Comparison

Orbot vs Sweepline

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Browse internet over Tor
  • Secure traffic from insecure networks
  • Access .onion sites
  • Free and open-source
Features
Read full description

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 **

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Orbot4 screens
Sweepline4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orbot ships an update monthly, Sweepline every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Orbot versus Sweepline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrbotSweepline
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (978 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings978 — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB16 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperThe Tor ProjectChristopher Weems

Customer experience

Orbot

All ratings978 ratings
Positive47.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative46.5%
Written reviews474 reviews
Positive25.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative67.3%

Sweepline

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

None

Orbot

No in-app purchases

None

Sweepline

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Orbot free?
Orbot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sweepline free?
Sweepline is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Orbot or Sweepline?
Sweepline is rated higher. Orbot averages 3.0 out of 5 from 978 ratings, while Sweepline averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Orbot or Sweepline have ads?
Neither Orbot nor Sweepline shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Orbot or Sweepline?
Orbot ships an update monthly, and Sweepline every 10 days. Most recently, Orbot was updated on November 12, 2026 and Sweepline on November 5, 2026.

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