
- Create an account at kagi.com to start the free trial of 100 searches.
- Set Kagi as your default search engine in your browser or install the browser extension.
- Try a few searches, adjust domain rankings and save lenses you like.
- Pick a paid plan when the trial runs out, choosing Ultimate if you want premium AI models.
Kagi Pricing
The Trial gives 100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions at no cost. Starter costs $5 per month for 300 searches, Professional costs $10 per month for unlimited searches, and Ultimate costs $25 per month for unlimited searches plus Research mode and flagship AI models. Annual billing saves 10%, and Kagi credits months you do not use.
Who Should Use It?
- People tired of ads and SEO spam in mainstream search engines.
- Researchers and developers who want to tune which sites appear.
- Privacy-focused users who do not want search history used for advertising.
- AI users who want several chat models with web results in one subscription.
- Families or teams who want a shared paid search plan.
Kagi Alternatives
- Perplexity AI: AI answer engine with a generous free tier
- Duck.ai: free private AI chat from DuckDuckGo
- You AI: AI search and agents with a free option
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kagi free?
No, Kagi is a paid search engine, but it offers a free trial of 100 searches. Paid plans start at $5 per month.
Does Kagi include AI chat?
Yes. Kagi Assistant is included on every paid plan, and the $25 Ultimate plan adds Research mode and flagship models such as Claude, GPT and Gemini.
Is Kagi private?
Yes. Kagi is funded by subscriptions, shows no ads and says it does not track or profile users.
Kagi vs Perplexity: which is better?
Kagi is better if you want a classic ad-free search engine with optional AI, while Perplexity is built around AI answers first and has a free plan.