# DarknessPush vs APNs Helper

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: DarknessPush at 11.0 against APNs Helper's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

DarknessPush ships an update every 3 months, APNs Helper every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DarknessPush | APNs Helper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ILIA SHKOLNIK](https://appshunter.io/developer/366457086) | [志舟 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1359019753) |

## What reviewers say

### DarknessPush

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darknesspush/id1622965653)

This free, open-source utility allows developers to test push notifications on iOS and iPadOS devices. It provides a comprehensive set of APNS fields for configuring and sending test alerts.

**Highlights:** Free and open source, Comprehensive APNS fields, Autosave input data, Supports P8 Auth Key, Configurable APNS type and environment

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### APNs Helper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apns-helper/id6443608175)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DarknessPush free?

DarknessPush is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is APNs Helper free?

APNs Helper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do DarknessPush or APNs Helper have ads?

Neither DarknessPush nor APNs Helper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DarknessPush or APNs Helper?

DarknessPush ships an update every 3 months, and APNs Helper every 4 months. Most recently, DarknessPush was updated on October 4, 2026 and APNs Helper on October 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.*