In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Only Elicit has a free plan.
- Kagi Assistant's cheapest paid plan is cheaper: $5 a month against $11.
- Kagi Assistant also has a phone app.
- Kagi Assistant shipped an update more recently (Oct 16, 2026).
Side by side
The details.
| Elicit | Kagi Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Elicit · United States | Kagi · United States |
| What it says it is | “The AI Research Assistant” | “Kagi Assistant combines the top large language models (LLMs) with optional results from Kagi Search” |
| Free plan | YesBasic (free): limited Research Agent and Research Reports; unlimited search across more than 138 million papers. | NoNo free plan; a free Trial is capped at 100 searches and 100 Assistant interactions. "Assistant is available to all members." |
| Plans | Basic: freePlus: $11 a monthPro: $49 a monthScale: $169 a monthEnterprise: not in US$ | Trial: freeStarter: $5 a monthProfessional: $10 a monthUltimate: $25 a month |
| Runs on | web | web, mobile apps |
| Latest update | Routines and more flexible research with the Agent, Sep 30, 2026 | Smarter search widgets, Privacy Pass upgrades, and a calmer Assistant, Oct 16, 2026 |
| Its terms | “PDFs you upload are encrypted and remain private to your account only, until you choose to delete them.”What it does with your data · Elicit Help: Privacy for uploaded papers | “By default and unless otherwise stated, Kagi Assistant automatically deletes conversation threads after one day.”What it does with your data · Kagi Privacy Policy |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported |
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