# Maxthon Browser vs Desktop Browser

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Maxthon Browser at none against Desktop Browser's 6. Maxthon Browser also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (71% vs 52%). Desktop Browser's advantage is ratings volume (16K vs 701). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Desktop Browser sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. 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 Desktop Browser. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Desktop Browser has 16K ratings behind it against 701, 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 52% of Desktop Browser's.

Maxthon Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, Desktop Browser fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Maxthon Browser | Desktop Browser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (701 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maxthon-browser/id541052011/reviews)** | [4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desktop-browser/id940076212/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 701 | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.5% of reviews** | 52.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Maxthon Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/473194919) | [Spicy Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/299136020) |

## 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


### Desktop Browser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desktop-browser/id940076212)

Access full desktop versions of websites on your mobile device, overcoming content limitations and enhancing productivity. Enjoy a customizable browsing experience with tabbed browsing and bookmarks, seamlessly integrated with other apps.

**Highlights:** View desktop website versions, Tabbed browsing, Bookmarks, Customizable settings, Seamless app integration, Enhanced productivity

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| weekly | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| yearly | $7.49 | per year |
| remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| browse plus | $1.99 | one-time |
| all features pack | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for desktop browsing on mobile
- 🚀 Reliable in forcing desktop mode
- 💡 Helpful for accessing desktop-only features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on some websites
- 💸 Aggressive monetization with ads and in-app purchases
- 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many toolbars

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to upload images
- Reloads pages unexpectedly when interacting with text fields
- Fails to properly display desktop versions of certain websites

**Requested features**

- Add PDF export/download functionality
- Improve tab management and background browsing
- Provide more customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Maxthon Browser free?

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

### Is Desktop Browser free?

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

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

Maxthon Browser is rated higher. Maxthon Browser averages 4.5 out of 5 from 701 ratings, while Desktop Browser averages 4.4 from 16K ratings.

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

Desktop Browser shows ads; Maxthon Browser does not.

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

Maxthon Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, and Desktop Browser fortnightly. Most recently, Maxthon Browser was updated on September 20, 2026 and Desktop Browser on September 30, 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.*