Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Kagi Assistant vs Le Chat (Mistral):
which should you use?

Kagi Assistant and Le Chat (Mistral), side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Kagi Assistant sits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them. Le Chat (Mistral) european data residency and open weights.

Pricing, simplified

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

2 of 2 have a free plan 0 of 2 prices re-read automatically · how we know No paid placement

The 30-second comparison

If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.

Kagi Assistant and Le Chat (Mistral) side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryKagi AssistantLe Chat (Mistral)Better fit
What it's built forSits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them.European data residency and open weights. The default if EU hosting is a hard requirement.Tie
Free planYes. Trial tier, 100 searches with the Assistant included, no card neededYes. Free tier, with $10 a month of API creditsTie
Cheapest way to pay$5 a month.$14.99 a month.Kagi Assistant
What the paid tiers cost
  • One person, from $5/month
  • Per seat, from $10/month
  • One person, from $14.99/month
  • Per seat, from $24.99/month
  • Enterprise, priced on request
Tie
What to watch out forThe free tier is a 100-search trial. Beyond that you are buying the search subscription, and the assistant comes with it rather than being sold on its own; prices exclude sales tax.Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations than the US majors. Every plan bundles a monthly allowance of API credits — $10 free, $30 on Pro, $15 on Education — and API use beyond it is priced per token on the API tab of the same page.Tie
Who it is usually forpeople exploring, working professionals, researchersworking professionals, developersTie
Made byKagi — Palo Alto, US.Mistral AI — Paris, FR.Tie

Kagi Assistant is ahead on 1 of the 7 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Le Chat (Mistral) are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation.

Ahead on the small print

Kagi Assistant

Sits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them.

✓ Sits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them. ✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $5 against $14.99 ✓ You are among people exploring or researchers ✓ Trial tier, 100 searches with the Assistant included, no card needed
Choose Le Chat (Mistral) instead if…

European data residency and open weights.

Le Chat (Mistral) is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.

✓ European data residency and open weights. ✓ You are among developers ✓ The default if EU hosting is a hard requirement. ✓ Free tier, with $10 a month of API credits

How we know

Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.

The 1 row that decided this page, with the source for each.
RowFavoursWeightWhere it came from
Cheapest way to payKagi AssistantEverything elseFrom each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below.

The prices

Kagi Assistant. Read by hand off kagi.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. kagi.com/pricing

Le Chat (Mistral). Read by hand off mistral.ai on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. mistral.ai/pricing

The ratings

The category these two share. General-Purpose AI Assistants — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.

The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.

What this is not

Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.

To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.

Choose based on what you’re doing

All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.

01

General-Purpose AI Assistants

Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.

Kagi Assistant
Good fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Good fit
Best choice: Tie
02

Search, Research & Academics

Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.

Kagi Assistant
Limited fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Limited fit
Best choice: Tie
03

Writing, Communication & Language

Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.

Kagi Assistant
Limited fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Good fit
Best choice: Le Chat (Mistral)
04

Coding, Data & Technical Work

Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.

Kagi Assistant
Limited fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Limited fit
Best choice: Tie
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.

Kagi Assistant
Limited fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Limited fit
Best choice: Tie
06

Image & Design

Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.

Kagi Assistant
Bad fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.

Kagi Assistant
Bad fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
08

Audio, Voice & Music

Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.

Kagi Assistant
Bad fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.

Kagi Assistant
Limited fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Limited fit
Best choice: Tie
10

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.

Kagi Assistant
Limited fit
Le Chat (Mistral)
Limited fit
Best choice: Tie
Pick Kagi Assistant if

Sits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them.

by Kagi
Sits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them.
You want the cheaper paid plan, $5 against $14.99
You are among people exploring or researchers
Trial tier, 100 searches with the Assistant included, no card needed
Pick Le Chat (Mistral) if

European data residency and open weights.

by Mistral AI
European data residency and open weights.
You are among developers
The default if EU hosting is a hard requirement.
Free tier, with $10 a month of API credits

Pricing, simplified

The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Le Chat (Mistral)by Mistral AI
Free version
Kagi Assistant
Yes — Free plan availableTrial tier, 100 searches with the Assistant included, no card needed
Le Chat (Mistral)
Yes — Free plan availableWith $10 a month of API credits
Individual plans
Kagi Assistant
Starter $5 / month$4.50 / month (annual)
Professional $10 / month$9 / month (annual)
Ultimate $25 / month$22.50 / month (annual)
Duo $14 / month$12.60 / month (annual)
Family $20 / month$18 / month (annual)
Le Chat (Mistral)
Pro $14.99 / monthor $30 / month
Business plans
Kagi Assistant
From $10 / user / monthTeam Professional, Team Ultimate
Le Chat (Mistral)
From $24.99 / user / monthTeam
Enterprise
Kagi AssistantNot published
Le Chat (Mistral)
Custom pricing
View full details
Interactive

Tell us what you use AI for

Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.

The verdict for that job
Evenly matched
Close call. Both cover general-purpose ai assistants at the same level; both have a free plan you can start on; Kagi Assistant is cheaper to start paying for, $5 against $14.99.
7 rows compared

Frequently asked questions

Is Kagi Assistant or Le Chat (Mistral) better?

Kagi Assistant is ahead on 1 of the 7 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Le Chat (Mistral) are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation. both have a free plan you can start on; Kagi Assistant is cheaper to start paying for, $5 against $14.99. Kagi Assistant: Sits on top of a search engine you pay for rather than one funded by advertising, so the results behind an answer are not ranked by who bought them. Le Chat (Mistral): European data residency and open weights. The default if EU hosting is a hard requirement.

Is Kagi Assistant or Le Chat (Mistral) cheaper?

Kagi Assistant — paid plans start at $5 a month against $14.99 a month.

Do Kagi Assistant and Le Chat (Mistral) both have free plans?

Yes. Kagi Assistant: Trial tier, 100 searches with the Assistant included, no card needed. Le Chat (Mistral): Free tier, with $10 a month of API credits.

What should I watch out for?

Kagi Assistant: The free tier is a 100-search trial. Beyond that you are buying the search subscription, and the assistant comes with it rather than being sold on its own; prices exclude sales tax. Le Chat (Mistral): Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations than the US majors. Every plan bundles a monthly allowance of API credits — $10 free, $30 on Pro, $15 on Education — and API use beyond it is priced per token on the API tab of the same page.

Read more

Kagi Assistant

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Le Chat (Mistral)

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Best AI Assistants

Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.