Kagi Inc. review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Our verdict
Kagi Inc. bundles a search engine, a browser and an ad blocker, which suits readers who would rather pay a single fee than stack separate privacy subscriptions. The free plan is capped at 100 total searches and 100 AI interactions, so paid use starts on the individual plan at $5 a month.
Key facts
- Best for
- A single paid subscription covering search, browser and ad blocking.
- Monthly price
- $5 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Long-term plan price
- $4.50 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- US (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Web, Android, iOS (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Owner
- Vladimir Prelovac (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Longest plan (months)
- 12 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Kagi Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2018 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Audience
- Business
- Pricing model
- Free
- Official website
- kagi.com
Privacy tools
- Price from
- $5 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- 100 total searches and 100 AI interactions (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Web, Android, iOS (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Logging policy
- No analytics or telemetry, no click tracking on results; queries logged only temporarily for debugging, not linked to an account (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- US (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Open source
- No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Privacy tool type
- Search, Browser, Ad-blocker (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Kagi Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2018 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
- Elsewhere
- WikidataWikipediaXLinkedIngithub.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Billed annually, the individual plan drops to $4.50 a month over 12 months.
- Search, browser and ad blocking all sit inside the subscription, per search, browser and ad blocker.
- It runs on Web, Android and iOS.
- A free plan is included, a feature shared by 72.3% of the brands listed.
Cons
- Annual billing still puts the individual plan at $4.50 a month, above the €3.97 median long-term rate and 56 of 112 in the ranking.
- Support runs on email, help centre and community only.
- Kagi Inc. is not open source.
Who it suits
- People who want search, browsing and ad blocking under a single bill instead of separate tools.
- Heavy searchers who will keep the individual plan at $5 a month once the free allowance is gone.
- Business users, which is the audience the business listing names.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who want a cheaper standalone tool: Sinew Software Systems lists $1.99 a month.
- Readers shopping for a VPN rather than a paid search engine: MEGA lists $3.99 a month.
- Readers who only want the lowest entry point: Apple Inc. lists $0.99 a month.
Audits, logging and jurisdiction
Kagi Inc. is registered in the US and names US as its jurisdiction, so US law frames the data it holds. The privacy policy rules out analytics and telemetry and adds no click tracking on results, and queries are kept only temporarily for debugging rather than tied to an account. Ownership sits with Vladimir Prelovac.
How Kagi Inc. compares
8.7 vs 9.1
8.7 vs 8.8
8.7 vs 8.5
8.7 vs 9.5
8.7 vs 9.4
8.7 vs 9.1
8.7 vs 9.2
8.7 vs 9.4
8.7 vs 9.2
8.7 vs 8.8
8.7 vs 9.3
8.7 vs 9.0
8.7 vs 9.0
8.7 vs 9.4
Frequently asked questions
How much is Kagi at the start and at renewal?+
The individual plan bills $5 a month on a rolling basis, or $4.50 a month when paid annually across 12 months. The free plan covers 100 total searches and 100 AI interactions, so regular searchers move to the paid tier. The annual figure is the rate renewals stay at.
Is there a free version of Kagi?+
Yes, a free plan is available and it is limited to 100 total searches and 100 AI interactions. That is enough to judge the search engine and the ad blocker, but not enough to live on. About 72.3% of the brands listed also ship a free plan, so the free tier is normal here.
What does a Kagi subscription include besides search?+
The privacy type is listed as search, browser and ad blocker, so a single payment covers search, a browser and an ad blocker. A free plan runs on the same model with 100 total searches and 100 AI interactions allowed before the paid tier. Support comes through email, help centre and community.
Which devices and platforms does Kagi run on?+
Kagi Inc. lists Web, Android and iOS as its platforms, so it covers the web plus Android and iOS apps. The privacy type it offers is search, browser and ad blocker, meaning the browser and ad blocking features sit with the search engine on each of those. Mobile and web use fall under the same subscription.
Who runs Kagi and where is it based?+
The legal entity is Kagi Inc., founded in 2018 and headquartered in the United States. Vladimir Prelovac owns the company, and the privacy policy names US as the jurisdiction. US rules are therefore the ones that apply to the data it holds.
What does Kagi do with search data?+
The privacy policy rules out analytics and telemetry and adds no click tracking on results. Queries are kept only temporarily for debugging and are not linked to an account. No-logs policies are common in this group, with 89.6% of the brands listed carrying that feature.
Is Kagi open source?+
No. Open source is listed as no for Kagi Inc., and 56.6% of the brands listed are open source, so the closed model is the more common case here. Readers who want to read the code behind search ranking and ad blocking have nothing published to inspect.
How does Kagi's price compare with the alternatives?+
Apple Inc. lists $0.99 a month, Sinew Software Systems lists $1.99 and MEGA lists $3.99, each below the $5 the individual plan charges. Kagi Inc. also sits at 41 of 133 on monthly price across the brands listed here.
Sources
- help.kagi.com/kagi/company checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity, Open source, Owner
“Kagi (pronounced kah-gee) was founded in 2018 by Vladimir Prelovac in Palo Alto, CA.”
- help.kagi.com/kagi/faq/faq.html checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“You can email support@kagi.com for help. Before emailing, please see if your issue has been addressed in this knowledge base or the feedback forum.”
- help.kagi.com/kagi/plans/plan-types.html checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan limits, Price from
“The Trial plan is limited to 100 total searches and 100 AI interactions with standard models.”
- kagi.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Platforms, Privacy tool type
“Everything your workplace needs for private, productive search and AI.”
- kagi.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan, Pricing model, Monthly price
“Trial 100 searches Free”
- kagi.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Long-term plan price, Longest plan (months)
“Starter 3600 searches $54 /yr ($4.50/mo)”
- kagi.com/privacy checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Jurisdiction, Logging policy
“These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Kagi concerning the Services and are governed by the laws of the state of Delaware, U.S.A.”
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Devices, Server countries, No-logs audit.