Ad-free paid search engine vs AI-native research assistant.
by Kagi Inc.
Kagi is a paid, ad-free search engine with a built-in AI assistant (Kagi Assistant). Because it is subscription-funded, Kagi shows zero ads and does not sell your data. Its AI features include Summarizer (instant summaries of any webpage), FastGPT (quick answers from the web), and the full Kagi Assistant powered by GPT-4, Claude, or Gemini with citations.
by Perplexity AI
AI-powered search engine. Every answer comes with sources. Pro ($20/mo) unlocks GPT-5, Claude Opus, and Perplexity Spaces.
| Feature | Kagi | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Kagi Inc. | Perplexity AI |
| Category | AI Search | AI Search |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Starting price | $5/mo | Free / $20/mo |
| Strengths | Zero ads — search results ranked purely on relevance, No tracking, no data selling, no personalized ad profiles, Built-in AI assistant with citations (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini) | citations on every claim, good for research, follow-up threading |
| Weaknesses | Paid only — no free tier beyond 100 searches, Smaller index than Google — occasional gaps in freshness | weaker pure chat, some sources low-quality |
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