Comparison

Lightning VPN vs VPN MAX

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

Head to head
About

Lightning VPN

This app provides a secure and private internet connection by hiding your IP address and encrypting your traffic. It offers high-speed connections, supports multiple protocols, and allows for personalized configurations for various devices.

Highlights
  • Multi-protocol support (V2ray, Trojan, Shadowsocks)
  • Personalized subscription formats (Clash, Singbox, Loon, Surge)
  • Next-generation encryption for online security
  • High-speed and stable VPN connections
  • Multi-device protection with one account
  • User-friendly one-click connection
Features
Read full description

Tired of complicated VPN setup or uncertain public Wi‑Fi? Lightning VPN makes private connection simple. Sign in to start your 2-day free trial, choose a route, and connect with one tap. At a cafe, airport, hotel, or on the road, Lightning VPN helps you get back to browsing, working, and traveling with less friction. Features: • VPN connection: Start or stop the VPN and check the current connection status. • Route selection: View available nodes and routes and switch routes when needed. • Node latency testing: Check node latency before selecting a route. • Plan management: View plans, service periods, usage, and renewal information. • Subscription management: Update remote profiles and route information. • Routing modes: Choose between rule-based, global, and direct modes. • Traffic overview: View upload, download, daily usage, and overall traffic. • Connection management: View active connections, connection details, and proxy chains. • Configuration pairing: Sync configuration to supported companion devices with a QR code. • Account services: View orders, service status, and account information. Lightning VPN provides VPN connections, routes, and service plans. Users need to register or sign in to a Lightning VPN account and select the service that fits their needs. The number of available routes, connection speed, and stability may vary depending on the user's region, network environment, server status, and selected plan. Please review applicable laws, network requirements, and service terms before use.

About

VPN MAX

This app provides a secure and anonymous internet connection by encrypting your traffic and hiding your IP address. It offers a wide selection of global servers and an autostart feature for selected apps, ensuring your online privacy.

Highlights
  • Anonymous internet access
  • IP address hiding
  • Traffic encryption
  • VPN autostart for selected apps
  • Fast global VPN servers
  • No activity logs
Features
Read full description

Download VPN MAX: a VPN service that allows you to gain anonymous access to all your favorite content, hide your IP, and encrypt your traffic. ■ ANONYMOUS ACCESS TO YOUR FAVORITE CONTENT VPN MAX will encrypt all your traffic and help you remain anonymous when using the Internet. ■ VPN AUTOSTART Use VPN for free exclusively for the selected apps. Dedicate 2 minutes of your time to set up VPN autostart, and it will turn on and off only when you need it. No need to turn VPN on and off manually all the time: it will run automatically and only when you need it. ■ FAST VPN SERVERS Try our fast and anonymous servers. Select a server from any location in the world: VPN Kazakhstan, VPN Germany, VPN Finland, VPN India, VPN USA, VPN Dubai, VPN Russia, VPN Australia, VPN United Kingdom, VPN Canada, VPN Netherlands, etc. We continue to add new servers all the time: if the country you need is not on the list, contact our support service, and we will add it. ■ CONFIDENTIALITY Your confidentiality is our priority. We do not keep record of your activity, do not store logs, your personal details, or history. We do not disclose your data to third parties even if you are using VPN for free. Our VPN protocol disguises itself as regular traffic. All the data are safely encrypted. It means no one will know what websites you visit: neither us, nor your Internet service provider. This option is available even if you are using VPN for free. ■ PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS Sign up for our Premium subscription and enjoy all the features the app has to offer for a 7-day free trial. You will have: -High speed and 100% encryption -No ads -Quick connection in one click -Servers to select from all over the world -Use of VPN on five devices running on any platform -Protection when working via public Wi-Fi -Unlimited time and traffic -No logs and records ■ SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Our affordability and trial policy allows you to buy Premium subscription on great terms. A 1-month plan is USD 8 per month. A 12-month plan comes with a 49% discount and is USD 50 per year only. The prices include all the applicable taxes. Subscription cancellation terms -You may cancel the free trial during the trial run through AppStore or in the settings, but you need to do so at least 24 hours before the trial ends to avoid being charged. -Your trial is limited to one test version per user. -You may cancel your subscription at any moment in Settings > Your Apple ID > Subscriptions -If you do not cancel your subscription 24 hours before its expiration, it will renew automatically. ■ SUPPORT admin@vpnmax.org https://vpnmax.org (https://vpnmax.org/) ■ Privacy Policy: https://www.vpnmax.org/privacy ■ Terms of Service: https://www.vpnmax.org/tos Download VPN MAX today to enjoy all its benefits.

Screenshots

Lightning VPN4 screens
VPN MAX4 screens

Verdict

The call

Lightning VPN and VPN MAX both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 60% of VPN MAX's written reviews are positive against 36% of Lightning VPN's. VPN MAX also leads on ratings volume (123 vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Lightning VPN's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Lightning VPN sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and VPN MAX sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightning VPN holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VPN MAX has 123 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Lightning VPN's written reviews are positive against 60% of VPN MAX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning VPN ships an update every 3 weeks, VPN MAX every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Lightning VPN versus VPN MAX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning VPNVPN MAX
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better4.5 (123 ratings)
Positive reviews36.4% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3123 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB43 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperQG TECH PTY LTDDIGITAL MAX

Customer experience

Lightning VPN

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative63.6%

VPN MAX

All ratings123 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral0.8%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Lightning VPN

One-time10
  • 超短7天会员$0.99
  • 30天会员$3.99
  • 常规 大杯 季付$14.99
Show 7 more
  • 年度会员-365天$18.99
  • 常规 超大杯 季付$19.99
  • 常规 大杯 半年付$22.99
  • 常规 超大杯 半年付$29.99
  • 无限流量 半年付$39.99
  • 常规 超大杯 年付$59.99
  • 无限流量 年付$59.99
5 purchases

VPN MAX

Subscriptions5
  • 1 month of VPNMAX+$8.001 Month
  • 1 month of VPNMAX+7 Days trial$8.001 Month
  • 6 months of VPNMAX+$34.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • 12 months of VPNMAX+7 Days trial$49.901 Year
  • 12 months of VPNMAX+$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Lightning VPN free?
Lightning VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VPN MAX free?
VPN MAX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightning VPN or VPN MAX?
Lightning VPN is rated higher. Lightning VPN averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while VPN MAX averages 4.5 from 123 ratings.
Do Lightning VPN or VPN MAX have ads?
Neither Lightning VPN nor VPN MAX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightning VPN or VPN MAX?
Lightning VPN ships an update every 3 weeks, and VPN MAX every 5 days. Most recently, Lightning VPN was updated on November 7, 2026 and VPN MAX on November 3, 2026.

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