Kagi

Privacy-first AI search engine with no ads and no tracking

Proton VPN

Swiss privacy-first VPN with open-source apps and NetShield ad blocking

Kagi

Caution

11/25

Proton VPN

Excellent

22/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionKagiProton VPN

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Kagi: All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently available.

Proton VPN: Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

1/5

All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently available.

5/5

Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Kagi: US-incorporated and subject to CLOUD Act; strong privacy-by-design model but US legal jurisdiction is a residual risk.

Proton VPN: Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

2/5

US-incorporated and subject to CLOUD Act; strong privacy-by-design model but US legal jurisdiction is a residual risk.

5/5

Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Kagi: No training on user search data, no persistent user profiling, and no ad-based tracking by design.

Proton VPN: Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

5/5

No training on user search data, no persistent user profiling, and no ad-based tracking by design.

5/5

Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Kagi: No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other formal third-party security certifications are currently published.

Proton VPN: ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

1/5

No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other formal third-party security certifications are currently published.

3/5

ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Kagi: Privacy-first business model is commendable, but lack of certifications and US jurisdiction limit regulated institutional use in Europe.

Proton VPN: Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

2/5

Privacy-first business model is commendable, but lack of certifications and US jurisdiction limit regulated institutional use in Europe.

4/5

Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

Total Score

11/25

22/25

Best For

Kagi

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Proton VPN

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

Kagi vs Proton VPN: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Kagi (Kagi, US) scores 11/25 overall with a Review Required (Caution) trust badge. Privacy-first AI search engine with no ads and no tracking. Proton VPN (Proton AG, CH) scores 22/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Swiss privacy-first VPN with open-source apps and NetShield ad blocking.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Proton VPN leads with 5/5 vs 1/5.

●Kagi (1/5): All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently available.

●Proton VPN (5/5): Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Proton VPN leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●Kagi (2/5): US-incorporated and subject to CLOUD Act; strong privacy-by-design model but US legal jurisdiction is a residual risk.

●Proton VPN (5/5): Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 5/5.

●Kagi (5/5): No training on user search data, no persistent user profiling, and no ad-based tracking by design.

●Proton VPN (5/5): Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

#### Certifications

Proton VPN leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●Kagi (1/5): No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other formal third-party security certifications are currently published.

●Proton VPN (3/5): ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

#### Regulatory Fit

Proton VPN leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●Kagi (2/5): Privacy-first business model is commendable, but lack of certifications and US jurisdiction limit regulated institutional use in Europe.

●Proton VPN (4/5): Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Kagi	Proton VPN
ISO 27001	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Proton VPN has a clear trust advantage, scoring 22/25 compared to Kagi's 11/25. Proton VPN particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Kagi or Proton VPN?

Kagi has a TrustKit score of 11/25 while Proton VPN scores 22/25. Proton VPN currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Kagi and Proton VPN compare on data residency?

Kagi scores 1/5 for data residency (All data is processed on US infrastructure with no EU data residency option currently available.), while Proton VPN scores 5/5 (Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.).

Are Kagi and Proton VPN GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Kagi has a regulatory fit score of 2/5 and Proton VPN scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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