Stage1st Reader vs ShadowVPN
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Stage1st Reader
This unofficial mobile reader offers a fast and convenient way to browse the S1 forum. Enjoy a comfortable experience while accessing content from bbs.saraba1st.com/2b.
- Fast browsing
- Convenient access
- Comfortable user experience
- Unofficial client
- Mobile reader
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Stage1st 第三方客户端，提供高速快捷的S1浏览方式。 This is a unofficial mobile reader designed for bbs.saraba1st.com/2b Provide a comfortable way to browser the stage1st forum.
ShadowVPN
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ShadowVPN is a minimal, fast, point-to-point VPN client built on the ShadowVPN protocol — a UDP, pre-shared-key, layer-3 tunnel using the shadowsocks AEAD encryption scheme. You bring your own server; ShadowVPN connects to it. Nothing is proxied through us, and there is no account to create. Follow the link to build your own server: https://github.com/madeye/shadowvpn FEATURES • Fast UDP tunnel — a lightweight raw-IP data plane with no SOCKS layer or userland TCP stack overhead. • Strong encryption — shadowsocks AEAD ciphers protect every datagram. • Split tunneling — route only what you need and bypass traffic by country using an on-device GeoIP database. • Multiple profiles — store and switch between several servers. • Traffic obfuscation — optional obfuscation to blend in with ordinary traffic. • On-device only — your keys and configuration never leave your device. • Native & efficient — a SwiftUI app driving Apple's Network Extension, with a compact Rust core for the data plane. ShadowVPN is for users who want a simple, transparent, self-hosted VPN.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Stage1st Reader at Free against ShadowVPN's $2.99. Stage1st Reader also leads on iOS requirement (13.1 vs 17.0). ShadowVPN's advantage is chart position (#175 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Stage1st Reader is free to download; ShadowVPN costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Stage1st Reader ships an update every 2 months, ShadowVPN every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stage1st Reader | ShadowVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (13 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | — | #175 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | 铮 李 | Shanghai Tangzixiang Information Technology Co., Ltd |
In-app purchases
Stage1st Reader
No in-app purchases
ShadowVPN
No in-app purchases
