The general public will never pay for a search engine as long as they have a free option, supported by ads. And that's not a problem. There are millions of comp

The general public will never pay for a search engine as long as they have a free option, supported by ads. And that's not a problem. There are millions of companies who have millions of customers, without being something for the general public. > And I am 100% sure that if Kagi would cost 4,99$ a month, we would be talking about hundreds of thousands of users already. I really don't think so. The difference between free and paid is gigantic in the minds of people, but between $5 and $10 not so much. Especially when it's a product that brings incredible value already. If you could have dinner at the best restaurant in the country for $10, or free cup noodles in the supermarket. Would you argue all day with the waiter that the dinner should be $5? I think most people would be happy with a great deal, or go stand in line for the free cup noodles. As for privacy oriented customers, those are the absolutely worst customers imaginable for anybody selling anything. They bring a lot of headache and demand very much for the very little they pay. Building a business with trying to get people to pay because they hate your competitor is not sustainable. These customers are fickle and can start hating you instead for any or no reason. It's much better to have customers who like your product and think the price is great.