The justification they give seems to be nonsense: "While we understand that this may be inconvenient for some users, it’s important to note that providing free trial accounts and supporting our team members’ salaries requires a delicate balance. "
That makes sense if you are confident that they will still be in business 12 months from now. In light of these changes, and the number of people saying they will cancel, I don't share that confidence.
https://blog.kagi.com/update-kagi-search-pricing#faq (Third question.)
The justification they give seems to be nonsense: "While we understand that this may be inconvenient for some users, it’s important to note that providing free trial accounts and supporting our team members’ salaries requires a delicate balance. "