Safariwhich

Safariwhich is an open‑source modular extension framework originally developed for the Apple Safari web browser. The project was first announced in 2018 by a group of independent developers and designers with the goal of simplifying the creation, distribution, and management of Safari extensions. Safariwhich uses a component‑based architecture that allows developers to write small, reusable modules in Swift, JavaScript, or WebAssembly, which can then be combined into full applications or distributed as independent extensions.

The core of Safariwhich is a lightweight runtime that manages module isolation, dependency injection, and secure sandboxing. Developers can package modules in a standard JSON format that includes metadata about required permissions, resources, and compatible Safari versions. Safari which extensions are installed from the Safari Extension Gallery or from a local developer portal, and users can enable or disable individual modules via the browser’s Settings panel.

Safariwhich has been praised for reducing the complexity of Safari extension development and for its emphasis on security. Critics argue that the reliance on a proprietary runtime limits cross‑browser portability, and some users note that the additional abstraction layer can lead to performance overhead. Despite these concerns, the framework has gained a modest following among web developers in the macOS ecosystem, and several small and medium‑sized companies have released productivity tools and ad‑blocking extensions built on Safariwhich. The project remains actively maintained on its GitHub repository, and the community continues to contribute new modules and tooling extensions.