Client guide · platform and config compatibility

Clash Client Comparison and Recommendations

For beginners, start with Clash Plus. For advanced desktop configuration, consider Clash Verge Rev. For a similar experience on desktop and Android, try FlClash. Check your operating system first, then your subscription format, and finally the advanced features you need.

Download Clash Compare clients

This guide compares workflows and feature limits. It doesn’t use scores to make the choice for you or assume that settings work identically across clients.

Compare eight Clash clients

Platform availability reflects the download options listed on this site, not every platform the projects have ever supported. Scroll horizontally on smaller screens to view the full table.

Ease-of-use ratings are qualitative, based on the initial import and everyday steps. Check the installer notes and current interface for exact features.
Client	Downloads on this site	Core / config system	Maintenance	Ease of use	Key features and limitations	Best for
Clash Plus Top pick	Windows、macOS、Android、iOS	Core and field support vary by platform; check the platform notes	Actively maintained	Easy; start by importing a subscription	A strong starting point for multiple devices; check permissions and features for each operating system	Beginners and users with multiple devices
Clash Verge Rev	Windows、macOS、Linux	mihomo; continues the Meta ecosystem	Actively maintained	Easy to start; overrides take some learning	Desktop config management, overrides, system proxy, and TUN	Everyday desktop use and advanced rule management
FlClash	Windows、macOS、Linux、Android	mihomo	Actively maintained	Easy; key actions are grouped together	Similar workflows on desktop and mobile, with config and policy management	Users who pair Android with a computer
Clash Nyanpasu	Windows	Supports core management; Meta / mihomo features depend on the selected core	Actively maintained	Moderate; understand the split between core and interface	Interface customization, config management, and core selection	Users who like customizing their desktop workflow
Clash for Windows	Windows archive	Original Clash / Clash Premium ecosystem	Discontinued	Familiar to existing users; not a first choice for new users	Keeps legacy workflows; don’t assume support for newer mihomo fields	Recreating legacy setups and migration checks
Clash Meta for Android	Android	Meta / mihomo ecosystem	Actively maintained	Moderate; requires VPN and background permissions	Mobile configs, policy selection, and per-app access control	Android users familiar with Clash configs
Surfboard	Android	Own proxy implementation; Surfboard config system	Actively maintained	Easy if you already have a compatible config	Designed for Surfboard configs; not a direct replacement for Clash YAML	Users with a compatible subscription or config
ClashX Meta	macOS archive	Meta ecosystem; archived core capabilities are fixed	Discontinued	Intuitive menu controls; check config compatibility before migrating	Menu bar workflow; don’t rely on an older core to support new features	Legacy macOS setups and migration checks

Choose by use case

Pick a client that meets your actual needs. There’s no need to take on extra maintenance for options you won’t use yet.

On Linux, compare Clash Verge Rev and FlClash, then choose the installer format for your distribution. On iOS, go straight to the Clash Plus App Store listing. Android background settings don’t apply to iOS. If a router or server only needs a proxy core, check the core downloads on the download page instead of installing a desktop GUI.

Client reviews

Expand a section to see each client’s workflow, limitations, and download options. Read about the candidates you’re considering; there’s no need to install them all.

Clash Plus: top pick for beginners and multiple devices

Our first pick is Clash Plus. If you haven’t settled into a workflow yet, get the essentials working first: import a subscription, switch configs, and connect day to day. That’s more useful than comparing every advanced field upfront. This site provides downloads for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, making Clash Plus a good shared candidate for users with several devices.

System permissions and features vary by platform, so don’t assume desktop TUN, system proxy, or override settings work the same way on phones. If your config relies on a specific protocol, script, or mihomo extension field, check the current platform notes and review the parsed config before importing. Official site: clashplus.io. iOS users can open the App Store from the download page.

View Clash Plus downloads by platform

Clash Verge Rev: desktop rules and override management

Clash Verge Rev suits users who want to maintain proxy configs as part of their everyday desktop workflow. The mihomo core handles protocols, routing, DNS, and more; the client provides config management and system integration. Start with a subscription config and rule mode. Enable TUN or adjust overrides only when needed—you don’t have to turn on every advanced option at once.

When migrating from CFW, the key question isn’t where the buttons moved, but how the client builds the final config. Legacy merge scripts, field overrides, and local rules may not transfer directly. Import the original subscription first and confirm it parses successfully, then migrate local changes one at a time. If TUN won’t start, check the service and permissions before blaming the subscription.

View Windows downloads · View macOS downloads · View Linux downloads

FlClash: a similar experience on desktop and Android

FlClash uses the mihomo core, with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android downloads listed on this site. It suits users who switch between a computer and Android and want to spend less time learning different interfaces. Configs, proxy policies, and connection settings are organized similarly, but that doesn’t mean every toggle or default is identical on both platforms.

On Android, check VPN permission and system battery restrictions. On desktop, distinguish between system proxy and TUN. Import the same subscription on both, check the currently selected policy group, and then test the same site. The same config URL can still route traffic differently if the selected policies differ. If you need to sync local rules, check the import and override results on each device; copying the subscription link alone doesn’t complete a migration.

View Android options · View desktop downloads

Clash Nyanpasu: interface customization and core management

Clash Nyanpasu suits users who like customizing their desktop workflow and care about interface layout and core selection. This site lists a Windows download; that describes this site’s offerings, not every platform the project has released for. Compare the client interface separately from the core it runs: the same config controls don’t mean different cores accept the same fields.

If you plan to use Meta / mihomo extensions, check which core is enabled and test the config first. Switching cores isn’t a universal fix: protocol support, DNS behavior, and config parsing can all change. If your current config is stable, keep a backup, change one variable at a time, and use logs to determine whether the error occurred during config loading, listener startup, or connection setup.

