Kagi Search vs Perplexity

A side-by-side comparison of two Search & Web servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Kagi Search Official Kagi MCP server (Python/uvx) — privacy-first web search and URL/video summarization. Verified stdio (local) API key Python	Perplexity Official Perplexity MCP server — web search, ask, deep research, and reasoning via Sonar models. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Search & Web	Search & Web
Language	Python	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	417	2.3k
Last commit	21 days ago	29 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx kagimcp`	`npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Kagi Search if you prefer its approach (official kagi mcp server (python/uvx) — privacy-first web search and url/video summarization).

Pick Perplexity if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add Kagi Search

Install / run

uvx kagimcp

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kagi-search": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "kagimcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "KAGI_API_KEY": "<your-kagi-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

Add Perplexity

Install / run

npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "<your-perplexity-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Kagi Search or Perplexity — which is better?

Pick Kagi Search if you prefer its approach (official kagi mcp server (python/uvx) — privacy-first web search and url/video summarization). Pick Perplexity if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Kagi Search and Perplexity?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Kagi Search and Perplexity work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Kagi Search →View Perplexity →More comparisons →