Comparison

Source 3 vs Surge 5

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

Head to head
About

Source 3

View the HTML source code of any webpage directly within Safari. This app offers customizable syntax highlighting for a better developer experience on iOS devices.

Highlights
  • View HTML source code
  • Safari extension integration
  • Customizable syntax highlighting
  • Easy access via Action icon
  • Supports iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

Source is an app plus a Safari extension that makes it easy to do one key web developer task: view the HTML source of any web page, with beautiful and customisable syntax highlighting. Just browse the web in Safari as you normally would, and if you want to view the source for your current page just tap the Action icon and choose Source. The following steps show you how to get extensions to enhance your browsing experience in Safari on ‌iOS 15‌. Settings app → Safari → Extensions → toggle on the app or settings.

About

Surge 5

This advanced network utility allows developers to intercept, process, and forward network traffic. It offers deep control over connections, including URL redirection, local file mapping, and HTTPS decryption. Ideal for debugging and network analysis.

Highlights
  • Network connection takeover
  • Modify network requests/responses
  • Forward traffic to other proxies
  • Intercept and save network data
  • Decrypt HTTPS traffic
  • Rule-based forwarding
  • Ad blocking by domain
Features
Read full description

Surge is an advanced network toolbox and proxy utility. It is designed for developers and therefore requires professional knowledge to use. These four capabilities form the core workflow of Surge: · Takeover: Take over the network connections sent by the device. Surge supports both proxy service and virtual NIC takeover, capturing HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and UDP traffic from any app — even those ignoring proxy settings. All features work on the cellular network. · Processing: Modify the requests and responses that have been taken over: URL rewrite, header and body rewrite, local file mapping, custom DNS answers, and JavaScript-based modification. · Forwarding: Forward requests to proxy servers, either globally or driven by a flexible rule system. Policy groups select the best server automatically by latency, availability, or learned connection quality. · Intercept: Record and inspect requests and responses, including headers and bodies, and decrypt HTTPS traffic with MITM. Highlighted Features · Proxy protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, SOCKS5, SOCKS5-TLS, HTTP2 CONNECT, TrustTunnel, Shadowsocks, Snell, Trojan, Hysteria 2, AnyTLS, and SSH, with UDP relay support. · Used as a WireGuard or Tailscale client, converting the L3 VPN into a proxy policy. · Rules based on domain match/suffix/keyword/wildcard, CIDR IP range, GeoIP, ASN, protocol, port, and logical combinations; reusable rule sets hosted locally or remotely. · Policy groups: manual selection, automatic latency testing, fallback, load balancing, and the self-learning Smart group. · Complete DNS suite: DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-HTTP/3, DNS-over-QUIC, DNS-over-TLS, and concurrent queries for the fastest answer. · Local DNS mapping (equivalent to /etc/hosts) with wildcards, aliases, and per-domain DNS servers. Switch your app between production and development environments without changing any code. · Decrypt HTTPS traffic with Man-in-the-Middle and a built-in CA certificate generator. · Record and display HTTP requests and responses with JSON, text, image, and video viewers for the captured body; album mode for the request list; pre-filter for capturing. · Raw L3 packet capture. · Scripting: extend Surge with JavaScript — modify requests and responses, write custom rules, customize DNS answers, and run scheduled tasks. · Block unwanted requests by rules with high-performance pre-matching. · Measure traffic usage and network speed on Wi-Fi, cellular, and proxy connections. · Remote Dashboard: observe and debug traffic in real time from a Mac via Wi-Fi or USB, including cellular traffic. · Surge Ponte: access your home or office network remotely via your own devices, with no third-party service involved. · HTTPS proxy protocol supports client-side TLS certificate validation. · Safari extension to add rules; widgets and Information Panel for quick control. · Sync profiles across devices with iCloud Drive or Dropbox. · Full IPv6 support, TLS 1.3, HTTP/2, and QUIC. · High performance and industrial-grade stability, suitable for intensive use. Surge does not provide any proxy or VPN service; you need to configure your own servers. You may read the online manual for more information: https://nssurge.com/support Terms and Conditions: https://nssurge.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://nssurge.com/legal/privacy

Screenshots

Source 32 screens
Surge 54 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Surge 5 at Free against Source 3's $0.99. Surge 5 also leads on ratings volume (994 vs 10) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 2 months). Source 3's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.3 vs 4.1). On review sentiment, ads and device support 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

Surge 5 is free to download; Source 3 costs $0.99 up front. Surge 5 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Source 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Source 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surge 5 has 994 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Source 3's written reviews are positive against 51% of Surge 5's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Source 3 ships an update every 2 months, Surge 5 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Source 3 versus Surge 5: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSource 3Surge 5
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (10 ratings) — better4.1 (994 ratings)
Positive reviews43.8% of reviews51.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10994 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#58#11 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStreet Coder LLCSurge Networks Inc.

Customer experience

Source 3

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive43.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative56.3%

Surge 5

All ratings994 ratings
Positive77.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative20.5%
Written reviews447 reviews
Positive51.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative44.3%

In-app purchases

None

Source 3

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Surge 5

Subscriptions1
  • Feature Subscription$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Surge Pro$49.99

Questions

Is Source 3 free?
Source 3 costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Surge 5 free?
Surge 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Source 3 or Surge 5?
Source 3 is rated higher. Source 3 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Surge 5 averages 4.1 from 994 ratings.
Do Source 3 or Surge 5 have ads?
Neither Source 3 nor Surge 5 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Source 3 or Surge 5?
Source 3 ships an update every 2 months, and Surge 5 every 5 weeks. Most recently, Source 3 was updated on September 24, 2026 and Surge 5 on September 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, Source 3 or Surge 5?
Source 3 currently peaks at #58 in the App Store charts, and Surge 5 at #11. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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