In the FAQ they they mention the average Kagi user does 700 searches a month. Perhaps uncoincidentally, the $10/month plan includes exactly that many searches.
I am exactly in the same boat. I had raised my concerns regarding pricing twice and both the times they had said that they will introduce new pricing model. I was really hoping that they will reduce my $10/mo subscription pricing.
I hope it will be possible to transfer unused searches from the current month to the next. If I have 400 in February and 760 in March it would be very annoying to suddenly be forced to pay or need change back to Bing.
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. "
Without even considering the early adopter benefit, this pricing update for me is a nothing-burger.