# Alternatives to Orion

WebKit browser supporting Chrome and Firefox extensions.

Orion ranks #4 of 14 in Browsers, with an Alt Score of 74. It is proprietary, freemium from $5/month and available on macOS and iOS. 10 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/orion/
Category: Browsers

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Privacy-conscious users on Mac, iOS, or Linux who want a fast, customizable browser but don't want to give up the Chrome or Firefox extensions they already rely on.
- **What you get**: A WebKit-based browser with built-in ad-blocking and anti-tracking, and zero telemetry by design. It natively runs extensions from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, and Safari Extensions Gallery without a compatibility layer. It's user-funded via subscription or lifetime license, with no ad partnerships, and integrates with Kagi's search and translation tools.
- **How it works**: Install Orion and it opens as a standard browser; from there you can import extensions directly from the Chrome or Firefox stores and adjust granular settings to control ad-blocking, tracking protection, and appearance.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $5/month (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: macOS, iOS
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Vivaldi](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/vivaldi.md) | 93 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 2 | [Brave](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/brave.md) | 85 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Waterfox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/waterfox.md) | 77 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 4 | [Firefox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/firefox.md) | 70 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 5 | [Edge](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/edge.md) | 63 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [LibreWolf](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/librewolf.md) | 58 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 7 | [Opera](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/opera.md) | 58 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 8 | [Zen Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zen-browser.md) | 51 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 9 | [Chrome](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/chrome.md) | 47 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 10 | [Arc](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/arc.md) | 44 | Proprietary | macOS, Windows, iOS |
| 11 | [DuckDuckGo Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/duckduckgo-browser.md) | 40 | Apache-2.0 | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| 12 | [Tor Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tor-browser.md) | 36 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 13 | [Ungoogled Chromium](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ungoogled-chromium.md) | 25 | BSD-3-Clause | Windows, macOS, Linux |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Browsers checklist | Orion | Vivaldi | Brave | Waterfox | Firefox | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Starts at | $5/month | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Engine (Chromium / Gecko / WebKit) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in ad blocker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No |
| Built-in VPN or proxy | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | No | Yes |
| Vertical tabs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tab groups & workspaces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extension ecosystem compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sync (E2E encrypted) | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Battery / memory saver mode | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Privacy: fingerprinting protection | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Telemetry opt-out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Profile containers | Yes | Partial | ? | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Reader mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Orion. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/faq/faq.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “We're working on it! We've started with some of our components and intend to open more in the future.”
- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/orion-plus/orion-plus.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “While the Orion browser is free to use, Orion+ is an optional way for you to support the Orion project.”
- **Starts at**: $5/month — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/orion-plus/orion-plus.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “$5 per month, $50 per year, or $150 for lifetime”
- **Platforms**: macOS, iOS — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Orion is a free, lightning-fast, privacy-focused, WebKit-based browser for Mac, iOS, and soon Linux.”
- **Status**: active — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/faq/faq.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “We are working on Orion for Linux and Windows”
- **Engine (Chromium / Gecko / WebKit)**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Orion is a free, lightning-fast, privacy-focused, WebKit-based browser for Mac, iOS, and soon Linux.”
- **Built-in ad blocker**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/faq/faq.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Orion blocks both first-party and third-party ads, trackers and other annoyances by default”
- **Vertical tabs**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/features/vertical-tabs.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “You can enable vertical tabs by clicking the View menu and choosing Show Vertical Tabs Sidebar.”
- **Tab groups & workspaces**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/features/tab-groups.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “In Orion, Tab Groups are also called Named Windows. You can sync the tabs in a Named Window across Orion on all devices.”
- **Extension ecosystem compatibility**: Yes — <https://orionbrowser.com/extensions> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “The only browser with multi-platform extension support Safari, Chrome, and Firefox extensions • all in one browser.”
- **Sync (E2E encrypted)**: Partial — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/features/syncing-data.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Enable cross-device sync of your tabs, bookmarks, and reading list”
- **Privacy: fingerprinting protection**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/privacy-and-security/preventing-fingerprinting.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Orion is the only browser on the market that comes with full first-party and third-party ad and tracking script blocking, built-in by default, making sure invasive fingerprinters never run on the page”
- **Telemetry opt-out**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/faq/faq.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Orion has no built-in telemetry, so it can never 'phone home' and risk exposing your data.”
- **Profile containers**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/features/containers.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Containers enable users to separate specific activities into color-coded containers. The main benefit of containers is that they are isolated from one another, allowing the user to use sites (e.g., em”
- **Reader mode**: Yes — <https://help.kagi.com/orion/features/reader-mode.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Sometimes you just want to read the article on a website, not wade through ads, video embeds, and other distractions.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/