Compare today’s popular Clash GUI clients by platform support, core, maintenance status, complexity, and use case. Start by identifying your device platform, then check whether you need TUN, scripts, overrides, or a consistent setup across devices.
A familiar interface is only a secondary consideration. Platform compatibility, core capabilities, and project maintenance directly affect whether configurations load, rules work, and system proxy or TUN can reliably take over traffic.
Installation differs across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. Eliminate clients that do not support your platform to quickly narrow the options. On an Apple Silicon Mac, also distinguish ARM from Intel packages on the download page.
The original Clash established a large legacy configuration ecosystem. Clash Meta and its successor mihomo extend support for rules, DNS, TUN, and protocols. For a new setup, an actively maintained client built on mihomo or compatible with Meta configurations is usually the better choice.
Active maintenance means the client can keep up with operating-system changes, core updates, and configuration-format changes. An unmaintained client can help identify legacy configurations, but it should not be the default starting point for a new setup.
Users who only need to import a subscription and enable the system proxy should choose a client with clear controls. If you need configuration overrides, DNS tuning, connection monitoring, or rule-set management, choose a desktop client that exposes more advanced settings.
Ease of use is assessed by the steps required to install the client, import a subscription, select a node, and enable the proxy; it does not indicate feature depth. On narrow screens, swipe horizontally to view every column.
| Client | Platform support | Core ecosystem | Maintenance | Ease of use | Key features | Ideal users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clash Plus Top pick | Windows、macOS、Android、iOS | mihomo ecosystem capabilities | Actively maintained | Low | Cross-platform use, subscription imports, policy-group switching, system proxy, and mobile traffic takeover | Beginners, multi-device users, and anyone seeking a consistent workflow |
| Clash Verge Rev | Windows、macOS、Linux | mihomo | Actively maintained | Medium | Configuration management, overrides, system proxy, TUN, and desktop tray controls | Desktop users and power users who need fine-grained configuration |
| FlClash | Windows、macOS、Android、Linux | mihomo | Actively maintained | Low to medium | Consistent interfaces across platforms, plus configuration and proxy-mode management | Users working across desktop and Android who value interface consistency |
| Clash Nyanpasu | Windows | mihomo | Actively maintained | Medium | Connection monitoring, policy-group controls, configuration management, and desktop integration | Advanced Windows users and anyone who needs connection visibility |
| Clash for Windows | Windows | Original Clash | No longer maintained | Low for existing users; not recommended for new users | Legacy configuration management, system proxy, rules, and policy-group controls | Existing users who need to export legacy configurations and migrate |
| Clash Meta for Android | Android | Clash Meta | Actively maintained | Medium | Android VPN takeover, rule mode, DNS, and configuration management | Advanced Android users familiar with Meta configurations |
| Surfboard | Android | Independent implementation with compatibility for common proxy configurations | Actively maintained | Medium | Mobile configuration imports, rule processing, and VPN takeover | Users with prior experience using Android proxy tools |
| ClashX Meta | macOS | Clash Meta | No longer maintained | Low for existing users; not recommended for new users | Menu-bar controls, system proxy, and support for legacy Meta configurations | Users identifying a legacy macOS setup and migrating its configuration |
These recommendations are based on everyday workflows. After narrowing down the candidates, verify the system architecture on the download page and back up your existing configuration before importing a subscription.
Expand each section to see the rationale, limitations, and migration notes for each client. These notes avoid version numbers and ratings; maintenance status is based on whether the project continues to receive updates.
Clash Plus’s main advantage is coverage across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. For people using both computers and phones, choosing the same client family reduces the learning cost caused by different controls and terminology. Typical tasks include importing a subscription, selecting a policy group, enabling the system proxy or mobile network takeover, and checking configuration and permissions when connections fail.
It suits first-time Clash users as well as people managing multiple devices. When choosing a package, check the desktop processor architecture; on mobile, confirm that the required VPN or network-extension permissions are granted. Users who need to maintain complex YAML manually can start with the defaults, establish a working connection, and then adjust DNS, TUN, and rules step by step.
Go to Clash Plus downloads →Clash Verge Rev uses the mihomo core and provides desktop controls for configuration management, the system proxy, TUN, and overrides. It suits users who want to manage multiple configurations in a GUI while retaining extensive advanced controls. Linux users seeking a full desktop interface can also consider it a leading option.
