Orion browser for Linux axed months after beta launch - OMG! Ubuntu
Kagi has discontinued the development of the Orion web browser for Linux, citing resource constraints and a focus on its macOS and iOS user base. The company plans to open-source the existing codebase for the community.
Why it matters
This highlights the significant challenges independent developers face when attempting to build cross-platform browser engines outside of the Chromium ecosystem.
Source code to follow, but further updates won't
Kagi has announced that it is ending the development of the Orion web browser for Linux.
The native GTK port of Orion for Linux was announced in 2025 and a public beta launched earlier this year. The goal was feature parity with the macOS build. Recent beta releases edged closer to realising it but, alas, fell short – and that’s where things will stay.
Kagi says it plans to open source the Orion for Linux codebase, as well its WIP port of Orion for Windows. This could enable the FOSS community the opportunity to step up and “carry them forward”– not that developing an independent web browser will be easy.
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