# Shadowrocket vs NextDNS

The clearest difference is price: NextDNS at Free against Shadowrocket's $2.99. Shadowrocket's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

NextDNS is free to download; Shadowrocket costs $2.99 up front. NextDNS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Shadowrocket asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Shadowrocket against 4.5 for NextDNS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadowrocket has 12K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Shadowrocket's written reviews are positive against 63% of NextDNS's.

Shadowrocket ships an update weekly, NextDNS every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadowrocket | NextDNS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowrocket/id932747118/reviews) | [4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextdns/id1463342498/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | 57.5% of reviews | **63.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Launch Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/687237009) | [nextdns Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463342497) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadowrocket

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Utilities, #3 Top Paid, #149 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


### NextDNS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextdns/id1463342498)

Encrypt all your DNS queries across all networks with this app. It leverages native iOS settings to bring your custom blocking policies and traffic analytics directly to your phone. Easily set up your configuration ID to enhance your online privacy and security.

**Highlights:** Encrypts all DNS queries, Uses native iOS Encrypted DNS settings, Apply custom blocking policies, View traffic analytics and logs, Configure with your NextDNS account ID

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient DNS service
- 🔒 Robust security and privacy features
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly setup
- 💡 Highly configurable with advanced options
- 🚀 Improves internet speed and performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Inability to disable on specific Wi-Fi networks
- 🐛 Inconsistent ad blocking performance
- 🔋 High battery drain on mobile devices
- 🐛 Lack of transparency on service status and outages

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for older iOS devices
- Profiles not working correctly after iOS 15 update
- Inability to remove the DNS profile from the device
- Connectivity issues when used in conjunction with a VPN

**Requested features**

- Add a quick toggle to enable/disable the service
- Integrate the web dashboard functionality into the app
- Provide more granular control over blocked content
- Implement a timed mode to temporarily disable the service
- Add support for DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadowrocket free?

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

### Is NextDNS free?

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

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

Shadowrocket and NextDNS are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12K and 1.8K ratings respectively.

### Do Shadowrocket or NextDNS have ads?

Neither Shadowrocket nor NextDNS shows ads.

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

Shadowrocket ships an update weekly, and NextDNS every 6 weeks. Most recently, Shadowrocket was updated on September 24, 2026 and NextDNS on September 23, 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.*