# Red Shield VPN vs Академический

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Red Shield VPN at 75% against Академический's 0%. Red Shield VPN also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (3K vs 3). Академический's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Shield VPN sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Академический asks for nothing beyond the download.

Red Shield VPN holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Shield VPN has 3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Red Shield VPN's written reviews are positive against 0% of Академический's.

Red Shield VPN ships an update every 10 days, Академический every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Shield VPN | Академический |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-shield-vpn/id1476245357/reviews)** | [1.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1480226904/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **74.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 77 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Private Network Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698251098) | [Linergo OOO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016773485) |

## What reviewers say

### Red Shield VPN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-shield-vpn/id1476245357)

Secure your online activity and access your favorite content with this VPN service. It protects your data from third parties and hides your IP address across multiple devices. Subscriptions cover service costs, ensuring your traffic remains private.

**Highlights:** Access favorite resources, Protect data and online activity, Hide IP address, Use on up to 10 devices, Subscription-based service

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VPN subscription 1 month | $11.99 | per month |
| VPN subscription 6 months | $53.99 | per 6 months |
| VPN subscription 12 months | $71.90 | per year |


### Академический

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1480226904)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Shield VPN free?

Red Shield VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Академический free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Red Shield VPN or Академический?

Red Shield VPN is rated higher. Red Shield VPN averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Академический averages 1.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Red Shield VPN or Академический have ads?

Neither Red Shield VPN nor Академический shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Red Shield VPN or Академический?

Red Shield VPN ships an update every 10 days, and Академический every 6 weeks. Most recently, Red Shield VPN was updated on October 30, 2026 and Академический on October 26, 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.*