Do I need my own Kaspa node to send and receive KAS?

No — you can use someone else's node instead of running your own. A node is the piece of software that stays connected to the Kaspa network and validates activity on it; your wallet needs to talk to a node to work, but that node does not have to be yours. Running your own node gives you more independence and privacy, while relying on a third-party node is simpler to set up. For most beginners, connecting to an existing public node is the easiest path to get started sending and receiving Kaspa.