If the Kagi team wants this valuable browser to survive and serve as a “real” alternative to Chrome’s dominance, they need to adopt a smarter approach. I’m sorry, but today’s users—who are far more aware and informed—won’t stick with a closed-source web browser; they’ll just try it and move on.
Perhaps you should focus on other funding ideas to support your team; while Orion+ is a good idea, its closed-source nature still presents a dilemma that makes it difficult to gain widespread adoption.
Today, there are millions of users who support successful projects through donations. Don’t sacrifice a project like Orion—which demonstrates excellent performance even in beta—by keeping it closed-source.
1- Release a new license type that is strictly limited to Kagi but also makes the browser open-source. No one can stop this, and it will make it easier for you to take legal action against those who steal your browser and your work.
2-You can, of course, display the subscription and donation systems to users on the download screen and explain the rationale in a very reasonable and concise manner. Rest assured that even the Linux community will click the donation button provided by Flathub once you make Orion open-source and make it available for download on platforms like Flathub.
3-You can add a donation reminder to Orion’s settings; this way, your valued users who voluntarily keep this reminder enabled—whether monthly, quarterly, or annually—will provide you with financial support.
4-By transitioning to an open-source structure, Orion will bring you millions of users, which means many companies in the transparent, open-source world will sponsor you and your projects—allowing you to secure even more resources than you could have imagined through donations and sponsorships.
5-Instead of a limited bug reporting system like the one here, you can resolve bugs more easily and add features with the help of open-source supporters and contributors, enabling much faster development. Isn’t that why Git exists?
Now, please reconsider your decision seriously: either remain a limited, niche project—and perhaps fade into obscurity—or gradually transform into a massive platform as the true Chrome alternative the web world has been eagerly awaiting for years. The choice is yours.
Orion excites me—there’s no other browser this fast, lightweight, and modern; you’re in a league of your own. Don’t sacrifice this project for petty reasons!
@Vlad @arjun @Hackmodford
