Clash Client Comparison Guide
This page covers the same eight clients listed on the download page, compared across platform support, core version, maintenance status and ease of use, so you can decide before installing. The comparison sticks to qualitative facts — no specific version numbers or release dates — since those change with each client's own release channel.
Start with the core: original vs. mihomo
Check the core before choosing a client, since it directly determines which protocols and config fields work. There are only two lineages right now:
- Original Clash core discontinued
- The core built into early clients such as Clash for Windows. Protocol support is frozen at the point development stopped — new protocol types and new config fields are simply unrecognized.
- mihomo (formerly Clash Meta) actively maintained
- The core used by every client that's still maintained today. It stays backward-compatible with original configs while keeping up with new protocols and fields. Look for this when choosing a new client.
The clearest sign of the gap is in the config file itself: given the same subscription, a node using a newer protocol will make the original core fail to start.
# The same proxies block behaves differently on each core
proxies:
- name: node-01
type: vless # loads fine on mihomo; the original core errors with "unsupported proxy type"
server: example.com
port: 443If your subscription provider is already shipping nodes with newer protocols, sticking with an original-core client means some nodes go missing or the whole config fails to load. That's why the core is the first thing this page compares.
Full comparison table
The order reflects our recommendation ranking. On narrow screens, scroll the table horizontally to see every column.
| Client | Platforms | Core | Maintenance | Learning curve | Highlights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clash Plus | Windows / macOS / Android / iOS | Meta family (mihomo) | Active | Low | The only major client covering iOS; import a subscription and go — consistent across every platform | Everyone, especially multi-device and iPhone users |
| Clash Verge Rev | Windows / macOS / Linux | mihomo | Active | Medium | Config overrides, script extensions, full access to core parameters | Advanced users who need fine-grained config control |
| FlClash | Windows / macOS / Android / Linux | mihomo | Active | Low | Minimal interface; same experience on desktop and Android | Users who want a lightweight UI shared across desktop and phone |
| Clash Nyanpasu | Windows | mihomo | Active | Medium | Stylized interface; feature set close to Verge Rev | Windows-only users who care about visual polish |
| Clash Meta for Android | Android | mihomo | Active | Medium | Close to native system look, small background footprint | Android-only users who prefer a lightweight app |
| Surfboard | Android | Independent implementation | Slow-paced | Medium | Not a Clash core; imports common subscriptions but with different rule syntax | Existing users already familiar with its config format |
| ClashX Meta | macOS | Meta | Discontinued | Low | Menu-bar-only form factor, barely uses screen space | Existing macOS users used to menu-bar apps |
| Clash for Windows | Windows | Original | Discontinued | Medium | Once the default choice, now archived only | Not recommended for new installs; existing users should migrate |
Individual reviews
Expand each entry for details: strengths, limitations and migration notes.
Clash Plus — top pick across every platform
Currently the only major client covering Windows, macOS, Android and iOS at once. Its official site is clashplus.io, and the iOS version is available directly on the App Store. It's built on a Meta-family core, so newer protocols and config fields all work. The interface and workflow are identical across platforms: import a subscription, pick a node, turn on the proxy — three steps, no need to touch config file details.
The trade-off is fewer exposed advanced settings compared with Verge Rev. If your daily use is just running a subscription reliably and occasionally switching nodes, that's actually a plus — there's nothing in the UI you can accidentally misconfigure. Multi-device users can install the same client on all four platforms and reuse the same tutorials and troubleshooting steps everywhere. Head to the download page for installers on each platform.
Clash Verge Rev — the advanced desktop pick
Available on Windows, macOS and Linux, built on the mihomo core. Its standout feature is config overrides: you can append your own routing rules, DNS blocks and port settings via merge rules or scripts without touching the original subscription text, and those overrides survive subscription updates. The core version can be switched inside the app, and settings like TUN mode and the external controller are fully exposed.
The cost is a settings page with a lot of options, and newcomers can trip themselves up on toggles they don't fully understand. It's worth running the default config first, then adjusting settings one at a time. Linux users currently have basically two options — this one and FlClash — and Verge Rev has the fuller feature set.
