Comparison

Flow vs ShortformBlock

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

Head to head
About

Flow

Take control of your internet connection system-wide. This app replaces your carrier's default DNS with a faster, smarter one, blocking ads, trackers, and malware without needing a VPN. Choose from multiple DNS providers for enhanced privacy and speed.

Highlights
  • System-wide DNS filtering
  • Block ads, trackers, and malware
  • Choose from 8 DNS providers
  • No VPN required
  • Privacy-focused, no logs
  • Custom DNS with subscription
Read full description

Flow is a DNS privacy app for iPhone and iPad. It encrypts every DNS query your device makes — preventing your carrier, ISP, and anyone on your network from seeing which websites and services you use. WHAT DNS IS AND WHY IT MATTERS Every time you open an app or visit a website, your device first asks a DNS server to translate the address into an IP. By default, this request is sent unencrypted — visible to your carrier, ISP, and anyone monitoring your connection. Flow replaces this with DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or DNS-over-TLS (DoT), encrypting every query so only the provider you choose can read it. HOW IT WORKS Flow installs a secure DNS profile directly on your device. Once active, every DNS request — every app, every website, every service — is encrypted before it leaves your iPhone or iPad. No VPN. No app that needs to stay open. No extra battery drain. 16+ PROVIDERS TO CHOOSE FROM • Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 — fastest public DNS, strict no-logging policy • Quad9 — blocks malware and phishing domains automatically • AdGuard — removes ads and trackers at the DNS level • NextDNS — fully customisable filtering rules • Mullvad — privacy-first, no logs, Tor-compatible • Google, OpenDNS, CleanBrowsing, Control D, and more Switch providers in seconds. Or add your own custom DoH or DoT server. FLOW+ — PAY ONCE, OWN IT FOREVER Flow+ unlocks the full experience with a single payment. No subscription. No renewal. No catch. Flow+ includes: • All privacy and ad-blocking providers • Custom DNS profiles — save up to 3 configurations • Auto-switch by network — different DNS per Wi-Fi • DNS Benchmark — find the fastest provider for your connection • DNS Health Check — resolution, latency, leaks, DNSSEC • Disconnect alerts — get notified if your profile goes offline • Siri & Shortcuts — pause, resume, switch providers by voice • Themes and accent colours • iCloud sync — settings follow you across all your devices • Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets YOUR PRIVACY Flow has no servers and no analytics. It does not log, collect, or sell any information about your DNS activity or browsing. The provider you choose handles your queries according to their own privacy policy — check it before you pick. Requires iOS 16 or later. Compatible with iPhone and iPad. ______________________________ IMPORTANT Privacy Policy: flowprivacy.rift.lat Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ShortformBlock

This extension for Safari blocks YouTube Shorts across your devices, removing them from feeds, search results, and navigation. It offers a private browsing experience with no data collection and is completely free to use.

Highlights
  • Hides Shorts from YouTube homepage
  • Removes Shorts from search results
  • Hides Shorts tab in navigation
  • Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
  • Private browsing, no data collection
Features
Read full description

Watch YouTube the way it was meant to be — without Shorts. ShortRemover is a free Safari extension that hides YouTube Shorts from your feed, search results, and navigation. No paywalls, no subscriptions, no nonsense. WORKS ON ALL YOUR DEVICES The only YouTube Shorts blocker available for iPhone, iPad and Mac — all in one free app. WHAT IT DOES - Hides Shorts from your YouTube homepage - Removes Shorts from search results - Hides the Shorts tab in navigation SIMPLE AND PRIVATE ShortRemover collects zero data. No analytics, no tracking, no servers. Your browsing stays completely private. HOW TO ENABLE 1. Open this app 2. Go to Safari Settings → Extensions 3. Enable ShortRemover and allow access to youtube That's it. Enjoy YouTube without Shorts.

Screenshots

Flow4 screens
ShortformBlock2 screens

Verdict

The call

Flow and ShortformBlock both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of ShortformBlock's written reviews are positive against 33% of Flow's. ShortformBlock also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and device support (4 vs 2). Flow's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Flow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ShortformBlock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Flow against 4.5 for ShortformBlock. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 8 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Flow's written reviews are positive against 75% of ShortformBlock's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flow ships an update weekly, ShortformBlock every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Flow versus ShortformBlock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlowShortformBlock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (14 ratings)4.5 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14 — better8
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCHIRAG DASHARATHBHAI PATELRiku Kuisma

Customer experience

Flow

All ratings14 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

ShortformBlock

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Flow

Subscriptions2
  • Flow+$2.991 Month
  • Flow+ Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Flow Lifetime$6.99
1 purchases

ShortformBlock

One-time1
  • Support Development$0.99

Questions

Is Flow free?
Flow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShortformBlock free?
ShortformBlock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flow or ShortformBlock?
ShortformBlock is rated higher. Flow averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while ShortformBlock averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.
Do Flow or ShortformBlock have ads?
Neither Flow nor ShortformBlock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flow or ShortformBlock?
Flow ships an update weekly, and ShortformBlock every 2 months. Most recently, Flow was updated on October 8, 2026 and ShortformBlock on October 2, 2026.

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