Kagi’s Orion for macOS is a fast, privacy-focused web browser that serves as a compelling alternative to Safari.
Privacy at the Core
Safari leads among browsers for privacy, supported by Apple’s robust policies. Chrome and Firefox offer many features, but matching performance with genuine privacy protection remains difficult.
Kagi’s Orion tackles this with a multi-platform design that eliminates tracking. After six years of development, the macOS version reached 1.0.
Minimalist First Impressions
Installation proves simple: download the DMG, drag to Applications, and launch. An opening animation whisks users through a starry galaxy past rival browsers as planets, ending at the Orion logo—dramatic yet engaging.
The interface delivers sleek minimalism with a slim top bar and unified search/address field. Icons indicate RSS feeds, reader mode, profiles, and refresh options.
Focus Mode hides the entire toolbar for a pure webpage view, revealing it on mouseover. Tabs appear just below, working like standard browsers.
- Left sidebar manages tabs, shows blocked requests via shield icon, and handles site settings.
- Right side provides bookmarking, new tabs, sharing, Tab Overview, and summarization tools.
Privacy by Design
Initial setup covers search engine choice, tab behavior, Chrome import, and iCloud syncing for tabs, bookmarks, and reading lists—no account needed.
Orion’s zero-telemetry design sends no data to Kagi, relying on macOS for passwords via iCloud Keychain. It supports Chrome and Firefox extensions without a proprietary store.
Optional Orion+ supports development:
- $5/month
- $50/year
- $150 lifetime
Subscribers gain custom icons, beta access, and roadmap influence while core features remain free.
Performance and Efficiency
Orion uses WebKit for superior speed, memory use, and battery life, skipping Chromium bloat. Kagi optimized it by removing tracking code.
Speedometer 3.1 tests on an M1 Mac mini yielded:
- Orion: 34.5
- Safari: 33.5
- Chrome: 25.6
- Firefox: 20.7
Daily use feels snappy and light, rivaling Safari while outperforming Chrome.
Why Choose Orion
Orion combines minimalism, strong privacy, and speed, making it ideal for macOS users seeking a Safari alternative. Native integration and broad extension support ease the switch.
Chrome loyalists may hesitate, but multi-browser users will value its lightweight, private design.
