Thoughts on Orion Browser (2024)

I’ve been playing with the new Orion browser by Kagi and wanted to jot down some thoughts. Overall I’m impressed with Orion, and would love to use it as my default browser on Mac and iPhone. It’s still in development though and isn’t quite there yet for me.

Things I like

Appearance

It looks like Safari with extra features. I like that a lot, I really don’t like it when applications don’t match the system they’re on. In the screenshot below, I’ve customized the appearance from stock to show tabs in the sidebar.

Thoughts on Orion Browser (1)

Migration

Kagi migrated all my open tabs, bookmarks, cookies, and other bits from Safari without a hitch, including Tab Groups. However, Tab Groups appear as separate windows in Orion, which is fine, but Orion provides no method of adding or removing these imported Tab Groups currently.

Sync

Orion supports sync via iCloud between the macOS and iOS apps, and I wish more apps supported this approach. It is so nice to install an app and its iOS equivalent, and have sync just work out of the box with no set up and no logging in.

Gold-standard tab grouping

This differs from the Safari Tab Groups feature.

With “tabs on the side” enabled, you can drag tabs over each other to create groups:

Thoughts on Orion Browser (2)

Before Opera gave up on their Presto engine and rebuilt the browser on top of Blink, they had the best tab grouping feature I’ve ever seen in any browser since. It worked by dragging and holding a tab over another tab, and then the two would be grouped, and the group could be expanded or collapsed as an accordion in the tab bar.

Vivaldi, the spiritual successor to Opera 12, also has this style of tab grouping.

I’m thrilled to see this in Orion, and hope it comes to the horizontal tab bar too.

Use both Chrome and Firefox extensions

This is huge, as most other alternative browsers only let you use one or the other, depending on which engine they’re based on. Orion uses WebKit under the hood, yet supports both kinds of extensions. This support is a work in progress though, and I did encounter some issues getting the 1Password extension to work reliably.

Easy window management

When you open a window in Orion, it shows up in the dropdown menu on the left side of the window, and you can easily switch between and manage the windows from this menu.

Thoughts on Orion Browser (3)

My Tab Groups that were imported from Safari also show up in here.

Feels faster than Safari

Not sure what they did under the hood, but Orion definitely feels faster than Safari when loading pages, and that’s not just because of uBlock Origin.

Neat tools

Orion’s Tools menu has some handy features, including screenshot tools, editing text on the page, getting past senseless clipboard restrictions, and opening the current page in Internet Archive.

Low Power Mode works very well, and I didn’t notice any drawbacks from using it.

Thoughts on Orion Browser (4)

Efficient power usage

Even if you don’t turn on Low Power Mode, Orion’s WebKit base keeps it efficient, especially compared to other browsers using Blink and Gecko.

You can be a power user while using Orion without using a lot of power.

Bookmarks management window

I’m not a fan of the sidebar in Safari for managing bookmarks, and the page for “Edit Bookmarks” just takes up too much space. I like Orion’s window for bookmark management.

Thoughts on Orion Browser (5)

Things I don’t like

Things that are keeping me from making Orion my default browser.

Extensions support isn’t quite there yet

I had issues getting the 1Password extension to log in, and then once it was logged in, the dropdown modal would take several seconds to load, and doesn’t integrate with the Mac app for biometrics. I can’t use a browser that doesn’t play well with my password manager unfortunately, but I know the team is working on the extensions API.

Other extensions I had issues with: Raindrop, and no extension for NetNewsWire (NNW). The latter is not an issue with Orion, it’s definitely a NNW issue. I can’t find an extension that finds and opens RSS feeds in NNW for subscribing, and NNW’s share menu support is broken.

No Tab Groups support, yet supports Tab Groups?

In addition to individual tab grouping, I’d love for Orion to fully support Safari’s Tab Groups feature. It imported my existing Tab Groups, so that part works, I just need a way to remove and add new ones, and switch between them in the same window.

Also, if you have your Tab Group windows open, adding an extension from the Extensions pane opens the Chrome/Firefox addons page in a random open window, which was maddening.

Other stuff I don’t like

  • Sidebar is glitchy sometimes
  • Doesn’t remember page title until you click the tab after relaunching the browser
  • New tab page doesn’t show bookmark folders

Conclusion

There’s a lot I like about Orion, but due to the issues I encountered, I can’t use it as my default browser just yet. I’ll be eagerly following development though, and will revisit its viability in the future.

