Surge 5 vs NConvo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
NConvo
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NConvo is a local-first network operations toolbox that puts an SSH terminal, an RDP remote desktop, network diagnostics, LAN tools and an iperf3-client speed test into one app. Features - SSH Terminal: password, SSH key and keyboard-interactive auth; import connections from OpenSSH config, MobaXterm and Xshell; type the password right in the editor and save it as a credential; Save & Connect jumps straight into the session. - RDP Remote Desktop: native FreeRDP engine with an immersive landscape view and certificate verification on first connect. - Floating trackpad: inside a remote desktop session, drag it anywhere, pinch to resize, snap it to an edge; it carries left and right buttons and an on-screen arrow cursor. - Network diagnostics: Ping, TCP Ping, Traceroute, DNS, Whois, IP lookup, HTTP check, SSL/TLS and unlock checks. - LAN tools: LAN scan, port scan, device IP, mDNS, Wake on LAN, MAC lookup (OUI vendor) and subnet calculator. - Performance: iperf3-compatible bandwidth testing in both upload and download directions. - LAN transfer: send files and text peer to peer, no server involved. Local-first: connections and credentials stay on your device, sealed by the system keychain, and private keys are never exported. No ads, no analytics. WebDAV backups go to the server you choose, encrypted.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NConvo at none against Surge 5's 2. NConvo also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Surge 5's advantage is chart position (#7 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Surge 5 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. NConvo asks for nothing beyond the download.
Surge 5 ships an update monthly, NConvo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Surge 5 | NConvo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (1K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #7 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 73 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Surge Networks Inc. | 红 高 |
In-app purchases
Surge 5
- Feature Subscription$14.991 Year
- Surge Pro$49.99
NConvo
No in-app purchases








