Comparison

Surge 5 vs Apps Connect

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Surge 5

This advanced network utility allows developers to intercept, process, and forward network traffic. It offers deep control over connections, including URL redirection, local file mapping, and HTTPS decryption. Ideal for debugging and network analysis.

Highlights
  • Network connection takeover
  • Modify network requests/responses
  • Forward traffic to other proxies
  • Intercept and save network data
  • Decrypt HTTPS traffic
  • Rule-based forwarding
  • Ad blocking by domain
Features
Read full description

Surge is an advanced network toolbox and proxy utility. It is designed for developers and therefore requires professional knowledge to use. These four capabilities form the core workflow of Surge: · Takeover: Take over the network connections sent by the device. Surge supports both proxy service and virtual NIC takeover, capturing HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and UDP traffic from any app — even those ignoring proxy settings. All features work on the cellular network. · Processing: Modify the requests and responses that have been taken over: URL rewrite, header and body rewrite, local file mapping, custom DNS answers, and JavaScript-based modification. · Forwarding: Forward requests to proxy servers, either globally or driven by a flexible rule system. Policy groups select the best server automatically by latency, availability, or learned connection quality. · Intercept: Record and inspect requests and responses, including headers and bodies, and decrypt HTTPS traffic with MITM. Highlighted Features · Proxy protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, SOCKS5, SOCKS5-TLS, HTTP2 CONNECT, TrustTunnel, Shadowsocks, Snell, Trojan, Hysteria 2, AnyTLS, and SSH, with UDP relay support. · Used as a WireGuard or Tailscale client, converting the L3 VPN into a proxy policy. · Rules based on domain match/suffix/keyword/wildcard, CIDR IP range, GeoIP, ASN, protocol, port, and logical combinations; reusable rule sets hosted locally or remotely. · Policy groups: manual selection, automatic latency testing, fallback, load balancing, and the self-learning Smart group. · Complete DNS suite: DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-HTTP/3, DNS-over-QUIC, DNS-over-TLS, and concurrent queries for the fastest answer. · Local DNS mapping (equivalent to /etc/hosts) with wildcards, aliases, and per-domain DNS servers. Switch your app between production and development environments without changing any code. · Decrypt HTTPS traffic with Man-in-the-Middle and a built-in CA certificate generator. · Record and display HTTP requests and responses with JSON, text, image, and video viewers for the captured body; album mode for the request list; pre-filter for capturing. · Raw L3 packet capture. · Scripting: extend Surge with JavaScript — modify requests and responses, write custom rules, customize DNS answers, and run scheduled tasks. · Block unwanted requests by rules with high-performance pre-matching. · Measure traffic usage and network speed on Wi-Fi, cellular, and proxy connections. · Remote Dashboard: observe and debug traffic in real time from a Mac via Wi-Fi or USB, including cellular traffic. · Surge Ponte: access your home or office network remotely via your own devices, with no third-party service involved. · HTTPS proxy protocol supports client-side TLS certificate validation. · Safari extension to add rules; widgets and Information Panel for quick control. · Sync profiles across devices with iCloud Drive or Dropbox. · Full IPv6 support, TLS 1.3, HTTP/2, and QUIC. · High performance and industrial-grade stability, suitable for intensive use. Surge does not provide any proxy or VPN service; you need to configure your own servers. You may read the online manual for more information: https://nssurge.com/support Terms and Conditions: https://nssurge.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://nssurge.com/legal/privacy

About

Apps Connect

This app provides a one-click connection to various proxy protocols like Shadowsocks, Vmess, and Trojan. It offers a lighter, simpler interface with custom themes and aims for faster, more secure connections.

Highlights
  • One-click connection
  • Supports multiple proxy protocols
  • Lighter and simpler interface
  • Customizable themes
  • Faster connection speeds
  • Secure kernel
Features
Read full description

One Click Connection v2board / SSPANEL / Xboard Support Shadowsocks ShadowsocksR Vmess Vless Trojan Hysteria Socks Hysteria2 AnyTLS Multiple protocols - Lighter to use - Simpler interface - A brand new Glassmorphism / GradientCard style - Custom theme Colors - Faster connection speeds - Better Interaction - A more secure kernel - TUN protocol stack switching - chained proxy - rule/rule set settings - rule resource management - proxy sharing - Based on mihomo

Screenshots

Surge 54 screens
Apps Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Apps Connect at none against Surge 5's 2. Apps Connect also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (61% vs 52%). Surge 5's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 219). On price, update cadence, ads and chart position 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Surge 5 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Apps Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Apps Connect holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 219 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Surge 5's written reviews are positive against 61% of Apps Connect's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Surge 5 versus Apps Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurge 5Apps Connect
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (1K ratings)4.5 (219 ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.6% of reviews60.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better219
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#5 — better#14
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB148 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurge Networks Inc.CITY OF THE SKY NETWORK

Customer experience

Surge 5

All ratings1,005 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative20.3%
Written reviews450 reviews
Positive51.6%
Neutral4.2%
Negative44.2%

Apps Connect

All ratings130 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive60.9%
Neutral5.8%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Surge 5

Subscriptions1
  • Feature Subscription$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Surge Pro$49.99
None

Apps Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surge 5 free?
Surge 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Apps Connect free?
Apps Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Surge 5 or Apps Connect?
Apps Connect is rated higher. Surge 5 averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Apps Connect averages 4.5 from 219 ratings.
Do Surge 5 or Apps Connect have ads?
Neither Surge 5 nor Apps Connect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surge 5 or Apps Connect?
Surge 5 ships an update monthly, and Apps Connect monthly. Most recently, Surge 5 was updated on October 26, 2026 and Apps Connect on October 27, 2026.
Which is more popular, Surge 5 or Apps Connect?
Surge 5 currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Apps Connect at #14. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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