MikroTik vs knock(1)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MikroTik
Configure and manage MikroTik routers and access points remotely. This tool provides access to essential network features like routing, firewall, and bandwidth management directly from your smartphone.
- RouterOS configuration
- Network management
- Firewall settings
- Bandwidth control
- Wireless AP setup
- Hotspot gateway management
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MikroTik RouterOS is the operating system of RouterBOARD and CCR devices. RouterOS provides all the core features for your network - routing, firewall, bandwidth management, wireless access point, backhaul link, hotspot gateway and more. Use the MikroTik smartphone app to configure your router in the field, or to apply the most basic initial settings for your MikroTik home access point. Requirements: RouterOS v6 or newer. Discussion forum: https://forum.mikrotik.com
knock(1)
This utility app allows you to remotely open firewall ports on your server using a saved sequence of connection attempts from your iPhone. It supports TCP or UDP for each port and provides live feedback on the connection status.
- Save and reuse multiple host configurations
- Per-port TCP or UDP selection
- Configurable inter-packet delay
- Live per-port result display
- Native SwiftUI interface
- No tracking or analytics
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Knock is a minimal, native port-knocking client for iOS. Open ports in your firewall - SSH, VPN, admin panels - by sending a saved sequence from your iPhone. Save named configurations with a host, a list of ports, a delay, and a timeout. Each port can be independently TCP or UDP. Run the sequence with a single tap and watch each knock's result stream in live. FEATURES • Save and reuse multiple host configurations • Per-port TCP or UDP selection • Configurable inter-packet delay and socket timeout • Live per-port result display • Clean SwiftUI interface, native look and feel • No tracking, no analytics, no accounts HOW IT WORKS Port knocking is a technique for opening firewall ports on demand: your server watches for a specific sequence of connection attempts (for example, TCP/7000, UDP/8000, TCP/9000), and only opens a protected service like SSH after seeing the right pattern. knock(1) lets you send those sequences from your phone, allowing you to connect to your servers on the go. COMPATIBLE knock(1)'s behavior matches the reference jvinet/knock client - if your server runs knockd, knock(1) works out of the box. PRIVACY knock(1) connects only to the hosts you configure. It does not send telemetry, does not use analytics SDKs, and does not require an account. Your saved configurations stay on your device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: knock(1) at 5.0 against MikroTik's 3.9. MikroTik's advantage is ratings volume (281 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
knock(1) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MikroTik has 281 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MikroTik | knock(1) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (281 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 281 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mikrotikls SIA | Jeffrey Cousens |
Bugs and requests
MikroTik
Reported bugs
5 issues- Connection issues and 'connection refused' errors
- Inability to login or access certain settings
- Crashes when trying to view specific menus or data
- Inconsistent behavior after updates
- Incorrect display of information (e.g. DHCP leases, interface traffic)
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for RoMON and terminal access
- Improve navigation and search functionality
- Provide more customization options
- Optimize for tablet/iPad use
- Add support for more languages (e.g. Spanish, Russian)
knock(1)
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
MikroTik
No in-app purchases
knock(1)
No in-app purchases