More advanced controls require a clearly defined troubleshooting scope. If the network stops working, first disable extra overrides and restore the base subscription configuration, then check the system proxy, TUN permissions, and DNS separately. Do not enable multiple script sets or large configuration overrides before the basic connection has been verified.
View desktop download options →FlClash supports Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux, with similar interfaces and primary workflows across platforms. For people using a work computer, personal computer, and Android phone, this consistency makes it easier to find configuration, policy-group, and proxy-mode controls.
FlClash is a strong cross-platform alternative to Clash Plus. Before choosing it, confirm that a package is available for your system architecture, then handle desktop proxy settings, Linux desktop permissions, and Android VPN authorization separately. Cross-platform consistency standardizes the workflow, not each system’s permission model.
View FlClash platform downloads →Clash Nyanpasu uses the mihomo core and targets desktop users who need to manage policy groups, configurations, and connection status. It goes beyond the basic needs of importing a subscription and toggling a proxy, making it suitable for users willing to understand how rule matching, connection records, and core settings interact.
Because the Nyanpasu entry in this site’s download list targets Windows, users on other platforms should choose a client with broader platform coverage. Compatible subscriptions and YAML configurations can often be reused, but local preferences, system proxy state, and TUN permissions usually need to be configured again.
View the Windows client →Clash for Windows was once a widely used Windows GUI client based on the original Clash core ecosystem. The project is no longer maintained. Existing users can still use its familiar interface to review configuration files, policy groups, and system proxy settings, but new setups should prefer an actively maintained client using a modern core.
Before migrating, save the current configuration files and subscription URLs, and note any custom ports, rule providers, scripts, or DNS settings. After importing into the new client, verify the basic rule mode first, then restore custom content one item at a time. Original Clash configurations differ from mihomo extension fields, so do not assume every local setting will migrate automatically.
View the configuration import guide →Clash Meta for Android targets Android and uses the Clash Meta core ecosystem. It can take over app traffic through Android’s VPN interface and provides rule mode, policy groups, DNS, and configuration management. When complex split-routing configurations must be handled on a phone, it offers more room for detailed tuning than tools focused only on basic toggles.
Android background restrictions can affect continuous operation. After installation, check VPN authorization, battery optimization, background activity, and notification permissions. If the connection drops after the screen locks, investigate the system’s power-saving policy first instead of immediately changing the subscription or rules. Users who value consistency across devices may prefer Clash Plus.
View Android download options →Surfboard is an independent Android proxy client that handles common subscriptions, rules, and VPN takeover. It is not positioned as an original Clash or mihomo GUI shell, so users migrating from another Clash client should account for differences in configuration syntax, feature names, and supported fields.
If the existing subscription imports cleanly and the main need is rule-based proxying on mobile, Surfboard is a viable candidate. If the configuration relies heavily on mihomo-specific fields, scripts, or rule sets, confirm compatibility first. For the same workflow on computers and phones, a cross-platform client is usually easier to maintain.
Go to Surfboard downloads →ClashX Meta targets macOS, uses the Clash Meta core ecosystem, and is primarily controlled from the menu bar. The project is no longer maintained. Existing users should record their current configuration, system proxy state, and launch-at-login settings before migrating to Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, or FlClash.
When migrating on macOS, distinguish Intel and Apple Silicon packages and recheck network-extension, system-proxy, and background-launch permissions. An imported legacy configuration does not guarantee that system-level permissions will carry over. After migration, disable system-proxy control in the old client to prevent two programs from changing proxy settings at once.
View the macOS client →When you have no strong preference, start with Clash Plus. It suits beginners, multi-device users, and anyone seeking fewer platform differences. Choose Clash Verge Rev for deep desktop configuration; compare FlClash for a consistent cross-platform interface; consider Clash Nyanpasu for Windows connection management and Clash Meta for Android for advanced Android configuration.
Clash for Windows and ClashX Meta are no longer maintained and are best treated as references for legacy configuration migration. Before downloading, confirm the operating system, processor architecture, and package format. After installation, import a known-good configuration before enabling the system proxy or TUN.