Orion Add-ons Store: A Secure and Exclusive Ecosystem for Developers

mjeed51

This feature introduces a fully native add-ons store designed exclusively for the Orion browser. Its purpose is to give developers a secure, profitable, and high-impact platform to build extensions that are optimized specifically for Orion, rather than adapting to third-party limitations.

Key elements include:
1. Complete Source Code Protection
Extensions are distributed in a protected format, preventing unauthorized access, copying, or reverse-engineering. Developers can publish confidently without worrying about code theft or unapproved modifications.
2. Exclusive Orion Compatibility
Add-ons run only inside Orion, ensuring full feature support, higher stability, and a unique opportunity to create functionality that exists nowhere else.
3. Flexible Licensing and Device Control
Developers can choose supported platforms (iPhone, iPad, desktop) and define how many devices a single purchase can activate, giving full freedom over distribution models.
4. Lifetime Purchase Model
Users buy an add-on once and keep lifetime access through their Orion account, making paid extensions more appealing and easier to manage.
5. Fair Revenue Sharing
The store may take a small percentage from paid add-ons, designed to support platform growth without negatively affecting developer earnings.
6. A Strong Incentive for Exclusive Development
With built-in protection and revenue potential, developers have a compelling reason to create extensions only for Orion. This transforms Orion from a browser that supports extensions into a platform with its own high-value ecosystem.

This feature improves the user experience by offering a trusted, streamlined way to discover and install optimized add-ons, while giving developers a safer and more rewarding environment than existing extension marketplaces.

A developer publishes an extension to the Orion store, knowing the source code cannot be extracted or reused without permission.
• The developer selects supported devices and sets activation limits per purchase.
• A user purchases the add-on once and gains lifetime access across approved devices through their Orion account.
• The extension installs instantly and runs exclusively inside Orion, guaranteeing full compatibility and optimized performance.
• The store receives a minimal commission, while the developer benefits from direct revenue and increased visibility.
• Over time, this creates a growing library of Orion-only extensions, giving developers a unique space to innovate and users a reason to choose Orion over other browsers.

Relevant Comparisons:
• Chrome and Firefox allow extension publishing but do not protect source code, which discourages developers who rely on proprietary logic.
• Platforms like the Apple App Store and Steam use account-based licensing and lifetime access models, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

Core Motivation for Developers:
• A protected environment for their work
• A new revenue channel
• Freedom to define distribution and licensing
• A chance to build extensions that stand out in a browser-exclusive ecosystem

RoxyRoxyRoxy

I don't think this is viable any time soon; until we have a large market share devs aren't going to want to develop proprietary extensions for us. Even after that the idea of paywalled extensions leaves a sour taste in my mouth given the open source nature of other extensions. Open to community input on this one.

mjeed51

RoxyRoxyRoxy

It’s not necessary for the extensions to be paid. My main concern is that the extension is protected—so no one can see or steal the source code. Developers should be able to customize their work without worrying that someone else can just take it, modify it, and claim it. It doesn’t seem fair to put effort into building and testing an extension only for it to be easily copied.

On the contrary, I think this proposal could actually help increase your market share. If implemented, it would motivate developers to build extensions exclusively for this browser—ones that can’t be found anywhere else. This exclusivity could attract more users to switch to the browser, since they’d get access to unique extensions not available on Chrome, Firefox, or others.

Sirlaughalot

I can see a good compromise being a marketplace that pulls addons from each browser Orion supports addons from. Then a way to collect user feedback on if the addons from respective stores are working for them in Orion. And then a way for devs to hook into this audience and monetize through their own ways or through the way you describe in the OP.

mjeed51

Sirlaughalot

Nice idea! But I’d love the browser to have its own dedicated store with exclusive extensions—whether free, paid, open-source, or not. The key focus for me is encouraging creativity while protecting developers’ work.

disaac

I'd like to express strong opposition to this. The ability to read and modify Javascript is one of the beauties of the open web, and DRM only harms legitimate users. Dedicated people will always find ways to circumvent those mechanisms. Look at the backlash that Web Environment Integrity got; should we also remove web inspectors because anybody can read the hypertext making up the web pages they visit? This behavior is what I expect from Apple and Google, certainly not Kagi.

I'm also not convinced that developers would ever be motivated to develop exclusively for Orion. Orion will never have the market share of Safari or Chrome. Firefox supports much more powerful extension APIs than Chrome after the deprecation of Manifest V2, and it hasn't really helped Firefox's market share. Safari was never competitive on extensions.

Dustin

Considering all the time and effort involved with supporting Chrome and Firefox extensions (which is a halo feature for Orion), and the constant upkeep required, this really doesn't seem like a worthwhile endeavour for a small team like Orion's.

$0.02