Kagi vs You.com
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
AI tool · Paid
A paid, ad-free search engine with AI summaries, a research assistant and personal result ranking.
AI tool · Freemium
An AI search and research platform with cited answers, deep research and a search API for developers.
The short answer
Choose Kagi if you need…
- Ad-free search
- Customising which sites rank
Choose You.com if you need…
- Cited research reports
- Developers needing a search API
Side-by-side
| Kagi | You.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Research & learning · AI search | Research & learning · AI search |
| Price | Paid | Freemium |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome | Web, API |
| Works with | Chrome | — |
| Hands-on tested by us | Not yet | Not yet |
| Last checked | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-29 |
What each one is
Kagi
A paid, ad-free search engine with AI summaries, a research assistant and personal result ranking. Noticeably cleaner results. You have to pay for search, which won't suit everyone.
You.com
An AI search and research platform with cited answers, deep research and a search API for developers. Solid research output. Its focus has shifted toward enterprise and API customers.
Best for
Kagi
- Ad-free search
- Customising which sites rank
You.com
- Cited research reports
- Developers needing a search API
Strengths
Kagi
- Ad-free results
- Site boosting and blocking
- Quick Answer summaries
- Assistant with multiple models
You.com
- Cited answers
- Deep research mode
- Multiple models
- Search API
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Kagi and You.com?
Kagi: A paid, ad-free search engine with AI summaries, a research assistant and personal result ranking. You.com: An AI search and research platform with cited answers, deep research and a search API for developers. Kagi suits ad-free search, while You.com suits cited research reports.
Are Kagi and You.com free?
Kagi: Paid. You.com: Freemium.
What are other alternatives to Kagi and You.com?
Other options people compare them with include Perplexity.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.