Kagi is a subscription-based search engine that argues that paying for search is a reasonable thing to do in order to avoid ads and companies selling your information. They also have lenses, e.g. for searching the fediverse specifically. Anyone that wants to share their experience of using Kagi?
I currently have the trial and I use it when other search engines like DDG fail me. It has helped me find documented solutions to tech problems at work that came up empty from other sources. I feel like the search results are more similar in quality to what google used to be in the early days of the internet, maybe even at the height of their dont be evil days. Which is really good praise
I am on the fence about subscribing, because although they claim privacy the fact that my searches are tied to my account in some form is an issue, even if there doesnt appear to be search history. Also the value of search really has been pushed so far down by other options that the cost is extremely hard to justify for me