Kagi announced that it is ending development of Orion for Linux and Windows and will open‑source the code for those platforms so the community can carry the work forward. According to the blog post, Orion is built by a very small team, just a handful of developers, and is funded entirely by Kagi users. The team chose to build the browser without forking Chromium, arguing that the web needs more than one engine and more than one company deciding what a browser should be.
When Orion for Linux was first announced, the response was overwhelming, with many users testing early builds, filing bug reports, and expressing appreciation for a WebKit‑based browser on Linux that respects privacy. Kagi said that work will now belong to everyone.
The company explained that taking Orion beyond the Apple ecosystem was a big bet for a small, independent company. Because Kagi is neither venture‑capital backed nor backed by a large open‑source community, it decided to focus its limited resources where it can do its best work. Rather than spreading a small team across three platforms, Kagi is putting its energy into Orion for macOS and iOS and opening the Linux and Windows code to those who want to take it further.
For Orion on macOS and iOS, Kagi said the product is not changing except to get better. The team and resources that were split across platforms are now focused on making Orion on Apple devices faster, more stable, and more capable, with steady improvements expected in the coming months.
Regarding the open‑source release, Kagi said it will release the source code for Orion for Linux and Orion for Windows. A lot of good work went into those builds, and the company believes they deserve a future even if Kagi is not the one to finish them. Details will be shared in the next 30 days, and Kagi has reached out to open‑source foundations and organizations about long‑term stewardship. Kagi emphasized that it will not be the core maintainer; the projects need people who want to own them.
Developers, maintainers, or organizations interested in stewarding Orion for Linux or Windows are invited to contact Kagi at [email protected].
For current users, the Linux beta will continue to work but will stop receiving updates from Kagi after October 2, 2026, and Kagi does not recommend using it as a main browser. The planned Windows release for late 2026 will not come from Kagi; instead, the code will be available for the community to build on. Those who signed up for the Windows newsletter will receive this as their final update from that list.
Kagi thanked everyone who tested, reported bugs, and believed in an independent browser beyond the Apple ecosystem, saying their help built something worth sharing that the company is glad to share with the community.