Burly vs. Velja
Burly vs. Velja
Two profile aware link routers for macOS. Velja leans on rules and native app routing for $8. Burly is free and picker first, and it can target Safari profiles Velja cannot. Here is how they compare.
Velja is a polished, well loved browser picker by Sindre Sorhus. It routes links to the right browser, profile, or native app using rules you set per host or per source app, and it can strip tracking parameters from URLs on the way. It costs $8 as a one time purchase, with a free trial.
Burly vs. Velja, feature by feature
| Feature | Burly | Velja |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $8 one-time |
| Opens links in a specific browser profile | ✓ | Chromium and Firefox |
| Targets Safari profiles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Picker at your cursor | Radial, under the cursor | List popup |
| Per-profile keyboard shortcuts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Global hotkey to open a profile (no link needed) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Per-profile emoji, account photo, and color | ✓ | ✗ |
| Per-URL and per-source-app rules | ✗ | ✓ |
| Opens links in native apps, not just browsers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Strips tracking parameters from URLs | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fully local, no account | ✓ | ✓ |
| Native macOS app | ✓ | ✓ |
Where Velja is the better pick
- Velja routes to more than browsers. It can send a link straight to a matching native app, like opening a Zoom link in Zoom instead of the web.
- It has a real rules engine: open links from a given app or host in a chosen browser automatically, with no picker in the way.
- It strips tracking parameters from URLs, a privacy touch Burly does not do.
- At $8 it is a mature, frequently updated app from a developer with a long track record.
The verdict
If you want rule based automation, native app routing, or tracking parameter cleanup, Velja is well worth its $8. Choose Burly if you would rather have a free, picker first tool that treats every profile, Safari profiles included, as a first class destination, with a radial picker, per-profile keys, and a global hotkey to jump into any profile without a link.
Try Burly free
Native, private, and free. Route every link to the right browser profile in seconds. No account required.
Download for macOS