Kagi Ends Orion Development for Linux and Windows, Will Open-Source Both

Kagi announced on October 2 that it is ending development of Orion for Linux and Windows and will open-source both so the community can carry them forward. According to a post on the Kagi blog, the company is stepping back from developing these platforms directly so its team can put more focus on Orion for macOS and iOS.

Why Kagi made the decision

Orion is built by a very small team, just a handful of developers, funded entirely by Kagi users. The company built the browser without forking Chromium, and the post says that independence matters more than ever: the web needs more than one engine and more than one company deciding what a browser should be.

Kagi says building a cross-platform browser is usually done by venture-backed companies or large open-source communities, and it is neither. Users often tell the company to stay focused, the post adds, so rather than spread a small team across three platforms, Kagi will put its energy where it can do its best work. The Linux announcement had drawn an overwhelming response, with users testing early builds, filing bug reports and asking for a WebKit-based browser on Linux that respects their privacy.

What changes for users

The current Linux Beta will keep working, but it will stop receiving updates from Kagi after October 2, 2026, and the company does not recommend using it as a main browser. The planned late-2026 release of Orion for Windows will not come from Kagi; instead, the code will be available for the community to build on. Subscribers to the Windows newsletter will not receive further updates from that list.

Open source and next steps

Kagi will release the source code for both projects, with details promised in the next 30 days. It has also reached out to open-source foundations and organizations about long-term stewardship, and says plainly that it will not be the core maintainer: the projects need people who want to own them. Developers, maintainers and organizations interested in taking over can contact the team at [email protected].

Orion for macOS and iOS is not changing except to get better. The team and resources previously split across platforms are now focused on Apple devices, and Kagi promises faster, more stable and more capable releases in the coming months.