# Maxthon Browser vs Dark Browser

Maxthon Browser and Dark Browser both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of Maxthon Browser's written reviews are positive against 32% of Dark Browser's. Maxthon Browser also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). Dark Browser's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dark Browser sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Maxthon Browser asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Maxthon Browser against 4.4 for Dark Browser. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 701 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Maxthon Browser's written reviews are positive against 32% of Dark Browser's.

Maxthon Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, Dark Browser every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Maxthon Browser | Dark Browser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (701 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maxthon-browser/id541052011/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-browser-private-and-secure/id1476630579/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 701 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.5% of reviews** | 31.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Maxthon Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/473194919) | [Si Yong Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777462143) |

## What reviewers say

### Maxthon Browser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maxthon-browser/id541052011)

A mobile web browser designed for a streamlined and personalized experience. It offers a fresh interface, enhanced features like customizable favorites, and tools for privacy and eye comfort.

**Highlights:** New UI design, Re-planned homepage layout, Optimized feature layout, Enhanced favorites with text and images, Personalized data treasure chest, Incognito mode, Night mode

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient browsing
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure and private browsing
- 💡 Useful features like cloud sync and note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Cluttered and confusing UI after updates
- 🚫 Forced login/account creation

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and unresponsiveness
- Bookmark and history sync issues
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Problems with file downloads and attachments

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved tab management
- Ability to customize homepage and bookmarks
- Better video/audio playback support


### Dark Browser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-browser-private-and-secure/id1476630579)

This app provides a comfortable browsing experience by automatically switching web pages to dark mode. It also offers ad and virus blocking for a safer online environment. Users can easily manage their browsing with features like bookmarks, history, and downloads.

**Highlights:** Automatic dark mode for web pages, Manual dark/light mode switching, Ad and virus interception, Fast search functionality, Customizable homepage, Bookmarks and history management, Download manager

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced features for a month | $4.99 | per month |
| Continuous weekly subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Advanced features for a month | $9.99 | per month |
| Advanced features for 3 months | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual premium features | $36.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌙 Excellent dark mode support
- 🚀 Fast and responsive browser
- 👍 Helpful for night browsing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 💸 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
- 🔍 Poor privacy and security
- 🔧 Compatibility issues with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Inverted colors on dark websites
- Inability to access .onion sites

**Requested features**

- Add support for captcha and login features
- Improve image handling and color inversion
- Introduce customization options for dark mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Maxthon Browser free?

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

### Is Dark Browser free?

Dark Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Maxthon Browser or Dark Browser?

Maxthon Browser is rated higher. Maxthon Browser averages 4.5 out of 5 from 701 ratings, while Dark Browser averages 4.4 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Maxthon Browser or Dark Browser have ads?

Dark Browser shows ads; Maxthon Browser does not.

### Which is updated more often, Maxthon Browser or Dark Browser?

Maxthon Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dark Browser every 5 days. Most recently, Maxthon Browser was updated on September 20, 2026 and Dark Browser on September 21, 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.*