Pick Vivaldi if
You want tabs on any side, tab stacks, tiling and a setting for nearly everything.
The catch. The number of options takes time to learn, and its interface is not open source.
Vivaldi vs Orion
Vivaldi is best for customising everything. Orion is best for Safari’s engine with any extension.
Pick Orion if
You want Safari’s engine and battery life with Chrome and Firefox extensions on top.
The catch. It is Apple-only, it has no split view, and some extensions only partly work.
Vivaldi vs Orion, feature by feature
| Vivaldi | Orion | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Chromium | WebKit |
| Vertical tabs | Yes, tabs on any side | Yes, in the View menu |
| Sites on screen at once | Several, with Tab Tiling | One per window |
| Separate workspaces | Workspaces and profiles | Profiles, each as its own app |
| Ad and tracker blocking | Built in, ads and trackers | Built in, ads and trackers |
| Extensions | Chrome Web Store | Chrome and Firefox extensions |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android | macOS, iPhone, iPad |
| Open source | Partly — the interface is closed | No |
| Price | Free | Free; Orion+ from $5/month |
| Development | Active | Active |
Questions
Is Vivaldi better than Orion?
Neither wins everywhere. Vivaldi is best for customising everything; Orion is best for Safari’s engine with any extension. Pick Vivaldi if you want tabs on any side, tab stacks, tiling and a setting for nearly everything. Pick Orion if you want Safari’s engine and battery life with Chrome and Firefox extensions on top.
Do Vivaldi and Orion block ads?
They block the same way: built in, ads and trackers.
Which extensions do Vivaldi and Orion run?
Vivaldi: Chrome Web Store. Orion: Chrome and Firefox extensions.
Where do Vivaldi and Orion run?
Vivaldi: macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android. Orion: macOS, iPhone, iPad.
Are Vivaldi and Orion free?
Vivaldi: Free. Orion: Free; Orion+ from $5/month.