300 is low, i agree. but idk, if it's a free product, then YOU are the product. is my data still being used in ways that profit a few and invade my privacy? probably, but less than google i hope.
I am on the anti-AI side of things, by nature of being human. and yeah, there's some AI shit in kagi, as with seemingly all others. but it at least it's opt-in (i think). i've never seen it shoved in my face, which i can't say for example duckduckgo.
can't tell u what price is best for you, or what UI u prefer. but trash? no. google is trash.