A three month review of kagi search and the orion web browser (2024)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived value and pricing

  • Many see $10/month as fair or “dirt cheap” given time saved and constant use; some compare it to everyday expenses (coffee, streaming).
  • Others say it feels expensive, especially outside high-wage countries or when added to many other subscriptions.
  • Debate over whether a lower price (e.g., ~$5) would massively grow adoption vs. belief that the main barrier is “free vs paid,” not $5 vs $10.
  • Some use Kagi Ultimate ($25) as a bundle for search + Claude/LLMs, replacing separate AI subscriptions.

Search quality vs alternatives

  • Repeated reports that Kagi surfaces relevant results faster, uses more of the query terms, and reduces ad/SEO spam compared to Google.
  • Some feel Kagi still drops terms and has drifted toward “implicit” behavior, requiring more quotes/intext.
  • For some queries, Kagi and Google both show similarly bad, spammy results, raising the question of whether “the internet is getting worse.”
  • DuckDuckGo works fine for some users; others say it’s weaker on local results and non‑English queries.

AI and assistant features

  • Opinions split: some love Quick Answer/summarization and the Assistant, finding them huge productivity boosts; others explicitly don’t want to pay for “AI stuff.”
  • Quick Answer via “?” is praised for concise, cited responses while remaining optional and unobtrusive.

International and local search

  • Mixed reports: some say Kagi works well in Dutch, Danish, Arabic, Thai, Serbian, and UK English; others highlight weak locality and regional behavior vs Google.
  • Local shopping and maps are common fallbacks to Google.

Ethical concerns about Yandex

  • Some users canceled because Kagi pays Yandex for index integration, seeing this as indirectly funding the Russian state amid the war in Ukraine.
  • Others argue boycotting based on tax flows is too indirect or overly political; countered by strong moral objections to doing any business that benefits Russia.

User controls, UX, and plans

  • Strong praise for site blocking/boosting and the “small web” lens.
  • 300-search metered plan causes anxiety; many recommend going straight to unlimited.
  • Positive feedback on Kagi’s responsive support and transparent changelog.
  • Some worry AI and side projects (e.g., merch) distract from core search and sustainable growth.

Orion browser feedback

  • Orion on iOS is appreciated for extension support (uBlock, Dark Reader).
  • Some report crashes and CPU/battery issues on macOS but praise quick bugfix responses.