Which Clash client to pick: 8 clients side by side

The only client in this lineup covering Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS with a consistent interface across all four. It runs on the mihomo kernel, so it keeps pace with newer protocols; subscription import, mode switching, and node speed tests all sit on the home screen, so getting from install to a working proxy needs no documentation. The iOS app is on the App Store, with clashplus.io as its official site.

The trade-off is one tier fewer tweakable options than Verge Rev—no Script-level config rewriting, so heavy override needs mean switching tools. But for nine out of ten users, those features go unused for a year anyway.

Best for: first-time Clash users and anyone running the same subscription across multiple devices.

The most feature-complete desktop client here: Merge lets you layer your own rules on top of a subscription without touching the original file, Script can rewrite config on load, and TUN mode has a dedicated panel for toggling it and picking the network stack. Linux users basically have only this and FlClash to choose from, and its Linux support is the more mature of the two.

More options mean deeper menus: the first launch shows a full column of settings pages, and fully understanding them takes reading the docs. If you just want to import a subscription and get online, that power is a burden rather than a benefit.

Best for: power users who want fine control over rules and DNS, and Linux desktop users.

A cross-platform client written in Flutter, sharing the same interface logic across three desktop platforms and Android—what you learn on your computer works the same way on your phone. It runs on the mihomo kernel with a pared-down config screen: common options are all there, rare ones are tucked away, keeping the learning curve close to Clash Plus.

Its weak spot is missing iOS support, so it can't cover all four platforms; on desktop, system integration details like autostart and tray behavior aren't quite as polished as native-framework clients.

Best for: users on both a computer and an Android phone who want one consistent workflow.

A Windows-only client running the mihomo kernel, with its main appeal in tinkerability: script extensions can process subscriptions, themes can be deeply customized, and its release channel tends to ship more aggressively. Feature-wise it overlaps heavily with Verge Rev, so the choice between them comes down to taste and community preference.

Windows-only means switching devices means switching tools; its customization power assumes you're willing to tinker—used as a plain default tool, the differences won't show.

Best for: Windows-only users who like shaping tools to their own taste.

Once the de facto standard—plenty of old tutorial screenshots online come from it. But the project is discontinued and stuck on the original Clash kernel: newer protocol and config fields aren't recognized, so a subscription that uses new features will simply fail to parse, and no fix is coming.

The download center still keeps an archive entry, useful for exactly one scenario: an old config breaking on a new client, and you need to fall back temporarily to cross-check. Once you've diagnosed the issue, move away—don't keep this as a daily driver.

Best for: a temporary cross-check during legacy config migration only—not recommended for new users.

The Android client that sits closest to the kernel: config overrides, per-app proxying, and kernel logs are all exposed directly in the UI, and it keeps up quickly with mihomo updates. Users comfortable writing YAML can do desktop-level debugging right on their phone.

The interface is organized by feature rather than by a beginner-friendly flow, so first-time users have to find the "Config → New → Import from URL" path themselves; anyone who'd rather not touch config files is better served by Clash Plus or FlClash.

Best for: users comfortable with Clash configs who want fine control on Android.

Strictly speaking, this isn't part of the Clash family: it uses a Surge-style config format, and Clash's YAML subscriptions can't be fed to it directly without conversion. It's included here because many subscription services offer both formats, and Android users holding Surge configs tend to weigh it against CMFA.

Its release cadence is slower, and it lags behind mihomo-based clients on new protocols. Users without a Surge-format config have no reason to consider it.

Best for: users who already have a Surge-format config and want to reuse it on Android.

A minimalist client that lives permanently in the macOS menu bar: there's no main window, everything runs through the menu, memory usage is low, and its Meta-lineage kernel gave it a longer protocol-compatibility window than the original ClashX. It runs very smoothly on older machines.

The project is discontinued, so it won't track future protocol changes. FlClash now covers the same lightweight use case and is still updated—new installs shouldn't pick this one.

Best for: older Macs that just need a light always-on client with no need for new protocols.