Which is cheaper, Brave Search or Kagi?

Brave Search: Free to use; the Search API is paid per request with $5 in free monthly credits. Kagi: Starter $5 a month for 300 searches; Ultimate $25 a month; 100-search trial.

Do Brave Search and Kagi run on the same platforms?

Brave Search supports Web. Kagi supports Web, iOS, Android.

Comparison · Search engines

Brave Search vs Kagi: which is better in 2026?

Brave Search88.0#3 in best search engines

Kagi85.5#4 in best search engines

Brave Search ranks higher in our list of search engines (#3 against #4, score 88.0 against 85.5), but the gap is small and the better choice depends on what you need.

How we rank Share

88.0
Editorial score
85.5
1
Platforms
3
Yes
Free to use
No
No
Open source
No

Which should you choose?

Choose Brave Search if you want

Independent results with AI answers.

Runs on an independent index with AI answers and a Search API for developers. Its results can differ from Google's, and the AI answers are a central part of the experience.

Choose Kagi if you want

Paying for ad-free search.

Ad-free search funded by subscribers, with an AI assistant and Kagi Translate. The monthly fee from $5 is the cost of entry, and the pricing page lists no free search plan.

The main differences

Only Kagi runs on iOS.
Only Kagi runs on Android.
Brave Search can be used for free; Kagi requires payment.

Side by side

	Brave Search	Kagi
Score	88.0	85.5
Rank in list	#3 of 10	#4 of 10
Price	Free plan, paid upgradesFree to use; the Search API is paid per request with $5 in free monthly credits	SubscriptionStarter $5 a month for 300 searches; Ultimate $25 a month; 100-search trial
Free to use	Yes	No
Open source	No	No
Platforms	WebWeb	WebiOSAndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Made by	Brave	Not stated
Privacy model	No profiling	No ads, paid by users
AI answers	Yes	Yes
Best for	Independent results with AI answers	Paying for ad-free search
Strengths	Independent index rather than a reseller Free to use for search AI answers appear in search results	No ads in search results Assistant with Quick and Research modes Monthly plans with a visible search count
Limits	The developer API is billed per request Less suited to academic research than dedicated tools	Requires a subscription after the 100-search trial Top AI models are limited to the highest plan
Links	Visit site	Visit site

Questions about Brave Search vs Kagi

Is Brave Search better than Kagi?: Brave Search ranks higher in our list of search engines (#3 against #4, score 88.0 against 85.5), but the gap is small and the better choice depends on what you need. Brave Search is best for: independent results with AI answers. Kagi is best for: paying for ad-free search.
Which is cheaper, Brave Search or Kagi?: Brave Search: Free to use; the Search API is paid per request with $5 in free monthly credits. Kagi: Starter $5 a month for 300 searches; Ultimate $25 a month; 100-search trial.
Do Brave Search and Kagi run on the same platforms?: Brave Search supports Web. Kagi supports Web, iOS, Android.