Elicit vs Kagi — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Elicit starts at $12/mo. Kagi starts at $5/mo. Kagi is $7/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Elicit.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Elicit (Hybrid) — Elicit is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $12/mo plus metered usage on top. Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.
- Kagi (Tiered) — Kagi bills on a fixed plan from $5/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
AI research assistant for analysts — automates literature reviews, extracts data from PDFs, synthesizes findings across dozens of papers. Pricing: Basic Free (5,000 credits), Plus $12/mo (12,000 credits), Pro $49/mo (60,000 credits), Enterprise custom. Popular with academic researchers, policy analysts, and life-science teams that need automated evidence synthesis.
Ad-free, subscription-based search engine with AI features. Pricing: Trial (100 free searches), Starter $5/mo (300 searches), Professional $10/mo (unlimited + AI features), Ultimate $25/mo (unlimited AI + advanced features), Family $14/mo (up to 6 users). Positioned as the anti-Google — paid search with no ads, no tracking, user control over ranking.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Elicit monthly | Elicit annual | Kagi monthly | Kagi annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Basic / Trial | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Plus / Starter | $12 | $12 | $5 | $5 |
| Mid tier 1 | — / Professional | — | — | $10 | $10 |
| Mid tier 2 | — / Family (2 users) | — | — | $14 | $14 |
| Mid tier 3 | — / Family (6 users) | — | — | $20 | $20 |
| Pro / power | Pro / Ultimate | $49 | $42 | $25 | $25 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Elicit is worth it if… researchers who spend hours reading and synthesizing academic papers — Elicit automates the search + extraction workflow. Plus at $12/mo suits students and solo researchers; Pro at $49/mo suits professional analysts.
Kagi is worth it if… privacy-conscious users who are willing to pay $5-25/mo for search without ads, tracking, or algorithmic promotion. Professional at $10/mo is the sweet spot — unlimited searches + AI features.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Elicit is hybrid, Kagi is tiered.
Choose Elicit over Kagi if…
Choose Elicit if…
- You're fine with a base subscription plus metered usage on top (from $12/mo).
- You match the profile Elicit is built for: researchers who spend hours reading and synthesizing academic papers — Elicit automates the search + extraction workflow.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Kagi if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (tiered, from $5/mo).
- You match the profile Kagi is built for: privacy-conscious users who are willing to pay $5-25/mo for search without ads, tracking, or algorithmic promotion.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Elicit | Kagi | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $12/mo | $5/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | Hybrid | Tiered |
| Last verified | September 20, 2026 | September 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.