View Clash Nyanpasu downloads

Clash for Windows: archive and migration reference

Clash for Windows, often called CFW, is a legacy desktop client from the original Clash / Clash Premium ecosystem and is no longer maintained. This site retains a Windows archive download for recreating old setups and migration checks. New users shouldn’t choose it just because it looks familiar from tutorials. The legacy core can read some YAML, but that doesn’t mean it supports newer mihomo protocols and extension fields.

If your existing config still works, export the subscription URL, rules, and any essential local settings first, then verify each one in an actively maintained client. Pay particular attention to scripts, DNS, listener ports, and merge behavior. After migrating, disable CFW’s startup launch and system proxy controls to prevent port conflicts or repeated changes to system proxy settings. Keep the old config for reference.

View alternatives and archived downloads

Clash Meta for Android: Android configs and app controls

Clash Meta for Android, often called CMFA, is an Android client in the Meta / mihomo ecosystem. It suits users who already understand configs, policy groups, and rule modes. After importing, set the target config as active, start the connection, and grant the system VPN permission. A subscription appearing in the list doesn’t mean it’s enabled.

Android performance also depends on manufacturer-specific background restrictions. If the connection drops after switching apps, check battery optimization and background permissions. If only certain apps can’t connect, check per-app access controls and rules. The VPN key icon only shows that the connection service is running; it doesn’t prove every request is succeeding. This site offers installers for different architectures, so check your device’s architecture before downloading.

View CMFA and Android downloads

Surfboard: check the subscription format before choosing

Surfboard is another Android option, but it isn’t just Clash with a different interface. It uses its own proxy implementation and config system, so don’t assume it can read Clash YAML directly. It makes sense if your provider offers a config specifically compatible with Surfboard. If you only have a Clash subscription, first ask whether a compatible format is available.

When converting between config systems, importing nodes doesn’t guarantee that rules, DNS, and policy behavior are preserved. Verify each one after conversion, and remember that subscription URLs may contain access credentials—don’t submit them to unfamiliar online tools. If you rely on mihomo-specific fields, choosing a client from the same core ecosystem usually reduces migration work. Users with an established Surfboard workflow can continue maintaining configs in its own format.

View Surfboard downloads

ClashX Meta: archived macOS menu bar option

ClashX Meta is part of the Meta core ecosystem, and menu bar controls are a common way to use it. It is no longer maintained. This site retains a macOS archive download for existing users and migration reference. The name Meta doesn’t guarantee support for every current mihomo feature; the core bundled with an archived build won’t update automatically for newer config formats.

For a new macOS installation, compare Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, and FlClash first. Before migrating, check whether your Mac has Apple Silicon or an Intel processor, and whether the old setup used system proxy or another traffic-capture method. Don’t run two proxy controllers at once after installing a new client. Test the original subscription first, restore local rules next, then configure startup and background behavior.

View macOS clients and archived downloads

Cores, clients, and subscription formats

Look at each separately to understand why the same subscription might import in one client but fail in another.

The client handles controls; the core determines parsing and connection capabilities

Clients typically manage subscriptions, policy selection, logs, and system integration. The core reads configs, matches rules, and establishes connections. Original Clash, Clash Premium, and Meta / mihomo shouldn’t be treated as identical feature sets. mihomo continues the Meta ecosystem, but support for a particular field also depends on the core in use and whether the client rewrites the config.

So “supports Clash configs” is only a starting point. If a subscription uses newer protocols, DNS options, or rule provider fields, check the parsing logs and final config. For an unknown-field error, check the config target and core capabilities first. For a missing-reference error, check policy group names and rule targets rather than simply switching interfaces.

Rule mode, system proxy, and TUN work at different levels

Rule mode determines how the core routes connections that reach it. A system proxy gives apps that follow system proxy settings a way to connect through the proxy; TUN captures traffic through a virtual network interface. Supporting rule mode doesn’t mean all app traffic reaches the client. Enabling TUN doesn’t guarantee that rules, DNS, and permissions are configured correctly.

Phones typically connect through the system VPN interface, but its setup and permission model aren’t identical to desktop TUN. When choosing a client, first decide which apps need coverage, then check whether system proxy is enough. For more on config fields and references between sections, see Advanced Config. You don’t need to learn all of YAML before choosing a client.

Migration checklist

Keep the old setup recoverable, then build a minimal working config in the new client.

Document your config sources. Note where each subscription comes from and distinguish remote subscriptions, local YAML files, and client overrides. Back up the original files; screenshots are useful for reference, but they aren’t a config backup.
Disable traffic handling in the old client. Quit it and turn off its system proxy and TUN to avoid listener port conflicts. Make sure no old proxy address remains in your network settings before starting the new client.
Import only the original subscription. Once the config appears in the list, set it as active. Check for parsing errors first, then choose a rule mode and a specific policy target.
Test the connection in stages. Confirm the local listener and connection service are running, then visit the sites you need. If an app doesn’t follow the system proxy, consider TUN rather than importing more subscriptions.
Restore local changes one at a time. Migrate rules, DNS, and overrides in sequence, reloading and testing after each change. Set startup behavior and subscription update intervals once everything works.

Keep it simple: choose Clash Plus for a first installation. If you need advanced desktop configuration, compare Clash Verge Rev; for a computer-and-Android setup, consider FlClash. Look at other options when you have a compatible format or an established workflow. Archived clients are for referring back to old setups, not the default choice for new devices.

Find downloads for your operating system; if you’ve installed a client but can’t import a config or connect, visit the Help Center to troubleshoot the symptoms before switching clients.