Thoughts on Orion Browser (2024)

FAQs

Can you trust the Orion browser? ›

For macOS users seeking a lightweight privacy browser, Orion is an excellent option. Those needing broader platform compatibility will favor Brave, although its privacy comes with caveats. Overall both are great browsers, so choosing comes down to individual priority on privacy, extensions and platform support.

Is Orion a safe browser? ›

Orion is a true zero-telemetry browser, with a powerful built-in ad and tracking blocker. Even with its default settings, Orion offers the highest possible privacy protection on the web.

Why use the Orion browser? ›

Orion has superior performance, memory use, and battery efficiency compared to any non-WebKit browser on a macOS. Orion is the first browser to have a zero-telemetry policy, meaning it will never "phone home" with any of your data.

What is the #1 best browser? ›

Compare web browser features
BrowserGet it
Best overallGoogle ChromeGet Google Chrome
Best for securityMozilla FirefoxGet Mozilla Firefox
Best for customizationVivaldiGet Vivaldi
Best for social mediaOperaGet Opera
2 more rows
Apr 17, 2024

What is the top unsafe browser? ›

A report presented by the AtlasVPN team suggests that Google Chrome is the most unsafe web browser in 2022. According to the report, the cross-platform browser apparently has more than 300 vulnerabilities.

Which browser is not safe? ›

According to a study done by researchers at Trinity College, Yandex and Edge are the two worst browsers for security. The study also found that Edge sends users' hardware ID, IP address, and location to back-end servers which over time can reveal your identity.

How does the Orion browser make money? ›

Regardless, all funding for Orion will come from its users rather than ads, tracking, data monetization or any other indirect way.

Is Orion faster than Chrome? ›

Orion Speed ​

Orion is much faster than non-WebKit browsers like Firefox or Chrome and its derivatives (Edge, Brave, Opera, etc.). Orion scores 605 on Speedometer 2.1 (using M3 MacBook Pro, with Orion's Compatibility mode ON) which is the fastest performance of any browser in existence (that we know of).

Which is the safest browser in the world? ›

Secure Browsers
  • Firefox. Firefox is a robust browser when it comes to both privacy and security. ...
  • Google Chrome. Google Chrome is a very intuitive internet browser. ...
  • Chromium. Google Chromium is the open-source version of Google Chrome for people who want more control over their browser. ...
  • Brave. ...
  • Tor.

Why is Orion popular? ›

For example, the ancient Greeks thought that an arrangement of stars in the sky looked like a giant hunter with a sword attached to his belt, so they named it after a famous hunter in their mythology, Orion. It's one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky and can be seen from around the world.

Is the Orion browser free? ›

Orion is a free, lightning-fast, privacy-protecting browser for Apple users, open to the web and all its standards and protocols.

Does Orion sync with Safari? ›

Third-party web browsers, like Orion, cannot sync with the Keychain used by Safari. Orion must use its own Orion-specific Keychain. Safari cannot see the Orion Keychain and Orion cannot see the Safari Keychain. If you want to use your Safari passwords in Orion, you will need to import the passwords into Orion on macOS.

Which browser cannot be hacked? ›

Quick Comparison Table: Web Browser Features
BrowserPrivacySecurity
Tor BrowserExcellentExcellent
WaterfoxVery GoodGood
EpicExcellentVery Good
Pale MoonGoodGood
6 more rows
Mar 28, 2024

What browser does not spy on you? ›

Which Browser Is the Most Private? Brave and Tor have the most effective protection against tracking among the browsers included here. Brave was the only browser for which the EFF's Cover Your Tracks test reports strong protection and a randomized fingerprint.

Which browser has 100% privacy? ›

Endorsed by Edward Snowden, Tor is arguably the best known privacy-focused browser. It prevents unauthorized snooping with the help of its built-in hidden relay servers, comes with pre-configured security features, and can run from a USB flash drive.

Is Orion a good software? ›

Orion is a winner for my firm

Orion is easy to use. It allows multiple users to enter time spent in several matters. It has easy edit options and makes running reports a breeze.

Who makes the Orion browser? ›

Orion, a promising new browser developed by Kagi, is making waves in the macOS ecosystem. Built on the WebKit engine, the same technology that powers Safari, Orion aims to deliver a familiar yet enhanced browsing experience with a strong emphasis on privacy and performance.

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