# PKU Gateway vs Stash

The clearest difference is price: PKU Gateway at Free against Stash's $5.99. PKU Gateway also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). Stash's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

PKU Gateway is free to download; Stash costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PKU Gateway holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stash has 1.2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PKU Gateway ships an update every 2 months, Stash every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PKU Gateway | Stash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $5.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pku-gateway/id1106306054/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stash-rule-based-proxy/id1596063349/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#4** |
| Size | 5 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peking University](https://appshunter.io/developer/1194322669) | [STASH NETWORKS LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1596063351) |

## What reviewers say

### PKU Gateway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pku-gateway/id1106306054)

This app provides easy access to the Peking University campus network for students and staff. It allows users to connect, manage connections, pay network fees, reset passwords, and receive important notifications. Available in English and Chinese for iOS devices.

**Highlights:** Easy campus network connection, Manage and disconnect connections, Pay campus network fees, Reset network passwords, Read campus network notifications, Supports Chinese and English

**In-app purchases:** none


### Stash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stash-rule-based-proxy/id1596063349)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Utilities, #26 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app is a powerful rule-based proxy client for iOS, offering advanced network management. It supports multiple proxy protocols and features like JavaScript rewriting, MitM decryption, and on-demand connections. Easily route traffic based on domain, IP, or User-Agent for enhanced network control.

**Highlights:** Rule-based proxy client, Multiple proxy protocol support, JavaScript rewriting, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) decryption, SSID Policy Groups, On-Demand Connections, Native UI dashboard

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Stable and fast connection
- 💡 Comprehensive features
- 🚀 Efficient performance
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and reconnections
- 🐛 Subscription and activation problems
- 🐛 Unreliable VPN functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupt VPN profile detection
- Inability to remember last used proxy mode
- Incompatibility with some subscription links
- Lack of support for certain protocols (e.g., vless, mkcp)
- Automatic mode switching issues

**Requested features**

- Support for latest protocols (e.g., reality, hysteria2)
- Customizable VPN profiles and settings
- Improved widget functionality
- Automatic reconnection on sleep/wake
- Detailed network usage statistics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PKU Gateway free?

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

### Is Stash free?

Stash costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PKU Gateway or Stash?

PKU Gateway is rated higher. PKU Gateway averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Stash averages 4.4 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do PKU Gateway or Stash have ads?

Neither PKU Gateway nor Stash shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PKU Gateway or Stash?

PKU Gateway ships an update every 2 months, and Stash every 4 days. Most recently, PKU Gateway was updated on October 8, 2026 and Stash on October 27, 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.*