# Shadowrocket vs Loon

The clearest difference is rating: Shadowrocket at 4.5 against Loon's 3.9. Shadowrocket also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and price ($2.99 vs $7.99). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Shadowrocket costs $2.99 and Loon $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shadowrocket holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadowrocket has 12K ratings behind it against 506, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Shadowrocket's written reviews are positive against 53% of Loon's.

Shadowrocket ships an update weekly, Loon every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadowrocket | Loon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowrocket/id932747118/reviews)** | [3.9 (506 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loon/id1373567447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 506 |
| Positive reviews | **57.5% of reviews** | 53.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #21 |
| Size | 53 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Launch Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/687237009) | [Loon Lab Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631584654) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadowrocket

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowrocket/id932747118)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Utilities, #2 Top Paid, #159 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This utility client captures and redirects all device traffic to a proxy server. It records requests, allows rule-based configuration, and measures network performance. It also supports ad blocking, local DNS mapping, and advanced proxy features.

**Highlights:** Capture and redirect all device traffic, Record HTTP, HTTPS, and DNS requests, Configure rules by domain, IP, and GeoIP, Measure traffic usage and network speed, Import rule files from URL or iCloud, Block ads by domain and user agent, Local DNS Mapping

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent VPN performance
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Robust security features
- 💡 Useful customization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues after updates
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Confusing setup process for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Unreliable server connections leading to timeouts
- Subscription management and customer support issues

**Requested features**

- Add support for more protocols (e.g. SSTP, L2TP)
- Implement auto-connect and load balancing features
- Develop a native macOS version


### Loon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loon/id1373567447)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

This app is a powerful network tool for debugging and optimizing connections. It offers comprehensive traffic capture, detailed record-keeping, and advanced routing options. Features include robust ad-blocking and cutting-edge DNS capabilities.

**Highlights:** Wide protocol support (ss, vmess, trojan, etc.), Comprehensive traffic capture (HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP), Detailed request/response header and body recording, MITM functionality over HTTP2, Advanced domain-based routing, Robust ad-blocking with custom rules, Traffic usage monitoring, Advanced DNS features (IPv6, DoH, DoQ, DoH3)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for ad blocking
- 🚀 Faster than Quantumult X
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly
- 👍 Frequent updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unstable connection
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Limited protocol support
- 💸 Expensive compared to alternatives

**Reported bugs**

- Nodes not working after iOS 16 update
- Subscription issues and inability to refund
- Mitm and script features not functioning properly
- Incompatibility with certain games and apps

**Requested features**

- Support for Reality protocol
- Support for gRPC protocol
- Proxy sharing feature
- Improved DNS hijacking protection
- Better widget and shortcut support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadowrocket free?

Shadowrocket costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Loon free?

Loon costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shadowrocket or Loon?

Shadowrocket is rated higher. Shadowrocket averages 4.5 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Loon averages 3.9 from 506 ratings.

### Do Shadowrocket or Loon have ads?

Neither Shadowrocket nor Loon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shadowrocket or Loon?

Shadowrocket ships an update weekly, and Loon every 5 weeks. Most recently, Shadowrocket was updated on September 24, 2026 and Loon on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Shadowrocket or Loon?

Shadowrocket currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Loon at #21. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*