From a side project to challenge Safari, to the only truly independent browser for Apple devices. How a small team proved that users, not venture capital, can fund innovation.

Orion began taking shape in 2019. While building Kagi Search, Vladimir Prelovac and his team needed a better browser to demonstrate their vision for a more humane web. They started with a prototype • a WebKit browser that could run Chrome and Firefox extensions on iOS, something no one had attempted before.

Here’s an interesting fact: the idea for bringing web extensions to iOS began with a simple question - why shouldn’t iOS users have them too? Driven by that curiosity, the team started experimenting with extension support on iOS, achieving their first working prototype in November 2019. By the time of their initial App Store submission in May 2020, the Orion browser had become the first iOS browser capable of running full web extensions.

The best part? The team wasn’t even sure Apple would approve such a bold move. Yet to everyone’s astonishment, the app successfully navigated the approval process and was accepted into the iOS App Store on its very first submission..

Following the alpha launch in July 2020, the project gained real momentum in 2021, the year development officially transitioned into what would become the Orion Browser. For the first two years, the entire effort was driven by a single developer. Despite its small beginnings, the project steadily evolved into a tight-knit team working closely with its users.

Originally, the browser carried the name Kagi Browser. On February 3, 2020, Vlad proposed a shortlist of potential new names: Comet, Core, Blaze, and Orion. The team ultimately chose Orion, not just because it sounded right, but because it embodied the spirit of exploration and curiosity behind the project. It felt like a natural fit—one that aligned perfectly with the browser’s mission. This rebranding became official in February 2021, marking the true beginning of Orion’s journey.

The philosophy was clear from day one: build a browser funded by users, not their data. No telemetry, no tracking, no compromise on performance. A browser that respects both the elegance of Apple's ecosystem and the power users demand for customization.

And after months of intense development and private beta testing Orion entered public beta in June 2022, marking a new chapter in independent browser development.

Orion became the answer to a question nobody else was asking: what if we made the best browser for Apple devices without following Silicon Valley's playbook?

Today, Orion stands as proof that a small, user-funded team can challenge browser monopolies. Every feature, from native vertical tabs to Focus Mode, exists because users asked for it and supported its development through Orion+.
It's not just a browser • it's a statement that the web deserves better, and that better starts with respecting the people who use it.