>$10/mo for a different feel is a strange value prop.

Thought Kagi would want the strange part to be, say:

"strange to let advertisers cover your monthly search bill, trading your privacy and using Google--we're only ten bucks a month!"

So, pay for peace of mind.

(do recognize $10 is an entire e.g. daily wage for some)

This hasn't been our experience; can you please reach out to me with specific examples? My email is in my profile.