Cory Doctorow on Kagi Search
A paid search engine, Kagi, is being held up as an example of how web search could work without ads, tracking, or SEO spam dominating results. Commenters praise its cleaner results, customization features, and privacy model, but are divided over its relatively high subscription price and the fairness of a world where good search may become a luxury. There is also concern about Kagi’s reliance on data from larger engines like Google, both in terms of long‑term viability and the irony that part of users’ payments ultimately flows back to the incumbents they’re trying to avoid.
Perceived Search Quality
- Many report dramatically better results than Google: less spam, fewer SEO farms, and useful answers higher in the list, especially for product, medical, “best X/alternative to X,” and forum-style queries.
- Others see little or no difference vs Google, aside from ads being removed. Some say Google can still match Kagi’s results for their queries.
- Several note that after using Kagi, going back to Google highlights how many “sponsored” and low‑quality results dominate the page.
Customization & Features
- Strong praise for per‑domain up/downranking, blacklisting sites like Quora/Pinterest, and lenses (e.g., “forums,” project‑specific lenses like Guix docs).
- Users value Quick Answers/Summaries and AI summarization, which are opt‑in rather than always-on.
- Redirect rules and private-session links are mentioned as workflow enhancements.
Pricing and Value Debate
- $10/month is viewed by some as excellent value, even “underpriced,” given time saved and lack of tracking/ads. Others find it hard to justify, especially when combined with many other subscriptions.
- There is demand for cheaper or per‑query plans; some use the $5/300‑search or $54/yr/3600‑search options, or family plans to reduce per‑person cost.
- Affordability in lower‑income regions is a recurring concern; for some, $10 is a significant portion of monthly income.
Privacy, Tracking, and Business Model
- Users appreciate the clear “I pay you, you serve me” model, with no ads, tracking, or behavioral profiling between searches.
- Some dislike tying all queries to a paid account/credit card and remain wary despite Kagi’s privacy claims.
Reliance on Google and Sustainability
- There is debate over whether Kagi is primarily a “front‑end to Google” vs a distinct engine that also uses multiple external indexes.
- Unclear from the thread exactly which Google APIs are used and under what terms, but several assert Kagi pays for official access.
- Some worry about long‑term risk if Google cuts them off or large platforms pressure or acquire them.
Broader Reflections on Search & Enshittification
- Many see Kagi as an antidote to ad‑driven “enshittification” and an example of users funding what they value.
- Others argue Google’s degraded results are partly an unavoidable outcome of mass SEO and its ad‑centric incentives, not an explicit desire to be “bad.”