# Shadowrocket vs HongMall Express

The clearest difference is price: HongMall Express at Free against Shadowrocket's $2.99. HongMall Express also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%). Shadowrocket's advantage is chart position (#1 vs unranked) and device support (5 vs 2). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

HongMall Express is free to download; Shadowrocket costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shadowrocket ships an update every 10 days, HongMall Express every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadowrocket | HongMall Express |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowrocket/id932747118/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 17+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Launch Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/687237009) | [COLORDANCE INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853900086) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadowrocket

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Utilities, #2 Top Paid, #137 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


### HongMall Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hongmall-express/id1593695687)

This delivery management tool simplifies operations for a local delivery service. It aims to provide an efficient and straightforward platform for exceptional customer delivery experiences.

**Highlights:** Delivery management, Efficient operations, Simple platform, Exceptional service, Customer focused

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadowrocket free?

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

### Is HongMall Express free?

HongMall Express is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Shadowrocket or HongMall Express have ads?

Neither Shadowrocket nor HongMall Express shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shadowrocket or HongMall Express?

Shadowrocket ships an update every 10 days, and HongMall Express every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shadowrocket was updated on October 30, 2026 and HongMall Express on October 24, 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.*