Orbot vs Sweepline
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Orbot
This app provides a free and open-source VPN service powered by the Tor network. It enhances internet safety and privacy by securing your traffic and allowing access to .onion sites. Browsing may be slower due to the encrypted relay process.
- Browse internet over Tor
- Secure traffic from insecure networks
- Access .onion sites
- Free and open-source
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Orbot is the original free and open-source Tor-powered VPN for iOS and macOS. Orbot helps you access the internet with more safety and privacy, and no extra cost to you. FEATURES: - Browse the internet over Tor. - Secure your traffic from insecure wireless networks and ISPs. - Access .onion sites that are only accessible over Tor. DISCLAIMERS: - Web browsing is much slower than through a normal VPN because your traffic is encrypted and relayed through the Tor network. - Orbot might not work on networks with advanced network restrictions. If the app does not connect, try using bridges (or a different type of bridge). - Use of Orbot is at your own risk; remember that sensitive data does not always belong on a mobile device. ** Orbot is free and open-source software. You can read more about Orbot and how to support development of Tor on iOS by visiting orbot.app **
Sweepline
This tool allows you to securely connect to and control servers you operate or have been invited to use. Send commands and retrieve responses with a simple gesture, all without creating an account or relying on a centralized service. It's designed for efficient, direct interaction with your chosen endpoints.
- Authenticated remote server connection
- Gesture-based command sending
- Direct endpoint communication
- On-device private key storage
- No account or profile required
- Server-defined command possibilities
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The internet has enough accounts. Your fingers don't need another one. Sweepline is a small, authenticated remote and retrieval tool for iPhone and iPad. It connects you to servers you operate, servers your team operates, or servers someone has invited you to use. Make a gesture. Send a command. Retrieve a response. No account to create. No profile to maintain. No centralized service standing between you and the server. Sweepline keeps your Ed25519 private keys on your device and communicates only with the endpoints you choose. Use it to operate equipment, check on a process, approve a request, exchange information, or coordinate with a team. The server decides what's possible. Sweepline gives your fingers a way to do it. There are no feeds to scroll, no followers to collect, and no direct-message system to maintain. Sweepline isn't the break room. It's a Unix utility for your fingers. Small enough to understand. General enough to surprise you. Useful without needing to know your name. Sweepline remembers your keys, speaks HTTPS, and gets out of the way.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sweepline at 5.0 against Orbot's 3.0. Sweepline also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). Orbot's advantage is ratings volume (978 vs 2) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sweepline holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Orbot has 978 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Orbot ships an update monthly, Sweepline every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Orbot | Sweepline |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (978 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 978 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 131 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | The Tor Project | Christopher Weems |
Customer experience
Orbot
Sweepline
Bugs and requests
Orbot
Reported bugs
4 issues- Fails to connect at 50% or gets stuck in a connection loop
- Causes Wi-Fi or mobile data connection issues
- Randomly disconnects without warning
- Onion Browser integration is unreliable
Requested features
4 requests- Add manual bridge configuration options
- Implement a kill switch to block internet access when VPN disconnects
- Improve compatibility with other iOS apps and services
- Provide more detailed connection logs and diagnostics
Sweepline
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Orbot
No in-app purchases
Sweepline
No in-app purchases









