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We are working on a new native macOS browser based on Webkit with native web extension API support built in. We have uBlock origin and many others extensions w

We are working on a new native macOS browser based on Webkit with native web extension API support built in. We have uBlock origin and many others extensions working already. By doing this we get best of both worlds - performance and energy use of Webkit and extensions from chrome/firefox. Screenshot: https://ibb.co/7V8sfyX https://ibb.co/7V8sfyX We are open for beta testers. Please email me if interested with short background and area of your interest.

kitsunesoba 6y ago
Interesting, is this planned to be an open source project?
- freediver 6y ago
  Yes eventually. We are currently laser focused on getting the hardest part of the work done. The webextensions API layer is pretty substantial and had to be rebuilt from scratch on top of Webkit core which is a giant project on its own. It has been two years in the making and we are at about 70% webextensions api coverage with a small but passionate team.
thysultan 6y ago
Yes! uBlock origin is the biggest thing keeping me from going to Safari, that and the Stylus extension(or something like it).
- kitsunesoba 6y ago
  Cascadea is a decent Stylus stand-in for Safari, though it isn't free (currently costs US$2.99).
- whywhywhywhy 6y ago
  Been a Safari user for years and still consider Apple doing anything to lose uBlock support one of their worst moves in that space. My browsing honestly feels so less safe without uBlock Origin, almost never had a dodgy popup or banner do something weird that wasn't blocked but once you're in the much weaker Safari only blocker ecosystem it happens constantly.
AnonC 6y ago
May I ask what your business model is or would be, since you require people to email you with specific information to beta test your product?
- freediver 6y ago
  Sure. We are also building a search engine and we believe that you need to think holistically about replacing Google, by offering other infrastructure as well and a browser is a part of that (privacy friendly, with ad blocking built in). Btw we are starting to take beta testers for the search engine as well. The extra info is only because I want to devote full personal attention to our beta testers, so some context helps.
  - nubela 6y ago
    So, why not start with building a search engine? Why browser first?
    - refulgentis 6y ago
      Gotta start small
nubela 6y ago
The problem with browsers is that it is hard to monetize unless you go down some shady rabbithole. So exactly how are you going to make money and make your first million dollars?
- Glench 6y ago
  It's actually not that hard to monetize browser extensions, and I think this is changing as the quality of extensions gets better — people are more willing to pay for software that solves their problems, regardless of the format. Here's an extension that makes $38k / month! https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/187-jordan-oconnor-of-closet-tools https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/187-jordan-oconnor-of-c... And here's one that made at least $100k: https://www.indiehackers.com/product/css-scan/100-000-in-revenue-with-css-scan--MF_-4QWdBIJscbnJMSK https://www.indiehackers.com/product/css-scan/100-000-in-rev...
  - _qulr 6y ago
    > It's actually not that hard to monetize browser extensions It's actually not that hard to become a billionaire [points at some billionaires] By the way, here are some stats on Chrome extensions: https://www.debugbear.com/blog/counting-chrome-extensions https://www.debugbear.com/blog/counting-chrome-extensions
    - Glench 6y ago
      Not a really fair reply. I was pointing out that there's nothing inherently hard about monetizing extensions and you definitely don't have to "go down some shady rabbithole" to do it. The services to charge for extensions exist and all that really matters is providing value, which as you're pointing out, can be hard.
      - _qulr 6y ago
        > there's nothing inherently hard about monetizing extensions Over 95% of Chrome extensions are completely free, as in no form of payment whatsoever. This makes extensions one of the worst of all software markets. Users just expect extensions to be free. Also, the browsers vendors themselves can make it difficult to monetize extensions. Firefox eliminated its extension store several years ago, and Google is eliminating Chrome Web Store payments next month. If anything, the Mac App Store is now the easiest place to monetize extensions IMO.
kosinus 6y ago
How are you tackling all the missing / private APIs in Cocoa WebKit? Stuff like location, fullscreen, WebRTC, etc.
- freediver 6y ago
  We exposed private headers using private module map.

kitsunesoba 6y ago

Interesting, is this planned to be an open source project?

freediver 6y ago
Yes eventually. We are currently laser focused on getting the hardest part of the work done. The webextensions API layer is pretty substantial and had to be rebuilt from scratch on top of Webkit core which is a giant project on its own. It has been two years in the making and we are at about 70% webextensions api coverage with a small but passionate team.

thysultan 6y ago

Yes! uBlock origin is the biggest thing keeping me from going to Safari, that and the Stylus extension(or something like it).

kitsunesoba 6y ago
Cascadea is a decent Stylus stand-in for Safari, though it isn't free (currently costs US$2.99).
whywhywhywhy 6y ago
Been a Safari user for years and still consider Apple doing anything to lose uBlock support one of their worst moves in that space. My browsing honestly feels so less safe without uBlock Origin, almost never had a dodgy popup or banner do something weird that wasn't blocked but once you're in the much weaker Safari only blocker ecosystem it happens constantly.

AnonC 6y ago

May I ask what your business model is or would be, since you require people to email you with specific information to beta test your product?

freediver 6y ago
Sure. We are also building a search engine and we believe that you need to think holistically about replacing Google, by offering other infrastructure as well and a browser is a part of that (privacy friendly, with ad blocking built in). Btw we are starting to take beta testers for the search engine as well. The extra info is only because I want to devote full personal attention to our beta testers, so some context helps.
- nubela 6y ago
  So, why not start with building a search engine? Why browser first?
  - refulgentis 6y ago
    Gotta start small

nubela 6y ago

The problem with browsers is that it is hard to monetize unless you go down some shady rabbithole. So exactly how are you going to make money and make your first million dollars?

Glench 6y ago
It's actually not that hard to monetize browser extensions, and I think this is changing as the quality of extensions gets better — people are more willing to pay for software that solves their problems, regardless of the format. Here's an extension that makes $38k / month! https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/187-jordan-oconnor-of-closet-tools https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/187-jordan-oconnor-of-c... And here's one that made at least $100k: https://www.indiehackers.com/product/css-scan/100-000-in-revenue-with-css-scan--MF_-4QWdBIJscbnJMSK https://www.indiehackers.com/product/css-scan/100-000-in-rev...
- _qulr 6y ago
  > It's actually not that hard to monetize browser extensions It's actually not that hard to become a billionaire [points at some billionaires] By the way, here are some stats on Chrome extensions: https://www.debugbear.com/blog/counting-chrome-extensions https://www.debugbear.com/blog/counting-chrome-extensions
  - Glench 6y ago
    Not a really fair reply. I was pointing out that there's nothing inherently hard about monetizing extensions and you definitely don't have to "go down some shady rabbithole" to do it. The services to charge for extensions exist and all that really matters is providing value, which as you're pointing out, can be hard.
    - _qulr 6y ago
      > there's nothing inherently hard about monetizing extensions Over 95% of Chrome extensions are completely free, as in no form of payment whatsoever. This makes extensions one of the worst of all software markets. Users just expect extensions to be free. Also, the browsers vendors themselves can make it difficult to monetize extensions. Firefox eliminated its extension store several years ago, and Google is eliminating Chrome Web Store payments next month. If anything, the Mac App Store is now the easiest place to monetize extensions IMO.

kosinus 6y ago

How are you tackling all the missing / private APIs in Cocoa WebKit? Stuff like location, fullscreen, WebRTC, etc.

freediver 6y ago
We exposed private headers using private module map.