# V2EX vs 水木说 aka ysmth

The clearest difference is ads: V2EX at none against 水木说 aka ysmth's shown. V2EX also leads on ratings volume (28 vs 2) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). 水木说 aka ysmth's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for V2EX against 4.0 for 水木说 aka ysmth. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: V2EX has 28 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of V2EX's written reviews are positive against 100% of 水木说 aka ysmth's.

V2EX ships an update every 2 months, 水木说 aka ysmth every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 22, 2026 and July 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | V2EX | 水木说 aka ysmth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/v2ex/id1078157349/reviews) | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aka-ysmth/id1262202744/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **28** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 14 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [丰 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090589311) | [乐兮艺术](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788818284) |

## What reviewers say

### V2EX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/v2ex/id1078157349)

This app offers a comprehensive, unofficial client experience for a popular online community. It provides full access to topics, comments, and nodes, with enhanced features like image viewing, timely notifications, and user account management. Explore advanced functionalities such as threaded comment views and customizable reading settings.

**Highlights:** Full topic and comment experience, Image viewing similar to Twitter, Real-time unread notification alerts, Threaded comment views for clarity, Customizable reading settings (themes, font size), Automatic sign-in and multi-account management, Automatic daily check-ins

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### 水木说 aka ysmth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aka-ysmth/id1262202744)

This app provides a user-friendly interface for accessing a prominent Chinese online community focused on diverse topics from social information to academic science and technology. It offers features like a comprehensive homepage and conversation viewing, aiming to enhance the mobile browsing experience.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive homepage, View conversation lists, Restore original text from comments, Access diverse community topics, User-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is V2EX free?

V2EX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 水木说 aka ysmth free?

水木说 aka ysmth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, V2EX or 水木说 aka ysmth?

V2EX and 水木说 aka ysmth are both rated 4.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 28 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do V2EX or 水木说 aka ysmth have ads?

水木说 aka ysmth shows ads; V2EX does not.

### Which is updated more often, V2EX or 水木说 aka ysmth?

V2EX ships an update every 2 months, and 水木说 aka ysmth every 3 weeks. Most recently, V2EX was updated on August 22, 2026 and 水木说 aka ysmth on July 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*