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ActiveWebKit engine 29/30 documented

Orion

A WebKit browser for Apple platforms with a low-telemetry position and support for selected web extensions.

Published by Kagi (United States) Verified

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Runs on

  • macOSmacOS: Available
  • WindowsWindows: Unavailable
  • LinuxLinux: Partial
  • AndroidAndroid: Unavailable
  • iOSiOS: Available

Choose it when

Choose Orion for a WebKit browser centred on Apple platforms that combines low-telemetry positioning with native blocking and selective extension support.

Avoid it when

Avoid it if you need Windows, Linux, Android, or guaranteed compatibility with Chrome and Firefox extension stores.

Quick answers

Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.

Which platforms does Orion run on?
Which platforms does Orion run on?
Documented on macOS and iOS. Not available on Windows and Android.
Can I install Chrome extensions?
Can I install Chrome extensions?
Partly - Chrome Web Store support is conditional.
Does it block trackers out of the box?
Does it block trackers out of the box?
Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. Orion includes native content blocking and compatibility controls.
Does it have built-in AI features?
Does it have built-in AI features?
No AI capability in this record is documented as built in.
Is it open source?
WebKit open source with proprietary Orion browser code
Is it still being developed?
Is it still being developed?
Active - Actively developed for Apple platforms, with a public Linux beta and a Windows build in development.

What Orion does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

1 built in · 2 not available · 1 undocumented

  • Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in

    Orion includes native content blocking and compatibility controls.

  • Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown

    No broad hardened fingerprinting posture is claimed here.

  • Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unavailable

    Kagi documents a zero-telemetry policy for Orion within the documented scope.

  • Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable

    No general browser VPN is included.

  • Private windowsPrivate windows limit local records but do not anonymize traffic.

    Private windows limit local records but do not anonymize traffic.

  • Default search engineNone preset (chosen on first use; Kagi is an included option)

    None preset (chosen on first use; Kagi is an included option)

Extensions and blocking

1 built in · 4 partial

  • Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Partial
  • Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Partial
  • Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in

    Orion includes native content-blocking rules.

  • Manifest V3Manifest V3: Available by extension

    Manifest V3 compatibility is partial and extension-specific.

  • Manifest V2Manifest V2: Available by extension

    Orion supports selected WebExtensions APIs, not the full store contracts.

  • Known limitationsWeb extension compatibility is selective; test required extensions before migrating.

    Web extension compatibility is selective; test required extensions before migrating.

Workflow

8 built in · 3 not available

  • Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in

    Orion documents vertical tabs on supported Apple platforms.

  • Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
  • Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Built in

    Orion supports tab groups or workspace-like organization.

  • ProfilesProfiles: Built in

    Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.

  • Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
  • SidebarSidebar: Built in

    Sidebar tab navigation is built in.

  • Reader modeReader mode: Built in

    WebKit Reader is available.

  • Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
  • Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in

    iCloud-based browser data sync is documented.

  • TranslationTranslation: Built in

    Translation is available through WebKit or Orion features where supported.

  • Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in

    Progressive web apps are supported by the Chromium install flow.

AI features

9 not available

  • Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Unavailable
  • Page summarisationPage summarisation: Unavailable
  • Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
  • AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
  • Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
  • Text or image generationText or image generation: Unavailable
  • Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
  • Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unavailable
  • Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Unavailable

On a phone

2 built in · 8 undocumented

Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.

  • Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Built in

    Kagi documents installing Chrome and Firefox extensions on the iOS build; Safari extensions are not supported.

  • Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Unknown

    Default-browser capability is not documented.

  • Biometric lockBiometric lock: Unknown

    Biometric locking is not documented.

  • Offline readingOffline reading: Unknown

    Offline reading is not documented.

  • Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Built in

    A Desktop Mode is documented.

  • Download managerDownload manager: Unknown

    A built-in download manager is not documented.

  • Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown

    Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.

  • Web pushWeb push: Unknown

    Web push support is not documented.

  • Data saverData saver: Unknown
  • Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown

    Address-bar placement is not documented.

Under the hood

Rendering engine
WebKit
JavaScript engine
JavaScriptCore
Upstream project
WebKit
Release channel
stable
Code and licence
WebKit open source with proprietary Orion browser code
Install method
Official download or Apple App Store.
Hardware support
Apple OS version requirements apply.
Source repository

Active. Actively developed for Apple platforms, with a public Linux beta and a Windows build in development.

Editorial view

Orion is Kagi's WebKit browser, and its two headline tricks genuinely have no equivalent elsewhere: a zero-telemetry policy stated flat out by the vendor, and Chrome plus Firefox extensions on a WebKit engine, including on the iOS app. Nothing else in this directory runs uBlock Origin on an iPhone.

Platforms

Apple-first and slowly widening. macOS and iOS builds are official and stable, a Linux build entered public beta as a WebKitGTK Flatpak, and Kagi documents a Windows build in development for late 2026. On engines, WebKit and JavaScriptCore put it in Safari's family rather than Chrome's, with proprietary Orion code on top; the GitHub org hosts components, not the full browser.

Privacy, specifically

  • No telemetry, as vendor policy
  • Built-in content blocking with native rules
  • No preset search engine: the browser asks on first use, with Kagi one option among several rather than a forced default, which is more restraint than most vendor browsers manage toward their own product
  • No fingerprinting posture claimed, no VPN, and private windows clear local traces only

The extension trick, with its asterisk

Compatibility is selective. WebExtensions APIs are implemented piecemeal, so any given Chrome or Firefox extension may work fully, partially, or not at all, and Safari extensions specifically are not supported on the iOS app. Test the extensions you need before you commit; the record marks both stores partial for exactly this reason. Workflow coverage is respectable: native vertical tabs, tab groups as workspaces, a sidebar, Reader, iCloud sync, translation, and web apps, with no split view, tree tabs, or command palette. There is deliberately no built-in AI.

The verdict

Choose Orion for an Apple-centred setup that wants Safari's engine efficiency with real extensions and no telemetry, especially if you already pay for Kagi search. Avoid it if your extension list is long and non-negotiable, or if you need Windows or stable Linux today. Keep Safari around as a fallback while you confirm the extensions that matter actually run, and expect compatibility to improve release by release, since Kagi treats the WebExtensions work as ongoing rather than finished. Sync runs through iCloud, so the Apple account you already have carries bookmarks and tabs across devices.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 1 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

If this is not it

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