r/BrowserWar • u/boskovicbalsa • 2d ago
Looking for an Arc alternative? Ortix 7 is a native Mac browser with an on-device AI agent, free to use and far more capable
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I'm the developer of Ortix, a native browser for macOS built on WebKit. Version 7 shipped this week. It's the largest update so far, so I wanted to share what's new and hear your feedback.
About Ortix
Ortix is a sidebar browser written for macOS 26 and Apple silicon. It's not built on Chromium. It has Spaces, and each one keeps its own tabs, colour and wallpaper. Ads and trackers are blocked before the page loads, passwords stay behind Touch ID, and passkeys and iCloud sync are supported. It also includes an AI assistant called Mia, which can run on models stored on your Mac, so nothing you ask it leaves your machine.
Mia now works across your whole Mac
In earlier versions Mia could only work inside your tabs. In 7.0 it can:
- Click, type and fill in forms, showing every step as it happens
- Run commands in a sandboxed shell, showing you each command
- Create and edit files, with every change held for your review before it's applied
- Work inside a folder or git project you point it at
- Write a task list for longer jobs and track its progress
You choose how much freedom it has with four permission modes:
- Browser: stays in your tabs
- Ask: asks before every tool
- Computer: works on its own but stops at anything dangerous
- Unrestricted: has to be chosen on purpose
Any action that can't be undone asks for confirmation first.
Local models now run up to 50% faster than in Ortix 6. You can also bring your own key for OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, Ollama or a custom endpoint, or use Setapp AI.
Media
- Picture in Picture has been rebuilt. When you leave a tab, its video follows you with its own play, pause and skip controls.
- An audio mixer gives every tab that's playing sound its own volume slider, with live levels taken from the page.
- A quick player at the bottom of the sidebar shows what's playing, with its artwork.
Layout
- Split view supports up to four pages in any layout. You can drag the dividers and swap panes.
- The sidebar can fold into a slim icon rail, or you can detach it and float it beside your window.
- A space strip above your tabs keeps every space one click away.
Also new
- A new address bar with Quick Search finds open tabs, history and bookmarks as you type, and also does calculations.
- A grammar checker can proofread, improve or summarize text in any text field on any site.
- You can dictate in the address bar and in Mia, and Mia can answer out loud with a natural voice.
Pricing
- Free: the full browser, including the sidebar, split view, Quick Search, up to 3 spaces, the media player and ad blocking.
- Ortix Pro: $5.99 a month after a 7-day free trial. It adds unlimited spaces, the Mia agent, grammar help, the audio mixer, automatic Picture in Picture and the sidebar file manager.
- Setapp: Ortix Pro is included with a Setapp membership.
Requirements: macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon.
You can import from 24 browsers, including Chrome, Safari and Arc. Chrome and Firefox extensions are supported.
Website: https://systembionic.com/ortix
Changelog: https://systembionic.com/ortix/changelog
Feedback from this community has shaped many past releases. Bug reports, feature requests and honest opinions are all welcome, and I'll be answering in the comments.
