# Surge 5 vs SocketChat

The clearest difference is ads: Surge 5 at none against SocketChat's shown. Surge 5 also leads on chart position (#7 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surge 5 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and SocketChat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Surge 5 ships an update monthly, SocketChat every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surge 5 | SocketChat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surge-5/id1442620678/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | — |
| Size | 73 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Surge Networks Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1442620677) | [Nanning Signalling Network Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1758343835) |

## What reviewers say

### Surge 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surge-5/id1442620678)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #25 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feature Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Surge Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


### SocketChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socketchat-tcp-and-udp-debug/id6756827180)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Limitations | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surge 5 free?

Surge 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SocketChat free?

SocketChat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Surge 5 or SocketChat have ads?

SocketChat shows ads; Surge 5 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Surge 5 or SocketChat?

Surge 5 ships an update monthly, and SocketChat every 2 months. Most recently, Surge 5 was updated on November 6, 2026 and SocketChat on November 5, 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.*