Orion 1.0 is a privacy focused browser for macOS, but will Apple users really leave Safari?
Kagi, a small company best known for its paid, ad free search engine, has announced the launch of version 1.0 of Orion, a new web browser designed around privacy and user control rather than advertising or data collection.
Kagi has already released iPhone and iPad versions of Orion, but this is the company's first desktop browser and arrives following a long beta phase.
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Many of the main browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Brave, and new AI focused ones, are built on Chromium. Apple's browser Safari uses WebKit, and so does Orion which allows it to work closely with Apple’s systems and gives it a different technical base than the larger Chromium group.
Orion avoids telemetry entirely and doesn’t record usage data. Kagi believes that people should know exactly what their browser is up to at all times, given that it sees every search, page, and form.
Orion and AI
Orion takes a cautious view of AI inside browsers. Several browser makers, like Opera, have started building agents directly into their core code, but Kagi says it will keep a strict separation between the browsing engine and any external tools users connect. It plans to add more AI related options later, but only in ways that will keep data flows clear.
Version 1.0 of the browser offers a range of features aimed at simple everyday tasks as well as for work that demands fine control. Focus Mode strips a page down to its main content, while Link Preview shows the contents of a link received in mail or notes without opening a tab. Profiles can be kept apart so work, personal browsing, or testing don’t mix.
Orion is built by just six developers (for the first two years it was just one developer) and doesn’t use ad revenue or data sales. It’s free to download and includes two hundred privacy-first Kagi searches without an account.
Users who want to support Orion can do so through the in-app tip jar, a monthly or yearly supporter subscription, or a one time lifetime payment, each of which unlocks Orion Plus features such as floating windows, added customization options, and early access to upcoming tools.
The browser is available on macOS, iPhone, and iPad. An early Linux version is undergoing testing, and a Windows version is in development.
Kagi says it wants to expand documentation, improve onboarding, and add new features over the next year.
What do you think about the privacy focused Orion for macOS? Tell us in the comments.