Web browsers for MacHead to head
Dia vs Orion
Dia ranks #4 and Orion ranks #2 in our guide to the best web browsers for Mac. Dia is the better pick for most people.
DiaPick Dia if you want an AI in the browser that can answer from your tabs and work tools.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: Dia is free browser. AI plans start at $10 a month, Better Days is $100 a month. Orion is free. Orion+ is an optional $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 lifetime.
- Both run on Mac. Only Orion runs on iPhone and iPad.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Dia | Orion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free browser. AI plans start at $10 a month, Better Days is $100 a month | 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 | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Where to buy | Developer | App Store, Developer |
| Rating | Too few ratings | 4 1.3K ratings |
| Features | Free trial | Privacy |
| Made by | Not listed | Kagi Inc. |
| Last updated | 13 Nov 2026 | 10 Nov 2026 |
The differences you'll notice every day
These 2 sit at opposite ends. Dia puts AI in the middle of your browsing. Orion keeps AI out of the browser core on purpose and sends no data at all.
| Day to day | Dia | Orion |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Chromium, like Arc and Chrome. | WebKit, like Safari. |
| AI | Built in. Chat across your tabs from $10 a month, and the $100 Better Days plan adds a daily Morning Brief and meeting prep. | None built in, by design. |
| Moving from Arc | Imports Spaces as Profiles, Folders as Tab Groups, plus pinned tabs, passwords and extensions. | A regular browser import. Spaces don't carry over. |
| Privacy | When you use AI chat, the pages you ask about are processed by Dia's AI. | Zero telemetry, plus a built-in ad and tracker blocker. |
| Where it runs | A Mac browser. | Mac, iPhone and iPad, with Chrome and Firefox extensions on all 3. |
| Price | Free browser, AI plans from $10 a month. | Free. Orion+ is optional at $5 a month, $50 a year or $150 lifetime. |
Checked against both App Store listings and the developers' own pages on 11 Nov 2026.
Questions people ask
Arc shuts down on 22 Dec 2026. Which should I switch to?
Dia for the smoothest move from Arc and AI help. Orion if you want privacy, Safari's battery-friendly engine and the same browser on your iPhone.
Does Orion have AI?
No. Kagi keeps AI out of the browser core.
Can I use Dia without paying?
Yes. Profiles, tab groups, split view, sync and the ad blocker are free. Only AI chat costs money.
Who should get which
Get Dia if
You work across Slack, Notion and Google Workspace all day and want a browser that can answer from them.
Get Orion if
You like Safari's engine but can't give up your favorite Chrome extensions.
Skip Dia if
You have no use for AI while browsing, and Safari already covers everyday browsing at no cost.
Skip Orion if
You're happy with Safari plus a content blocker and don't rely on any Chrome-only extensions.
Our verdicts
Dia
The top plan for this free browser costs $100 a month, and it covers an AI that writes a daily Morning Brief, preps your meetings and builds reports and decks from Slack, Notion and Google Workspace. The $10 plan handles chat across your open tabs, and without AI you still get profiles, split view and an ad blocker. If you only want the browser part, Arc comes from the same team and is free.
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
Dia
- Ask questions about any page you have open
- Start each day with a Morning Brief
- Keep work and personal logins in separate profiles
- Turn scattered notes into a report or deck
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
Dia
Free browser. AI plans start at $10 a month, Better Days is $100 a month
-
From the developerNew users get a 14-day free trial of Better Days, no card neededFree downloadGet it
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best web browsers for Mac.
BravePick it if you want ads and cookie pop-ups gone on Mac and iPhone without installing blockers.Free to start
Zen BrowserPick it if you keep dozens of tabs across projects and want a free Firefox-based browser with workspaces.Free, open source
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 Dia alternativesAll Orion alternatives
More comparisons
- Brave vs DiaPick this if you want an AI in the browser that can answer from your tabs and work tools.
- Dia vs Zen BrowserPick it if you keep dozens of tabs across projects and want a free Firefox-based browser with workspaces.
- Brave vs OrionPick this if you like Safari's engine but rely on Chrome extensions you can't give up.
- Orion vs Zen BrowserPick it if you keep dozens of tabs across projects and want a free Firefox-based browser with workspaces.