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Orion Browser Brings WebKit Speed and Privacy Focus to Mac Users

Sad to say extension support is not all it’s cracked up to be

Of all the extensions I tried some works but others are frustratingly broke and its not like it’s because they’re tied to something specific chrome does because another WebKit based browser, SigmaOS, manages to make them work properly

I reported an issue with one of these extensions two years ago, it was set in review and never looked at again
Now the extension in question works even less (it used to partially work)
 
DEMinSoCAL said:
What's the business model here to keep it going? FREE isn't sustainable. No Data collection so no revenue there. $5/mo subscription that very few will pay. How long will this product be free?
Click to expand...
Their primary source of revenue is via their Kagi search tool. They're quite open about all of this stuff – if you want to ask more questions, check out their Discord. The founder and team are very active.

An example of their transparency: https://kagi.com/stats

You can get a rough extrapolation of their revenue from that page. I think they've also discussed this in other places, but I can't remember where at the moment.
 
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Here's something that Orion can do that Safari can't:
Toggle javascript off/on with a simple keyboard command (accessible through the "developer" menu).
I set it up to use "command-J".

Reason why this is important:
Some websites are overly intrusive, by either:
- barrages of ads (popups, etc.)
- forcing you to provide an email address before they'll show you content
- demanding paid subscriptions
- other automated popups and garbage "coming at you".

... In many instances, you can substantially defeat such behavior by disabling javascript and reloading the page.

You may not see all (or any) embedded content (videos, audio, etc.),
BUT
You can then READ the articles without all this "interference".

Safari USED to have a "disable javascript" command in its developer menu, but Apple removed it. You now have to open settings, go to "security", and uncheck a checkbox. MUCH more difficult.

The developers of Orion saw the value of leaving it alone.
 
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dredlew said:
Safari does not receive any feature updates throughout the year, and it only gets critical bug fixes. And yes, it is bad when the competition updates regularly, fixes smaller bugs, and adds web features. Safari’s lack of updates causes websites to break or have to deal with different versions of technologies. It’s annoying as hell.

The Safari version that receives frequent updates and fixes, is the Technology Preview, which is mostly used by developers. However, the average user doesn’t use it, and it’s quite buggy at times.

So yes, OP is right. If you want an up-to-date WebKit-based browser, it’s either DuckDuckGo or Orion. However, DDG has a mediocre amount of user features, compared to Safari or Orion. Of the three, Orion is currently the most feature rich WebKit browser I’ve used.
Click to expand...

Browsers are mature products, I mean, I get what you say, but, for experimental exciting new features there other browsers with vertical tabs and what not?

Theres also Safari Technology Preview or whatever it's called if you want quarterly updates, for most people a once a year new features update works just fine IMO.
 
I enjoy having Orion in my quiver and use it here and there.

I'm still a Firefox person all the way. The FF customization and extensions, and particularly their PiP that works truly everywhere (in a way no other browser PIP does), continue to make it indispensable for me.

The real star here from Kagi continues to be their main product (Kagi search).

I love it so much and have been using it since it was first available.

Paying for Kagi Search, Fastmail (mail/contacts/calendar) and 1Password -- all just phenomenal services.

(oh, and iCloud storage, but only because I've been lazy about picking an alternative.)
 
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Rafagon said:
You had my attention until you said the word "Subscription."
Click to expand...

It's totally optional and adds nothing that's actually needed if you prefer to pass on it.

MacRumors said:
Orion is free to download and use, and also comes with 200 free searches on Kagi's premium search engine, while an optional Orion Plus subscription at $5 per month unlocks floating windows that stay on top of other apps, custom icons, and offers early access to new features.
Click to expand...
 
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orderoftheditch said:
As a web developer I hate WebKit and Safari and it annoys me when people praise it.
Safari for example didn't support .webp images to 2020 and the browser updates are tied to iOS/macOS releases, just like Internet Explorer was in the earl 2000s.
WebKit recently had a bug where fixed elements that were positioned using bottom: X broke on mobile devices causing elements to float in the middle of the viewport rather than being attached to the bottom.
Then we have the glacial pace of implementing new features or weird WebKit only quirks that require special work arounds, just like IE did back in the day.
Click to expand...
Regardless, it’s good and very important to have multiple web engines out there. If Google controls that, they’ll abuse it
 
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Orion is fantastic. Support for Firefox extensions means support for UBlock Origin. This thing is also really, really fast - more so than Safari even on M4 Pro.

My favorite part though is the Kagi integration. It's a great search engine for anyone that hates search. If you wanted to use it in Safari, you'd have to install an extension, it intercepts Google searches, it's super hacky because Apple is obtuse about search engines.

I cannot wait for the first Linux betas to come out!
 
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DEMinSoCAL said:
What's the business model here to keep it going? FREE isn't sustainable. No Data collection so no revenue there. $5/mo subscription that very few will pay. How long will this product be free?
Click to expand...

It's paid for partly from Kagi Search (the subscription search engine where you're the customer, not the product) in addition to donations from end-users sold as Orion+.

You don't actually get anything out of buying or subscribing to Orion+ outside of access to early betas.
 
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I don't see anything that would take me away from Firefox. UBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, ability to use on both Microsoft products and Apple, and updated without being tied to OS updates - what's there not to like?
 
Long time Kagi user here - can't recommend this company enough - their search engine is amazing. They do a lot of great work - their staff and CEO are very visible in their company Discord - I've even had the CEO respond to some of the stuff I've posted. Crazy cool company.
 
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