Kagi
Smokeball
| Feature | Kagi | Smokeball |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $5/mo | From $39/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-conscious-users, developers, researchers, power-users | small-law-firms, mid-size-firms, litigation-practices, billable-hour-firms |
| Founded | 2022 | 2007 |
| Ad Free Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Summaries | ✓ | ✗ |
| Personalization | ✓ | ✗ |
| Domain Blocking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lenses | ✓ | ✗ |
| Privacy | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automatic Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Document Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Matter Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Billing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Kagi Pros
- No ads or tracking
- Customizable results
- AI-powered summaries
- Fast and accurate
✗ Kagi Cons
- No free plan
- Requires subscription
- Smaller index than Google
✓ Smokeball Pros
- Automatic time recording
- Deep Microsoft Office integration
- Strong document automation
- Excellent for billing accuracy
✗ Smokeball Cons
- Windows-only desktop app
- Higher price point
- Learning curve for automation
The Verdict
Kagi is built for privacy conscious users and developers, with a focus on ad-free-search and ai-summaries. Smokeball targets small law firms and mid size firms and leads with automatic-time-tracking and document-automation.
On pricing, Kagi is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $39/mo for Smokeball. That $34/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.