I recently got a threee month trial to try out the Kagi Search. The search engine you pay for. This is weird, but it is actually great. Getting top-notch search results, almost every time. But this post was not about Kagi. It might come at a later date. A smaller write-up below about Kagi.

Alright, let’s cut through the fluff and give you the straight‑up lowdown on Kagi.

What is Kagi?

Kagi is a subscription‑based search engine that markets itself as a privacy‑first alternative to the big‑tech giants. Instead of mining your clicks for ad revenue, you pay a modest monthly fee (around $6–$10 depending on the plan) and get a clean, ad‑free experience where your data stays yours.

Why someone might pick Kagi over Google or Bing:

• Privacy‑by‑design – Kagi doesn’t track you acros the web, store personal identifiers, or build a profile to sell to advertisers. Your search history is encrypted and can be wiped at any time.
• No ads, no sponsored results – What you see is what you get. No “sponsored” links masquerading as organic results trying to lure you into a purchase you didn’t ask for.
• Customizable ranking – Users can tweak how results are prioritized (e.g., favor recent content, prioritize certain domains, or boost scholarly sources). It’s a bit like having a personal SEO consultant whispering in your ear.
• Integrated tools – Kagi bundles a few handy extras: a built‑in summarizer, quick‑look previews, and a “search within results” feature that feels like a Swiss‑army knife for digging deeper without firing off a new query.
• Speed & relevance – Because it isn’t bogged down by ad‑delivery pipelines, Kagi often returns results faster, and many users report that the top hits feel more on‑point for niche or technical queries.

The trade‑offs:

• Cost – It’s not free, so you’re paying for the privilege of not being tracked. If you’re comfortable with the ad‑driven model of mainstream engines, the price tag might feel unnecessary.
• Coverage – While Kagi indexes a huge swath of the web, its index isn’t quite as massive as Google’s. In ultra‑obscure corners of the internet, you might occasionally hit a dead end.
• Ecosystem lock‑in – Since it’s a paid service, you’re tied to its platform for the duration of your subscription. Switching back to a free engine later means losing any personalized ranking tweaks you set up.
• Bottom line: If you value privacy, hate ads, and don’t mind shelling out a few bucks for a cleaner, more controllable search experience, Kagi is a solid contender. If you’re happy letting Google sniff around your queries in exchange for free, lightning‑fast results, you probably won’t miss it.

Anyhow, I started contributing to Kagi as a translater.

• Kagi Search – Kagi is a subscription‑based search engine that markets itself as a privacy‑first alternative to the big‑tech giants.

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