Orion Browser by Kagi

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Orion, a WebKit-based browser from search company Kagi, is drawing interest as a non-Chromium alternative that supports Safari, Chrome, and Firefox extensions, offers strong built-in ad blocking, and focuses on privacy. Users report fast performance, a polished UI, and standout features like vertical tabs and iOS extension support, but many also encounter stability issues, missing sync features, and compatibility problems with some websites and password managers. A major point of contention is that Orion remains closed-source despite its privacy positioning, leaving some hesitant to trust it as a daily driver compared with established open-source options like Firefox, Brave, or LibreWolf.

Overall reception & performance

  • Many find Orion fast, lightweight, and pleasant to use, especially compared to Chrome’s perceived bloat on Macs.
  • Others report enough bugs (UI glitches, crashes, odd behavior on some sites) that they reverted to Safari or Firefox.
  • Experiences are highly variable: some daily-drive it for months/years without serious issues; others find it “unusable” within days.

Platform support & stability

  • macOS and iOS versions are mature but still reported to have UI bugs (scrolling issues, address bar glitches, extension quirks).
  • Linux version is in beta: users like the feel but see broken settings pages and missing features like history/session sync.
  • Performance on older iOS devices is mixed: some see freezes and crashes with many tabs, others report it works fine even on unsupported devices.

Features: extensions, UI, ad blocking

  • Big draw: supports Safari, Chrome, and Firefox extensions, including on iOS; practical support quality varies.
  • Built‑in ad blocker is widely praised; some say it makes the mobile web “native ad‑free.”
  • Vertical tabs with arbitrary nesting get strong positive mentions; some users are extremely picky about tab bar density and behavior.
  • Apple Pay, iCloud passwords, and autofill now reportedly work, though some still see rough edges and incompatibilities (1Password, Bitwarden, GitHub login).

Privacy, closed source & security

  • Orion is marketed as “zero telemetry” and privacy‑focused, which appeals to many.
  • Others distrust the closed-source model for a browser (a major attack surface) and want at least source‑available code.
  • Some argue that relying on WebKit is reassuring; others note you cannot verify how closely it tracks upstream or what extra vulnerabilities Orion’s code might add.

Kagi, Yandex & geopolitics

  • Debate over Kagi’s use of Yandex indexing: some see it as indirectly funding the Russian state and reject Kagi/Orion on that basis.
  • Others call this an overreach given global interdependencies (oil, Chinese supply chains, US policies) and see Yandex as a pragmatic necessity in a search market dominated by a few players.

Comparisons & alternatives

  • Frequently suggested alternatives: Firefox (and forks like LibreWolf, Waterfox, Zen), Brave (including a de‑crypto’d variant), Vivaldi, Safari, Helium.
  • Some prefer separating search engine and browser vendors; others like the Kagi + Orion bundle but still wish Orion were more polished and open.