Comparison

Spectre VPN vs Proxyman

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

Head to head
About

Spectre VPN

This app provides secure internet access using Shadowsocks and Trojan protocols. It offers strong encryption to protect your privacy from third parties and features an intuitive design for ease of use. It is available for free.

Highlights
  • Shadowsocks and Trojan protocol support
  • Strong encryption for privacy
  • Lightweight and efficient proxy
  • Intuitive and simple design
  • Free to use
Features
Read full description

A multi-protocol VPN and proxy client for your own servers. Import subscriptions, control traffic with routing rules, and connect from your Home Screen. IMPORT ONCE, KEEP SERVERS TOGETHER Add a server by scanning its QR code, pasting a link, or entering the details yourself. Import subscriptions to manage multiple nodes in one place. Check server latency before choosing a connection. CHOOSE WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR PROXY Use Global mode for proxy routing, or Rule mode to choose which traffic connects directly and which uses your proxy. Edit your own rules or import a rule list from a URL. CONNECT FROM YOUR HOME SCREEN See the active server and connection status in the widget, then use its switch to connect or disconnect. On iOS 18 and later, add Spectre VPN to Control Center for another quick way to control your connection. USE THE PROTOCOL YOUR SERVER NEEDS - Shadowsocks and Trojan - VMess and VLESS - Hysteria2 and TUIC - SOCKS and HTTP For advanced setups, use a complete custom sing-box JSON configuration. The app interface supports 14 languages. BRING YOUR OWN SERVER Spectre does not include VPN servers or sell VPN service subscriptions. A compatible server configuration or subscription link is required.

About

Proxyman

This app acts as a web debugging proxy, allowing you to capture and inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic directly from your iPhone or iPad. It decrypts requests and responses, offers advanced debugging tools, and ensures your sensitive data remains on your device.

Highlights
  • Capture & Inspect HTTP/HTTPS from iOS devices
  • Decrypt and view requests/responses
  • JSON syntax highlighting
  • Quick filtering by URL, header, body
  • Advanced debugging tools (SSL Proxying, Block List)
  • Secure with FaceID/TouchID/Passcode
Features
Read full description

Meet a superb Web Debugging Proxy that can act like a middleman, aka Proxyman.  ### Features - Directly Capture & Inspect HTTP/HTTPS from your iOS/iPad Devices without using MacBooks. - Decrypt and View HTTP/HTTPS Request/Response in plain text - JSON Syntax Highlighting - Exclusively designed for iPhone and iPad (Landscape and Two Columns) - Share traffic to Proxyman macOS - a native macOS app for better inspection - Pin working domains - Quick filter with URL, Header Body, and Type of Request/Response (e.g., JSON, Form, HTML, CSS, Document, etc) - Better Request/Response Previewer: Multiple columns, JSON Preview, JSON TreeView, etc - Safe Lock: Protect your sensitive data with FaceID / TouchID / Passcode - Advanced Debugging Tools: SSL Proxying, Block List, Map Local, Breakpoint, etc - Rewrite & Scripting ### Proxyman macOS Proxyman for iOS works perfectly with Proxyman for macOS (native macOS app, supports macOS 26 and M4 Chip) ### How it works Proxyman iOS creates a local VPN on your device and then forwards all traffic to a Local Man-in-The-Middle Server. As long as the VPN is active, Proxyman iOS can capture all traffic over Wi-Fi and cellular Data. ### How about my sensitive data? - Proxyman Root Certificate is a self-signed certificate that is generated on your local machine. Thus, all requests and responses are captured and stored on your devices and Proxyman does not have access to your data. - There are no remote servers involved. What’s in your devices, it’s in your devices. ************* - Support: https://proxyman.com/support - Privacy Policy: https://proxyman.com/privacy - Terms of Services: https://proxyman.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Spectre VPN4 screens
Proxyman4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Proxyman at 4.8 against Spectre VPN's 3.9. Proxyman also leads on chart position (#8 vs #80) and ratings volume (799 vs 248). Spectre VPN's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Proxyman sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Spectre VPN asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Proxyman holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 248 and 799 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Spectre VPN's written reviews are positive against 81% of Proxyman's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spectre VPN ships an update every 2 weeks, Proxyman every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Spectre VPN versus Proxyman: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpectre VPNProxyman
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (248 ratings)4.8 (799 ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.2% of reviews80.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings248799 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#80#8 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size136 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPassion OnlyProxyman LLC

Customer experience

Spectre VPN

All ratings248 ratings
Positive72.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative23.0%
Written reviews190 reviews
Positive74.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative20.5%

Proxyman

All ratings799 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews152 reviews
Positive80.9%
Neutral4.6%
Negative14.5%

User reviews

Spectre VPN

From 248 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Reliable and efficient app
  • 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
  • 🔒 Secure and trustworthy
  • 💡 Lightweight and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Video loading issues
  • 🐛 Connectivity problems after updates
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and timeouts
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

Proxyman

From 799 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Powerful networking tools
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 💡 Helpful for debugging and development
  • 🤖 Great for reverse engineering APIs

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive premium version
  • 🔋 High data usage reported by some users
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🤖 Confusing user experience for free version

Bugs and requests

Spectre VPN

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 12.5.5 and older
  • Incompatibility with certain devices and OS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support for more protocols (e.g., VMess, VLESS, SSTP)
  • Server sorting by ping/latency
  • Websocket connection support
  • Manual server configuration
  • Multiple server import from clipboard

Proxyman

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Breakpoint functionality not working properly
  • Losing session state when relaunching the app
  • Incompatibility issues with certain apps and websites
  • Crashes when trying to view large response bodies

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Simplified Chinese
  • Implement scripting capabilities like the desktop version
  • Improve handling of WebSocket and MQTT traffic
  • Allow grouping of related requests
  • Add an option to change DNS settings within the app

In-app purchases

None

Spectre VPN

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Proxyman

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$8.991 Month
  • PROJECT PASS Quarterly Subscription$19.993 Months
  • Premium Annual Subscription$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Proxyman Lifetime with Black Friday$69.99
  • Lifetime Access$99.99

Questions

Is Spectre VPN free?
Spectre VPN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Proxyman free?
Proxyman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spectre VPN or Proxyman?
Proxyman is rated higher. Spectre VPN averages 3.9 out of 5 from 248 ratings, while Proxyman averages 4.8 from 799 ratings.
Do Spectre VPN or Proxyman have ads?
Neither Spectre VPN nor Proxyman shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spectre VPN or Proxyman?
Spectre VPN ships an update every 2 weeks, and Proxyman every 8 days. Most recently, Spectre VPN was updated on September 24, 2026 and Proxyman on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Spectre VPN or Proxyman?
Spectre VPN currently peaks at #80 in the App Store charts, and Proxyman at #8. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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