# Shadowrocket vs Karing

The clearest difference is price: Karing at Free against Shadowrocket's $2.99. Karing also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 58%). Shadowrocket's advantage is ratings volume (12K vs 698) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Shadowrocket against 4.6 for Karing. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadowrocket has 12K ratings behind it against 698, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Shadowrocket's written reviews are positive against 74% of Karing's.

Shadowrocket ships an update every 10 days, Karing fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadowrocket | Karing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowrocket/id932747118/reviews) | **[4.6 (698 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karing/id6472431552/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 698 |
| Positive reviews | 57.6% of reviews | **73.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 146 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Launch Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/687237009) | [Supernova Nebula LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1717024808) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadowrocket

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Utilities, #2 Top Paid, #107 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


### Karing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karing/id6472431552)

This utility app enhances network proxy management by offering compatibility with various protocols like Clash, V2ray, and Shadowsocks. It automatically selects efficient nodes based on routing rules and supports custom configurations, making advanced proxy management accessible.

**Highlights:** Clash, V2ray, Shadowsocks compatibility, Automatic efficient node selection, Customizable routing rules, Multi-device synchronization, Novice-friendly configuration modes, Import/export ZIP files

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 High speed
- 👍 Simple and strong app
- 👍 Powerful, good alternative to V2Box
- 👍 User-friendly for beginners
- 👍 Best proxy software

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 High battery drain
- 🐛 Occasional disconnections
- 🐛 Subscription nodes not supported
- 🐛 Diversion rules not user-friendly
- 🐛 Crashes and unable to connect

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription nodes disappearing
- Warp not working
- Unable to pass 'Preset - Custom diversion group' page
- Incompatibility with some apps when network sharing is enabled

**Requested features**

- Add widget support
- Add Brook and SSH protocols
- Add ability to toggle off when phone is locked
- Add option to disable servers in subscriptions
- Add on-demand rules or disconnect on screen lock


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadowrocket free?

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

### Is Karing free?

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

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

Karing is rated higher. Shadowrocket averages 4.5 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Karing averages 4.6 from 698 ratings.

### Do Shadowrocket or Karing have ads?

Neither Shadowrocket nor Karing shows ads.

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

Shadowrocket ships an update every 10 days, and Karing fortnightly. Most recently, Shadowrocket was updated on November 1, 2026 and Karing on October 30, 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.*