Kagi has made its “Assistant” feature available to all subscription tiers, including those on a free trial. This feature allows users to access various language learning models for conversational interactions and web searches.
If you’re unfamiliar with Kagi, it’s a paid search engine that takes its name from the Japanese word for “key.” The premise is straightforward: with Google, users trade their data and endure advertisements for a free service, whereas Kagi offers a private, ad-free experience in exchange for a subscription fee.
While several open-source alternatives focus on data privacy, they often rely on ads and struggle to maintain consistent funding for improvements and development.
Being a user-funded search engine, Kagi eliminates advertisements, safeguards your personal information, and continuously introduces new features that enhance your search experience.
The homepage of Kagi resembles a typical search engine, featuring a prominent search bar. However, switching to Assistant mode transforms it into a chat interface powered by a language model. Users can select the AI model they prefer from a dropdown menu, along with a toggle to specify whether the model should access the web.
When web access is disabled, users can engage with the chatbot in a conventional manner. If web access is turned on, the AI will leverage Kagi Search to provide answers, complete with hyperlinked references for additional context.
Kagi operates on a subscription model, where the benefits increase with each tier. The Ultimate plan, priced at $25 per month, offers access to the most advanced AI models along with limitless interactions and searches, targeting professionals and AI enthusiasts.
On the other hand, most people might find Kagi’s $5 Starter plan sufficient, which allows for 300 searches and AI interactions each month. This plan includes access to several standard AI models, including:
- GPT 4o mini
- GPT 4.1 mini
- Gemini 2.5 Flash
- Mistral Pixtral
- Llama 4 Scout
- Nova Lite
- DeepSeek Chat V3
If you’re looking for unlimited searches and interactions but aren’t concerned about having the very best AI models, the Professional plan is available for $10 per month.
The trial tier offers 100 searches and interactions through the Assistant feature, allowing users to sample the service. Kagi also follows a unique “Fair Pricing” model: if you do not use the service in a month, you won’t be charged, and your payment will be credited to the next month.
While subscribing to a search engine might seem unusual at first, it’s essential to remember that these services have never really been free; they’ve been sustained by ad revenues. As the landscape evolves, tracking and data collection practices have become more prevalent. Personally, I’m curious about this service, and I plan to subscribe and explore what it has to offer.
