2 days ago
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When I first started using MacOS, my default browser was Safari. This continued for a long time, mostly because all other browsers couldn't match Safari's battery optimizations. But there were things about Safari that weren't quite what I preferred in a browser, especially in the realm of security. Like most everything Apple creates, you're stuck with the company way. In other words, Safari didn't put the security of the browser in the hands of the user.
Also: 5 alternative browsers that might just replace Safari on your Mac
That's why, when I first heard about the Orion browser, I had to give it a try.
What is the Orion browser?
The Orion browser is a web browser built on the WebKit rendering engine. For those who don't know, a rendering engine is what makes it possible for an app to present web pages to the user.
Also: I speed-tested 11 browsers - and the fastest might surprise you
Now, before we go too far, know that Chrome on iOS does use the WebKit rendering engine (Chrome on all other devices -- including MacOS -- uses Blink). Other than that, it's all Safari.
What Orion does (besides using WebKit) is present itself very much like Safari. The first time I opened Orion, I thought I'd mistakenly opened Safari.
What makes Orion special?
There are several features that help make Orion stand out. First and foremost is security. One thing that really had me nodding my head was the fact that Orion sends zero telemetry. Private information is protected and is never leaked… anywhere.
Next, it comes with vertical, tree-style tabs, which I find far more efficient to use than traditional horizontal tabs. Not only are your tabs easier to see, they're easier to organize. As a bonus, there are also tab groups. The only thing missing here is a Workspaces-like feature.
Also: My 5 favorite web browsers - and what each is ideal for
Another really cool aspect of Orion is that it supports both Chrome and Firefox extensions. There are some extensions that are available for one but not the other. This ensures you don't have to miss out on either.
Then there's the built-in ad and tracker blocking, which is enabled by default, as well as:
- Speed
- Easy on system resources
- Across-device sync
- Reader mode
- Autoplay video blocking
- Keychain for passwords
- Picture in Picture
- Low power mode
- Allow copy and paste (on sites that don't usually allow)
Also: 5 Firefox-based, privacy-first web browsers that improve on the original
The last feature I'll mention is called Focus Mode. With Focus Mode, if you hit the key combination (⇧⌘F), all distractions are removed from the window. I love this feature because it shoos away every element from the web browser, so you can focus on the content at hand. I've used Focus Mode quite a bit during my testing because I find it helps me focus on what I'm looking at. The temptation to look at something else is removed (until I hit the same keyboard shortcut) and I can enjoy a clean window with nothing but content.
Focus Mode might be my favorite feature of Orion.
My experience
After using Orion for about a week, I came to one important conclusion -- Safari on MacOS is no more for me. I found Orion to be fast, easy on the battery, and far more flexible than Safari. To me, Orion is what Safari would be if Apple loosened the reins a bit. This is made very clear in Settings > Advanced, where you can enable support for both Firefox and Chrome extensions.
That's right, you can enable both Chrome and Firefox extension support in Orion.
The only disappointing bit is that Firefox Themes do not work. I installed a few to test and couldn't get any of them to apply. They install; they just aren't visible. The good news is that's the only issue I found with Orion.
There's also one other bit of good news. The team behind Orion plans on creating a Linux version of the browser. There's no indication of when that will happen, but it apparently is definitely moving forward. Other than Epiphany, this will make only the second major browser based on WebKit to be available for Linux, and I cannot wait to see how it performs.
Also: 5 great Chrome browser alternatives that put your privacy first
If you're interested in giving Orion a test, you can download it for MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS from the official download page.
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