Comparison

Vex vs NS Connect

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Vex

This app is a third-party client for the V2EX community, built with SwiftUI for a native experience. It allows users to easily discover topics, read discussions, and connect with like-minded individuals. Features include browsing, searching, and viewing past discussions, with an optional one-time purchase for account interaction features.

Highlights
  • Browse topics, nodes, and replies
  • Search topics (Sov2ex/Google)
  • View 'On This Day' past topics
  • Native content layout and image browsing
  • Dark mode support
  • iPad sidebar layout
  • Account login and interaction (paid)
Features
Read full description

Vex 是一个第三方 V2EX 社区客户端,使用 SwiftUI 原生构建,让你轻松发现话题、阅读讨论、找到兴趣同好。 永久免费: • 浏览主题、节点和回复,发现感兴趣的社区内容 • 搜索主题,支持 Sov2ex / Google • 往年今日,回看过去的精彩话题 • 原生内容排版、图片浏览、会话线程追踪与深色模式 • iPad 侧边栏布局与剪贴板 V2EX 链接检测 Vex 永久版: 一次购买,永久解锁 V2EX 账号登录、发帖、回复、感谢、收藏、关注和消息等账号互动功能。永久版为一次性买断,无订阅和自动续费,可通过“恢复购买”恢复符合条件的购买记录。 浏览、搜索和往年今日不限使用时间,无需领取试用。此前已领取且尚未到期的 7 天试用可继续使用至原到期时间;已有永久版用户及符合条件的历史用户保留原有权益。 Vex 为独立开发的第三方客户端,非 V2EX 官方应用。社区内容和账号服务由 V2EX 提供。

About

NS Connect

Features
Read full description

NS Connect is a native iOS client for NodeSeek. Post lists, long threads and benchmark reports are rendered natively, so scrolling feels smoother than the website, and the small chores like check-ins, keyword follows and image uploads are built in. One-time purchase, open source. BROWSE & READ • Swipe between home sections; sort by post time or latest reply • Long threads, code, tables and terminal output laid out natively; scroll through hundreds of replies • NQ (NodeQuality) reports shown in their own tabs, such as basic info, IP quality, network and return route • Images keep their original aspect ratio; long images show the top with a "Long image" tag. Tap to zoom, save or share; GIF and SVG supported • In-site search by keyword and section, with recent searches • Recently viewed: get back to any post you've read • Trade warning when the poster is Lv1 or lower; author status such as muted is shown POST & INTERACT • Sign in on the NodeSeek web page with your own account • Reply to posts or comments, combine multiple replies and quotes • Built-in NodeSeek sticker packs • After authorizing NodeImage, pick or shoot a photo and insert it into your reply • Bookmark, like, give chicken legs, downvote; view and take part in polls • Site notifications with unread counts and mark-as-read; view your own threads, comments and bookmarks • New threads are created on the NodeSeek web page opened inside the app PERSONALIZE • Special follow: color-highlight titles and posters by keyword, with import and export • Section order: show, hide and reorder home sections • Text size with live preview; choose whether to show signatures • Follows system light and dark mode • Auto check-in (off by default): when enabled, it tries to check in when the app comes to the foreground or you return to the home list. Choose "Chicken leg x 5" or "Try your luck"; it stops once the day is done • Cache management: clear image and web caches without signing out LOCK SCREEN PUSH Get notified on the lock screen when someone replies, mentions you or sends a private message; tap to jump straight to the reply or the notifications page. Push requires your own ns-apns server (open source): run it on a Linux machine that can reach Telegram, sign in with the Telegram account bound to NodeSeek's official notification bot, then paste the Device Token from Settings > Push Notifications in the app into the ns-apns settings page. Notifications are sent from your own server, not through the developer's server. Setup guide: github.com/tyrad/ns-apns OPEN SOURCE & PRIVACY • Code is public on GitHub (github.com/tyrad/nodeseek) and built by GitHub Actions; Settings > About shows the matching Git hash • Sign-in state, history, searches and preferences stay on your device; the NodeImage key is stored in the system Keychain • Signing out clears your sign-in state and NodeImage authorization; logging is off by default Some features require signing in and the relevant site permissions. If the site asks for verification or shows content the app doesn't support yet, you can continue in the web view. NS Connect is a third-party open-source project and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by NodeSeek.

Screenshots

Vex4 screens
NS Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Vex at Free against NS Connect's $1.99. Vex also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). NS Connect's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#10 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Vex is free to download; NS Connect costs $1.99 up front. Vex sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. NS Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vex ships an update every 2 days, NS Connect weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Vex versus NS Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVexNS Connect
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating5.0 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank—#10 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB12 MB
Age rating17+17+
Developer赛坤 孙创 陈

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Vex

One-time2
  • 7-day TrialFree
  • Vex Pro Lifetime$2.99
None

NS Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vex free?
Vex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NS Connect free?
NS Connect costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Vex or NS Connect have ads?
Neither Vex nor NS Connect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vex or NS Connect?
Vex ships an update every 2 days, and NS Connect weekly. Most recently, Vex was updated on October 31, 2026 and NS Connect on October 31, 2026.

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