Orion Browser: What It Is, Who It Suits, and Alternatives
Nemo · · 5 min read
Orion is a web browser made by Kagi, the company behind the paid Kagi search engine. It runs on WebKit, the same engine as Safari, and is available for macOS, iPhone and iPad. Its two headline features are support for Chrome and Firefox extensions on a WebKit browser, and zero telemetry: Kagi says the browser sends no usage data back. It suits Mac users who want Safari’s engine with more extensions and more settings.
Why do people look for a browser like Orion?
Most Mac users end up choosing between two compromises. Safari is fast and light on the battery, but its extension catalog is small and its interface changes little. Chrome has every extension, but it is a Google product, it runs on Chromium, and it shares data with Google by default. Orion was built for the people stuck in the middle.
What does Orion do?
These points come from Orion’s own site as of November 2026.
| Feature | What Orion says |
|---|---|
| Engine | “Pure WebKit engine”, like Safari |
| Platforms | macOS and iPhone/iPad; Linux has its own page on the site |
| Extensions | Chrome and Firefox extensions, with a curated list Kagi says works |
| Privacy | “Complete zero-telemetry browsing” |
| Ads and trackers | Blocked built in |
| Business model | Funded by users: a subscription or a one-time lifetime licence, “no ads and no third party deals” |
| Search | Kagi services built in; you can still pick another search engine |
Extension support is the part to test before you switch. Orion runs many Chrome and Firefox extensions through its own layer on top of WebKit, but not every extension works the same way it does in Chrome. Install your three most important ones first and check each one.
Who is Orion a good fit for?
Orion fits you if:
- You like Safari’s speed but miss a password manager, a reader tool or another extension that only exists for Chrome or Firefox.
- You want a browser whose business model is the user paying, not advertising.
- Kagi search is already part of your day and you want it built in.
- You use an iPhone and want the same browser and extensions there.
It is a weaker fit if your work depends on Chrome DevTools, a Chromium-only web app, or an extension that hooks deep into Chrome. In that case a Chromium browser stays the safer choice.
What are the alternatives to Orion on Mac?
| Browser | Engine | Strength | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safari | WebKit | Built in, light on battery, syncs with iPhone | Safari extensions only |
| Orion | WebKit | Chrome and Firefox extensions, zero telemetry | Extension support varies |
| Zen | Gecko (Firefox) | Vertical tabs, workspaces, Firefox add-ons | Not WebKit, so different battery and site behavior |
| Vivaldi | Chromium | Deep settings, tab tiling, Chrome extensions | Busy interface out of the box |
| Monok | WebKit (the system’s) | Magic Bar, split panes with a terminal, very little chrome | Early preview: no extensions, no sync |
If you are choosing a WebKit browser in general, the guide to WebKit browsers on Mac explains what the shared engine means for compatibility. For a ranking across all engines, see the best browser for Mac.
Where does Monok fit next to Orion?
Monok is a small Mac browser that also runs on the system’s WebKit, through WKWebView. Where Orion adds extensions and settings to a WebKit browser, Monok goes the other way and removes almost everything around the page.
- No address bar. The Magic Bar opens over the page with Cmd+L, or empty with Cmd+N, for addresses, history, bookmarks and search. The no address bar post shows how it works.
- Panes like tmux. Cmd+D splits right and Shift+Cmd+D splits down. A pane can hold a page, a native terminal running your own shell, or a Files pane.
- Ad and tracker blocking built in, from EasyList and EasyPrivacy, turned off per site from the menu. The network-level ad blocking post covers how.
- Small. Measured on version 0.1.0 on an Apple M5 Pro: a 6.8 MB app binary on Apple silicon and 32 MB of memory for the app at idle. WebKit’s page processes come on top of that, as they do in every WebKit browser.
What Monok doesn’t do matters as much: there are no extensions, no sync, no bookmark import and no iPhone version, and it needs macOS 14 or later. It is an early preview. If extensions are the reason you looked at Orion, Orion is the better choice. If you want a quiet window with a terminal next to the page, try Monok as a second browser.
Which one should you try?
Write down the one thing your current browser gets wrong. If it is missing extensions on WebKit, install Orion and test your extensions first. If it is too much interface between you and the page, download Monok and open your next work session in it.
FAQ
Who makes the Orion browser?
Kagi, the company behind the Kagi search engine. Orion is funded by its users through a subscription or a lifetime licence, not by ads.
Is Orion based on Chromium?
No. Orion runs on WebKit, the engine Safari uses. It adds support for many Chrome and Firefox extensions on top of WebKit.
Is Orion available on Windows?
Orion’s site lists macOS and iPhone/iPad, and Linux has its own page there. Check the site for the current Windows status before planning around it.
Does Orion block ads?
Yes. Orion has ad and tracker blocking built in, with no extension needed.
Is Orion better than Safari?
It depends on what you need. Both run on WebKit, so pages behave much the same. Orion adds Chrome and Firefox extensions and more settings; Safari is built into the Mac and syncs with Apple’s apps.