The Orion Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Orion in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Orion

The Insider’s Guide

WebKit browser from Kagi that runs Chrome and Firefox extensions

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among browsers, read from Orion’s own pages.

Made by Kagi · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com

3.0GPA

01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Orion’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Orion’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

3.0

GPA, above 7 of the 15 other browsers we grade

Orion is a WebKit-based browser from Kagi for Mac, iPhone and iPad, with a Linux version in beta. It runs Safari, Chrome and Firefox extensions, blocks ads and trackers by default and, according to Kagi, sends no telemetry. The browser is free and funded by its users through Orion+, an optional paid membership offered monthly, yearly or as a lifetime license.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Orion, taken from its own pages and our grades.

Kagi's gallery of extensions it has verified to work is the sensible place to start, which rather tells you extensions don't all behave.

From our grade for ease of use

1
Best for Chrome and Firefox extensions on Apple devices
Orion is a Mac and iPhone browser from Kagi that runs Chrome and Firefox extensions, even on your phone, blocks ads and trackers by default, sends no telemetry by Kagi's account, and is free.
2
Paid plans start at $4.17 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime, plus sales tax (Orion+).
3
There is a free plan
The browser is free for everyone, including extension support, ad and tracker blocking, profiles and sync. Orion+ is an optional membership that funds development.
4
It runs on 3 platforms
macOS, iOS and Linux.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
A 3.0 GPA, above 7 of 15
That is against the other browsers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
Keep it
To replace Orion you would be making a web browser. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Orion at a glance

Pricing: Free plan, from $5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime, plus sales tax (Orion+)
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: None stated
Runs on: macOS, Linux, iOS
Made by: Kagi, since 2019
Category: Browsers
Our grade: 3.0 GPA, very good
Store rating: 4.0 on the App Store, 1,209 ratings

The report card

Best for Chrome and Firefox extensions on Apple devices

Orion is a Mac and iPhone browser from Kagi that runs Chrome and Firefox extensions, even on your phone, blocks ads and trackers by default, sends no telemetry by Kagi's account, and is free. But it rates 4.0 on the App Store, Kagi's own list of verified extensions suggests not all of them behave, Linux is still a beta, Windows hasn't shipped and there's no Android app.

ToolGPA report cardOrionGraded Oct 10, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	A	The browser is free and nothing worth having is held back. Orion+ at $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 for life buys custom app icons, a coloured border, a community tag and early betas, which is a tip jar with badges rather than a plan you need.
Free plan and trial	A	Free outright, with extensions from all three ecosystems, native ad and tracker blocking, profiles, containers and sync. There's no trial because there's nothing held back to try.
Features	B	It covers the job and runs Chrome and Firefox extensions on an iPhone as well as a Mac, which Safari doesn't. Add tree-style tabs, containers, Focus Mode and per-site switches for JavaScript and fonts. It has no VPN, no AI and no messengers, unlike the fuller browsers here.
Ease of use	C	4.03 from about 1,200 App Store ratings, which is middling and well behind the 4.7s elsewhere in this category. Kagi's gallery of extensions it has verified to work is the sensible place to start, which rather tells you extensions don't all behave.
Platforms and integrations	C	Apple and little else: Mac, iPhone and iPad, with bookmarks and passwords synced between them. Linux is still a beta, Windows is an alpha that hasn't shipped, and there's no Android app on the listing at all.

Grade point averageVery good, out of 4.03.0

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Orion is for

Fits if you're on a Mac or iPhone and miss a Chrome or Firefox extension
Works for Kagi users who want its search and translation in the browser

Who it is not for

Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as neither has a released version
Not for you if you want a finished Linux browser today, since that one is still a beta
Watch out: not every extension behaves, which is why Kagi keeps a gallery of the ones it has verified
Pricey if all you want is a custom app icon, because that's an Orion+ perk at $5 a month
Tight if you want Kagi Translate on pages or offline, as it needs macOS 26 or later

Good to know

Good for

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

Worth knowing

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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$4.17

A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too

Orion has a free plan. Paid plans start at $5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime, plus sales tax (Orion+).

The browser is free and nothing worth having is held back.

From our grade for value for money

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.

The free plan

The browser is free for everyone, including extension support, ad and tracker blocking, profiles and sync. Orion+ is an optional membership that funds development.

Read from orionbrowser.com on Oct 5, 2026.

