Kagi's Orion browser hits Linux beta, pitches WebKit speed with zero telemetry

Orion is a WebKit-based browser from search company Kagi that stakes its identity on privacy and independence from the Chrome/Firefox engine duopoly. Its main technical hook is running Apple’s WebKit engine — the same core as Safari — while adding support for both Chrome and Firefox extensions, something Safari itself does not offer. The pitch is native performance and lower resource use than Chromium browsers, paired with a strict no-telemetry, no-ads, no-third-party-deals stance.

The project began on macOS, where it has been in development for roughly five years, and has since expanded across platforms. It claims four million users on iOS and iPadOS, is now in beta on Linux, and has an early alpha in progress for Windows. Kagi’s built-in search and other services are integrated directly into the browser.

The business model is the differentiator worth noting: Orion is funded entirely by users rather than advertising or data monetization, offered through an Orion Plus subscription or a one-time lifetime license. That aligns the incentives behind its privacy claims but also means the browser lives or dies on paid conversion — a harder path than the ad-subsidized incumbents it positions itself against.