# Stash vs Mesl

The clearest difference is price: Mesl at Free against Stash's $5.99. Mesl also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (100% vs 62%). Stash's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 8). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Mesl is free to download; Stash costs $5.99 up front. Mesl sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $8.49 per month. Stash asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mesl holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stash has 1.3K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Stash's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mesl's.

Stash ships an update every 4 days, Mesl every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stash | Mesl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stash-rule-based-proxy/id1596063349/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mesl/id6813092621/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 61.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | — |
| Size | 142 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STASH NETWORKS LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1596063351) | [ROG CLOUD LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6813092623) |

## What reviewers say

### Stash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stash-rule-based-proxy/id1596063349)

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Paid · Utilities, #53 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app is a powerful rule-based proxy client for iOS, offering advanced network management. It supports multiple proxy protocols and features like JavaScript rewriting, MitM decryption, and on-demand connections. Easily route traffic based on domain, IP, or User-Agent for enhanced network control.

**Highlights:** Rule-based proxy client, Multiple proxy protocol support, JavaScript rewriting, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) decryption, SSID Policy Groups, On-Demand Connections, Native UI dashboard

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Stable and fast connection
- 💡 Comprehensive features
- 🚀 Efficient performance
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and reconnections
- 🐛 Subscription and activation problems
- 🐛 Unreliable VPN functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupt VPN profile detection
- Inability to remember last used proxy mode
- Incompatibility with some subscription links
- Lack of support for certain protocols (e.g., vless, mkcp)
- Automatic mode switching issues

**Requested features**

- Support for latest protocols (e.g., reality, hysteria2)
- Customizable VPN profiles and settings
- Improved widget functionality
- Automatic reconnection on sleep/wake
- Detailed network usage statistics


### Mesl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mesl/id6813092621)

This app provides a fast and lightweight connection to a VPN service. It offers one-tap connection with real-time stats and multiple routing modes. Users can manage their subscriptions and enjoy a private browsing experience.

**Highlights:** One-tap connect, Live speed and traffic stats, Rule, Global, or Direct mode, Custom routing rules, Server list with latency testing, No logging of browsing activity

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium 200G | $8.49 | per month |
| Premium 300G | $11.99 | per month |
| Premium 100G | $11.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium 500G | $18.49 | per month |
| Premium 100G | $23.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium 50G | $25.99 | per year |
| Premium 1024G | $35.49 | per month |
| Premium 100G | $42.99 | per year |
| Premium Team | $100.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stash free?

Stash costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mesl free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stash or Mesl?

Mesl is rated higher. Stash averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Mesl averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Stash or Mesl have ads?

Neither Stash nor Mesl shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stash or Mesl?

Stash ships an update every 4 days, and Mesl every 3 days. Most recently, Stash was updated on November 7, 2026 and Mesl on November 6, 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.*