Ways to pay less

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.
Stated on orionbrowser.com
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.
Stated on orionbrowser.com

What the app costs elsewhere

Each country’s App Store price for “Orion+ Monthly”, against $5.00 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.

Country	Price there	In dollars	Against the US
Turkey	₺229,99	$4.68	6% less
Philippines	₱ 299.00	$4.76	about the same
Canada	$7.00	$4.92	about the same
Brazil	R$ 24,90	$4.98	about the same
Australia	$8.00	$5.58	12% more
South Africa	R99.99	$6.05	21% more
United Kingdom	£5.00	$6.61	32% more
Germany	6,00 €	$6.72	34% more

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: macOS, Linux and iOS

WebKit browser from Kagi that runs Chrome and Firefox extensions. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: password manager, web browser.

It covers the job and runs Chrome and Firefox extensions on an iPhone as well as a Mac, which Safari doesn't.

From our grade for features

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.

Where it runs

macOS
Linux
iOS

What it works with

Kagi Search
Kagi Translate
iCloud Passwords

Orion is made by Kagi, and has been around since 2019.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

7/15

Other browsers it is graded above

Orion's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 7 of the 15 other browsers we grade.

It stands best on value for money (A, above 8 of 15) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $4.17 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $7.08 for the category: 2 of the 7 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 16 browsers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Orion’s own letter is outlined.

AValue for money
Above 8 of 15
AFree plan and trial
Above 5 of 15
BFeatures
Above 7 of 15
CEase of use
Above 0 of 15
CPlatforms and integrations
Above 0 of 15

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 15 browsers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Orion is the marked dot.

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Orion you would be making a web browser. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It costs $50 a year.

What you could not

A web browser.
A password vault, the last thing anyone should make for themselves.
Apps for macOS, Linux and iOS that stay in step with each other.
What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Orion’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Safari, Brave, Firefox, Arc and Vivaldi

The 5 tools Orion is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

3.2GPA
Safari
Free
Apple's built-in browser for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro.
- Only Orion lists a Linux app.
- Orion also covers password manager.
- Safari also covers passkeys and read later.
Orion and Safari compared in full
3.8GPA
Brave
Free plan · from $3.00/mo
Open-source browser that blocks ads and trackers by default.
- Only Brave lists Windows and Android apps.
- Brave is open source, according to its own site.
- Brave also covers video calls.
Orion and Brave compared in full
3.8GPA
Firefox
Free
Free, open-source browser from Mozilla with tracker blocking built in.
- Only Firefox lists Windows and Android apps.
- Firefox is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Orion and Firefox compared in full
3.4GPA
Arc
Free
Chromium-based browser with Spaces, Profiles and Split View.
- Only Orion lists a Linux app.
- Only Arc lists Windows and Android apps.
- Orion also covers password manager.
Orion and Arc compared in full
3.8GPA
Vivaldi
Free
Customizable browser with built-in mail, calendar and feed reader.
- Only Vivaldi lists Windows and Android apps.
- Vivaldi is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Orion also covers password manager.
Orion and Vivaldi compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Orion free?

Orion has a free plan. The browser is free for everyone, including extension support, ad and tracker blocking, profiles and sync.

How much does Orion cost?

Orion lists 2 plans. Orion: $0.

What platforms does Orion work on?

Orion is available on macOS, iOS and Linux.

Does Orion offer any discounts?

Orion publicly lists the following: About 17% off Orion+ with yearly billing; Orion+ lifetime license for $150.

How is Orion rated?

Orion's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1,209 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Orion have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Orion is listed for macOS, iOS and Linux.

Does Orion have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Orion is listed for macOS, iOS and Linux.

Is Orion open source?

Orion is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

What does Orion integrate with?

Orion's listing names Kagi Search, Kagi Translate and iCloud Passwords.

Who makes Orion?

Orion is made by Kagi. It dates from 2019.

What are the alternatives to Orion?

The closest alternatives to Orion in our directory are Safari, Brave, Firefox, Arc and Vivaldi.

How does Orion compare with other browsers?

Orion's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 7 of the 15 other browsers we grade.

Is Orion good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Orion A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.17 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $7.08 for the category: 2 of the 7 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Orion?

To replace Orion you would be making a web browser. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Orion’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kagi's own pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-27.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Kagi. Prices change, so check orionbrowser.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Orion: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/orion

Know someone choosing between browsers?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/orion/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded browsers after Orion, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

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Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Orion’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Orion is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Kagi. Prices and plans change: check orionbrowser.com before you buy.