# Protect Search vs Safe Shield

The clearest difference is rating: Safe Shield at 4.6 against Protect Search's 4.1. Protect Search's advantage is ratings volume (82 vs 7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Protect Search sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Safe Shield sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Safe Shield holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Protect Search has 82 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Protect Search ships an update every 5 days, Safe Shield every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Protect Search | Safe Shield |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protect-search/id6444733862/reviews) | **[4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safe-shield-secure-complex/id6741790913/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **82** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 89.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 6 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 20 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PF Tech s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1656512233) | [Yavkach Security Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795617610) |

## What reviewers say

### Protect Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protect-search/id6444733862)

This app offers an ultrafast, secure, and private browsing experience on your iPhone. It features a built-in VPN and ad blocker to ensure anonymity, prevent tracking, and remove intrusive advertisements for a cleaner web.

**Highlights:** Built-in VPN, Ad blocker, Private browsing, Fast browsing speed, IP address hiding, Website security checks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Access | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Version | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Version | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium Version | $69.99 | per year |


### Safe Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safe-shield-secure-complex/id6741790913)

This app uses AI to guide you through online safety concerns and scans links against 96 databases. It also offers real-time website blocking in Safari to prevent access to dangerous pages.

**Highlights:** AI-driven security guide, Comprehensive link scanner, Real-time website protection in Safari, QR code scanning for links, Website safety ratings and user feedback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Secure Complex Weekly | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Secure Complex Weekly Trial | $8.99 | per 7 days |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Protect Search free?

Protect Search is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Safe Shield free?

Safe Shield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Protect Search or Safe Shield?

Safe Shield is rated higher. Protect Search averages 4.1 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Safe Shield averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

### Do Protect Search or Safe Shield have ads?

Neither Protect Search nor Safe Shield shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Protect Search or Safe Shield?

Protect Search ships an update every 5 days, and Safe Shield every 6 days. Most recently, Protect Search was updated on October 10, 2026 and Safe Shield on October 2, 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.*