# Lantern vs AEC PMS

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AEC PMS at none against Lantern's 5. AEC PMS also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Lantern's advantage is chart position (#93 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lantern sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. AEC PMS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lantern ships an update every 6 weeks, AEC PMS every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lantern | AEC PMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lantern-fast-secure-vpn/id1457872372/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **31** | — |
| Positive reviews | 24.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#93** | — |
| Size | 198 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brave New Software Project, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769431553) | [Flexinnovo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837141098) |

## What reviewers say

### Lantern

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lantern-fast-secure-vpn/id1457872372)

**Currently charting:** #93 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app provides secure and private internet access through a global network or by hosting your own server. It offers robust encryption and a strict no-logs policy, with a mission to keep the internet open and accessible for everyone.

**Highlights:** Host your own VPN server, Connect through global network, Open source code, Strict no-logs policy, Strong encryption, Unlimited data (Pro), Ad blocking (Pro)

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lantern Pro — 1 Month | $12.99 | per month |
| Lantern Pro — 1 Year | $48.00 | per year |
| Lantern Pro: One Month Plan | $12.00 | one-time |
| Lantern Pro: One Year Plan | $55.99 | one-time |
| Lantern Pro: Two Year Plan | $100.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast connection
- 🔒 Secure and encrypted
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for bypassing censorship

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 👎 Unreliable and unstable
- 💸 Paid version doesn't work as expected

**Reported bugs**

- iOS version frequently fails to connect
- Paid subscription doesn't work on all devices
- Inconsistent performance across different platforms
- Confusing or missing in-app settings

**Requested features**

- Add support for more devices and platforms
- Improve customer support and responsiveness
- Provide better guidance on using the paid version
- Implement more advanced security and privacy features


### AEC PMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aec-pms/id6761056297)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lantern free?

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

### Is AEC PMS free?

AEC PMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Lantern or AEC PMS have ads?

Neither Lantern nor AEC PMS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lantern or AEC PMS?

Lantern ships an update every 6 weeks, and AEC PMS every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lantern was updated on November 6, 2026 and AEC PMS on October 31, 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.*