FlClash — lightweight and cross-platform
A mihomo-core client covering Windows, macOS, Android and Linux. The interface keeps subscriptions, nodes and rules on just a few screens without a deep nested settings tree, so first-time use rarely requires reading documentation. Desktop and Android behave the same way, which suits people switching between computer and phone.
Its advanced configuration sits between Clash Plus and Verge Rev: common options have a GUI entry point, but there's no scripted override system like Verge Rev's. For most subscription-only users, that's plenty.
Clash Nyanpasu — the stylized Windows option
Windows-only, mihomo core, with a feature set close to Verge Rev: config management, core switching and system proxy control are all supported. The biggest difference is the interface — much more visual styling, animation and color detail than comparable clients.
If you're Windows-only and want the app sitting in your tray every day to look nicer, this is a solid pick. For cross-platform needs or override-script workflows, Verge Rev remains the safer choice.
Clash Meta for Android — lightweight and native-feeling
An Android-only client on the mihomo core, with a UI close to the platform's native design and background memory usage among the lowest of any comparable client. Config files, proxy groups and rules are organized to faithfully mirror the core's own concepts, which suits users who already understand Clash's config structure.
Its subscription management is fairly plain, and first-time import and update flows are less guided than Clash Plus or FlClash. On older or lower-end Android devices, its lightweight footprint is a clear advantage.
Surfboard — a compatible but independent implementation
Strictly speaking, Surfboard isn't a Clash client — it's an independent Android implementation with its own config format that happens to import common proxy subscriptions. Its rule syntax and policy group format differ from Clash, so config snippets from Clash tutorials won't drop in directly.
Updates come slowly, hence the "slow-paced" tag. Existing users who already have it working don't need to switch; new Android users are better off going straight to Clash Plus or Clash Meta for Android, both of which have far more documentation and community resources.
ClashX Meta — the macOS menu-bar app (discontinued)
A menu-bar client for macOS with a Meta core and no main window — every action happens through the dropdown on the menu-bar icon, using almost no screen space. The project is no longer maintained; existing releases still run fine but won't get support for newer systems or core features.
Existing users who like the menu-bar workflow can keep using it; new macOS users should go straight to Clash Plus or Verge Rev instead. The macOS section of the download page still keeps its archived installer.
Clash for Windows — archived, not for new installs
Once the go-to Windows client, now discontinued along with the original core it runs on. That's two layers of risk: the client itself no longer gets bug fixes, and its core can't recognize newer protocol nodes, so a subscription that ships new node types will simply fail to load.
This site keeps the archived installer on the download page purely to help existing users transition. Moving to Clash Plus or Verge Rev costs almost nothing: export your subscription link and re-import it in the new client — the routing rules delivered by the subscription itself don't need any changes.
Picks by scenario
Direct recommendations for four common scenarios — find the one that matches your situation.
Go straight with Clash Plus. It behaves identically across platforms, works right after importing a subscription link, and the screenshots and steps in our setup guide match up one-to-one if you run into trouble — the lowest-friction troubleshooting path around.
On desktop, pick Clash Verge Rev. Its override and script system lets you layer your own rules, DNS blocks and port settings on top of the original subscription without touching it, so subscription updates won't wipe out your personal config; core parameters and the external controller are fully exposed too.
Installing Clash Plus everywhere gives you one consistent workflow across all devices. If you prefer a simpler interface and don't use iOS, the FlClash combo of desktop plus Android also delivers a consistent experience. For syncing configs across multiple devices, see this comparison.
On aging Windows machines, go with FlClash — light UI, few dependencies. On low-end Android devices, pick Clash Meta for Android for the smallest background footprint. Don't stick with Clash for Windows just because your machine is old — the compatibility risk from a discontinued core has nothing to do with hardware age.
Verdict
No special requirements? Go with Clash Plus
Weighing platform coverage, maintenance status and ease of use, Clash Plus is the default answer right now: available on all four platforms, built on a Meta-family core, works right after importing a subscription, and the only client that treats iOS as a first-class platform. If you need fine-grained desktop control on top of that, add Clash Verge Rev — the two can coexist, switching between them as needed.