# Maxthon Browser vs Via Browser

The clearest difference is update cadence: Maxthon Browser at every 2 weeks against Via Browser's every 3 months. Maxthon Browser also leads on ratings volume (701 vs 116). Via Browser's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 71%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Maxthon Browser against 4.5 for Via Browser. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Maxthon Browser has 701 ratings behind it against 116, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Maxthon Browser's written reviews are positive against 79% of Via Browser's.

Maxthon Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, Via Browser every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Maxthon Browser | Via Browser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (701 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maxthon-browser/id541052011/reviews)** | [4.5 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/via-browser/id1639085829/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **701** | 116 |
| Positive reviews | 70.5% of reviews | **79.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 62 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Maxthon Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/473194919) | [亚锋 涂](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639060061) |

## 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


### Via Browser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/via-browser/id1639085829)

A minimalist and lightweight web browser designed for speed and minimal memory usage. It offers extensive customization options, ad blocking, and essential browsing features for a clutter-free experience.

**Highlights:** Quiet browsing experience, Low memory usage, Minimalist design, Customizable interface, Ad blocking, Night mode, Request desktop site

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Extremely fast and lightweight browser
- 💾 Minimal storage footprint (4.8MB)
- ⚙️ Advanced customization options (CSS/JS injection, ad-blocking rules)
- 🔒 Strong privacy controls and data management
- 🎯 Clean, minimalist UI design

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Sync functionality completely broken across devices
- 🐛 Bookmarks disappear after several days of use
- 💾 Excessive cache accumulation (200MB+ after minimal use)
- 🔧 iOS version lacks many Android features
- ⚠️ Website compatibility issues (iCloud, some sites block access)

**Reported bugs**

- Sync not working between devices
- Bookmarks disappearing after days of use
- Cache not clearing properly, excessive memory usage
- Settings URL field resets on app restart
- Userscripts install but don't execute

**Requested features**

- Set as default browser
- Cross-device bookmark synchronization
- Resource sniffer/traffic inspection tool
- QR code scanner functionality
- Userscript/Tampermonkey full support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Maxthon Browser free?

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

### Is Via Browser free?

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

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

Maxthon Browser is rated higher. Maxthon Browser averages 4.5 out of 5 from 701 ratings, while Via Browser averages 4.5 from 116 ratings.

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

Neither Maxthon Browser nor Via Browser shows ads.

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

Maxthon Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, and Via Browser every 3 months. Most recently, Maxthon Browser was updated on September 20, 2026 and Via Browser on September 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*