Web browsers for MacHead to head
Brave vs Orion
Brave ranks #1 and Orion ranks #2 in our guide to the best web browsers for Mac. Brave is our pick for most people.
BravePick Brave if you want ads and cookie pop-ups gone on Mac and iPhone without installing blockers.Free to start#2 in the guide
OrionPick Orion if you like Safari's engine but rely on Chrome extensions you can't give up.Free to startWhat decides it
- On price: Brave is free. Optional VPN, AI and Brave Origin upgrades are extra. Orion is free. Orion+ is an optional $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 lifetime.
- Both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Brave has the higher App Store rating: 4.8 from 672K ratings, against 4 for Orion.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Brave | Orion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Optional VPN, AI and Brave Origin upgrades are extra | Free. Orion+ is an optional $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 lifetime |
| How you pay | Free, with paid upgrades | Free, with paid upgrades |
| 3 years of use | Depends on the plan | $150 |
| Free trial | Free to start | Free to start |
| Runs on | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Where to buy | App Store, Developer | App Store, Developer |
| Rating | 4.8 672K ratings Higher | 4 1.2K ratings |
| Features | Open source, Free trial | Privacy |
| Made by | Brave Software | Kagi Inc. |
| Last updated | 31 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 |
The differences you'll notice every day
Both are free, both block ads and trackers out of the box, and both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad. The choice comes down to 2 things: whether you want the Chrome engine or Safari's WebKit engine on your Mac, and whether you need extensions on your iPhone.
| Day to day | Brave | Orion |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Chromium on the desktop, the same base as Chrome. Sites built and tested for Chrome behave the same way. | WebKit, the engine behind Safari. In AppleInsider's Speedometer 3.1 test it scored 34.5, ahead of Safari at 33.5 and Chrome at 25.6. |
| Extensions | Installs from the Chrome Web Store on Mac, and Brave says nearly all Chromium extensions work. None on iPhone or iPad. | Installs many Chrome and Firefox extensions on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Not every one works, and iPhone support is still labeled beta. |
| Ad blocking | Brave Shields blocks banner ads, pop-ups and video ads on every site by default, and dismisses cookie banners. | A built-in ad blocker and tracker blocking are on from the start, with a shield icon that shows what got blocked. |
| Where it runs | Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad. The iPhone app needs iOS 18 or later. | Mac, iPhone and iPad only. Kagi ended its Linux and Windows versions in October 2026. The iPhone app needs iOS 17 or later. |
| Sync | Brave Sync joins devices with a QR code or a 24-word code, no account needed. It works across every platform Brave runs on. | Syncs tabs, bookmarks and your reading list through iCloud, with no Orion account. Apple devices only. |
| AI | Leo, a built-in AI assistant, summarizes pages and answers questions for free with no login. Leo Premium adds more models and higher limits. | No built-in AI code at all. Kagi keeps AI out of the browser core by design. |
| Paying | Free. The App Store lists optional Firewall + VPN at $9.99 a month, Leo Premium at $14.99 a month and Brave Origin at $59.99 once. | Free. Orion+ costs $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 lifetime and adds early builds, extra features and custom icons. |
Checked against both App Store listings and the developers' own pages on 31 Oct 2026.
Questions people ask
Is Orion better than Brave?
On an Apple-only setup where you want Safari's engine with extensions on your iPhone, yes. If you also use Windows, Linux or Android, or you want a built-in AI assistant, Brave is the better pick.
Does Orion support Chrome extensions?
Yes. Orion installs many extensions straight from the Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons, on Mac and on iPhone and iPad. Kagi says not all of them work, and fewer work on iPhone because Apple limits the browser APIs Orion can use.
Can Brave use extensions on iPhone?
No. Brave supports Chrome extensions on the desktop only. Its iPhone app runs no Chrome or Safari extensions.
Is Orion free?
Yes. The full browser is free on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Orion+ at $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 lifetime is optional and supports development.
Who should get which
Get Brave if
You want ads and cookie pop-ups gone on every site, on Mac and iPhone, without hunting for blockers.
Get Orion if
You like Safari's engine but can't give up your favorite Chrome extensions.
Skip Brave if
You live in Safari and a free content blocker already keeps most ads away for you.
Skip Orion if
You're happy with Safari plus a content blocker and don't rely on any Chrome-only extensions.
Our verdicts
Brave
The ads that play before and during web videos get blocked along with banners, trackers and cookie pop-ups, with no extension to install and nothing to set up. A Shred button wipes 1 site's data without logging you out of everything else. The VPN and premium AI cost extra and nobody needs them for the blocking, and if tab organization matters more to you than ads, Arc or Zen is the better browser.
Orion
Free on Mac, iPhone and iPad, this browser from Kagi runs on the same WebKit engine as Safari but sends zero telemetry and blocks ads out of the box. It also installs many Chrome and Firefox extensions, though not every one, which is something Safari can't do at all. Orion+ at $5 a month adds early builds, floating windows, programmable buttons and custom icons, but the free version is the one most people want.
What each one helps you do
Brave
- Browse without ads or cookie banners
- Watch web videos without the ads
- Stop trackers following you between sites
- Clear one site's data without logging out
Orion
- Block ads and trackers without installing anything
- Run Chrome and Firefox extensions on WebKit
- Browse without sending usage data anywhere
Where to get them
Brave
Free. Optional VPN, AI and Brave Origin upgrades are extra
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best web browsers for Mac.
Zen BrowserPick it if you keep dozens of tabs across projects and want a free Firefox-based browser with workspaces.Free, open source
DiaPick this if you want an AI in the browser that can answer from your tabs and work tools.Free to start
VeljaPick it if you already have browsers you like and just want links to open in the right one.$10 once
Read the full guideAll Brave alternativesAll Orion alternatives
More comparisons
- Brave vs Zen BrowserPick it if you keep dozens of tabs across projects and want a free Firefox-based browser with workspaces.
- Brave vs DiaPick this if you want an AI in the browser that can answer from your tabs and work tools.
- Orion vs Zen BrowserPick it if you keep dozens of tabs across projects and want a free Firefox-based browser with workspaces.