Brave vs Orion

Brave

• People who want ads and trackers blocked without installing extensions
• Chrome users who want to keep their Chrome Web Store extensions
• Those who want an AI assistant that works without an account
• Crypto users who want a self-custody wallet built into the browser

Orion

• Apple users who want Chrome and Firefox extensions on a WebKit browser
• People who want built-in ad blocking and no telemetry
• Kagi users who want its search and translation in the browser

Brave

• The VPN is not part of the free browser: it is a subscription at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
• Free access to Leo varies with traffic and usage. Higher rate limits and more models need Leo AI premium at $14.99 per month.
• VPN, Leo, Search and Talk premium are each sold as a separate subscription; the pricing page lists no bundle.
• Brave Origin, the version without Leo, News, Rewards, VPN or Wallet, is a $59.99 one-time purchase on every system except Linux.

Orion

• The Linux version is in beta, and the Windows version is an alpha that has not been released.
• Custom app icons, the browser border and early access to beta builds are reserved for Orion+ members.
• Orion+ billing runs through a Kagi account, although a Kagi Search subscription is not required.
• On-page and offline translation with Kagi Translate requires macOS 26 or later.

Brave

Shields ad and tracker blocking

Shields block third-party ads, trackers, fingerprinting and cookie consent notices by default on every site, including video ads on YouTube. The settings can be customized or left alone.

Leo AI assistant

Leo summarizes webpages, PDFs and Google Docs, answers questions and drafts text with no account required. Chats are not retained or used for training, and Bring Your Own Model connects local or remote models.

Brave Search

The default search engine for most new Brave users serves results from Brave's own independent index of the web, offers AI answers and does not profile the people using it.

Private Windows with Tor

Tor integration in private windows proxies the IP address, and fingerprint randomization makes the browser look different to every site on each visit.

Sync, vertical tabs and extensions

Bookmarks, passwords and tabs sync encrypted across devices, tabs can be stacked vertically, and Chrome Web Store extensions work, including those that rely on MV2.

Rewards, Wallet and Talk

Brave Rewards pays BAT to people who opt in to privacy-preserving ads, Brave Wallet is a self-custody crypto wallet, and Brave Talk runs private video calls in the browser.

Orion

Safari, Chrome and Firefox extensions

Orion runs extensions from all three ecosystems, on iPhone and iPad as well as Mac, and keeps a curated gallery of extensions verified to work.

Ad blocking and zero telemetry

Ads and trackers are blocked natively by default, and Kagi states that the browser sends, tracks and collects nothing about its users.

Profiles and containers

Each profile gets its own browser, icon and Dock emoji to separate work from personal use, and containers keep accounts apart without switching browsers.

Tree-style tabs and tab previews

Tabs can sit in a parent-child hierarchy that collapses or closes as a group, be pinned or split into focused windows, and show a visual preview when switching.

Focus Mode and per-site settings

Focus Mode hides the whole interface so a site behaves like a web app, and per-site controls toggle the ad blocker, JavaScript, web fonts and permissions.

Sync and Kagi services

Bookmarks and passwords sync between Orion on Mac, iPhone and iPad without third-party tools, and Kagi Translate translates pages in place.

Brave

• Free$0

  The full browser with Shields ad and tracker blocking, encrypted sync, the free tier of Leo, Brave Search and Brave Talk video calls.

• Search premium$3.00

  per month, or $29.99 per year

  Ad-free Brave Search results and a cleaner view on all results pages.

• Talk premium$7.00

  per month, or $69.99 per year

  Video calls with hundreds of people, call recordings, participant muting and passcodes. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Brave VPN$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  Whole-device VPN for up to 10 devices across desktop, Android and iOS, with speeds up to 500 Mbps. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Leo AI premium$14.99

  per month, or $149.99 per year

  More AI models, higher rate limits and early access to new Leo features. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Brave Origin$59.99

  one-time purchase

  A minimalist version of the browser that can switch off or remove Leo, News, Rewards, VPN, Wallet and other features. Free on Linux.

Orion

• Orion$0

  The full browser, with Safari, Chrome and Firefox extension support, built-in ad and tracker blocking, profiles, containers and sync.

• Orion+$5

  per month, or $50 per year or $150 lifetime, plus sales tax

  Supports development and adds custom app icons, a customizable browser border, a community tag and early access to beta builds.

Brave

• Annual discount

  About 17% off with yearly billing

  Each Brave premium subscription costs about 17% less when paid yearly: Brave VPN is $99.99 a year against $119.88 for twelve months at $9.99, and Leo AI premium is $149.99 against $179.88.

Orion

• Annual discount

  About 17% off Orion+ with yearly billing

  Orion+ costs $50 a year, against $60 for twelve months at the $5 monthly price. Sales tax is added to both.

• Lifetime license

  Orion+ lifetime license for $150

  Orion+ can be bought once for $150 plus sales tax and kept forever, instead of renewing monthly or yearly.