An Update on Orion for Linux and Windows

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Kagi’s decision to stop developing its Orion browser for Linux and Windows, while open-sourcing those ports and keeping the macOS/iOS version proprietary, has raised questions about strategy, sustainability, and trust in such a small company. Commenters debate whether Kagi should focus solely on its paid search engine, whether a niche, proprietary WebKit-based browser makes sense in a world dominated by Chromium and Firefox, and how much value Orion actually adds on Apple platforms. Many welcome the refocus of resources but doubt an abandoned open-source codebase will gain traction, and some subscribers say the move adds to broader concerns about product quality and reliability at Kagi.

Overall Reaction to Dropping Linux/Windows Orion

  • Many see the move as expected and even positive, given Kagi’s small size and limited resources.
  • Linux and Windows users are disappointed, especially those wanting a non-Chromium engine on those platforms.
  • Some note the decision came abruptly (blog post + immediate EoL) and wish there had been more notice.

Open Source Strategy and Platform Split

  • Orion for Linux/Windows being open-sourced while macOS remains closed is widely questioned.
  • Several argue that without access to the macOS code, the open-sourced ports are “DOA” and hard to keep in sync.
  • Others think offloading non-Apple platforms to the community is reasonable and preserves focus on Apple users.

Perceived Niche and Value Proposition

  • Supporters say Orion offers: Safari-level integration on macOS/iOS, better extension support (including Chrome/Firefox add-ons on iOS), built-in ad blocking, and Apple ecosystem sync.
  • Critics say its niche is unclear: privacy-focused users tend to prefer open-source Firefox/Brave, and a proprietary browser is a deal-breaker on Linux.
  • Some only ever saw Orion as a workaround to set Kagi as default search on iOS.

Quality, Stability, and UX Reports

  • Experiences are mixed: some use Orion as a daily driver; others found it buggy or “unusable” on desktop.
  • Reported issues: memory leaks, broken extensions (e.g., password managers), performance problems on some sites, and disruptive UX changes.
  • A few say recent iOS builds are much more stable; others say Safari remains noticeably smoother.

Impact on Kagi Search and Strategy

  • Multiple paying subscribers wish Kagi would “just focus on search,” noting long-standing bugs and planned features.
  • Some express declining trust: outages (blank result pages), dropped products (translate, Orion ports) signal overreach and spreading too thin.
  • Others remain fans of Kagi search and assistant, but are reevaluating subscriptions or building their own metasearch/agent setups as an exit strategy.

Browsers, Engines, and Extension Ecosystem

  • Several stress the importance of non-Chromium engines; others argue that building a serious alternative is too hard for a company Kagi’s size.
  • Extension developers say lack of cross-platform support makes Orion impractical to target.
  • Some prefer collaborating with existing projects (Firefox forks, Chromium forks) over creating yet another proprietary browser.