Clash Client
Comparison & Selection

A good fit if you want a first-time setup to take just a few clear steps: choose a platform, import a working subscription, select a proxy group, then test your browser and target apps. For beginners, building a repeatable routine matters more than exploring every advanced setting. Clash Plus supports Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, making it a strong first option for multi-device use.

Cross-platform support doesn’t mean every configuration behaves the same way. Desktop system proxy settings and mobile VPN routing work differently, as do permissions, background operation, and DNS behavior. Before migrating a configuration with unusual protocols or extended fields, check the documentation for your platform. Don’t assume the same client name guarantees that the entire configuration will work unchanged.

Clash Verge Rev

A better fit for desktop-first users who want more control over their traffic. It uses mihomo. Start with the system proxy and rule mode, then explore TUN, service mode, and configuration overrides. When troubleshooting which rule an app follows, connection details and logs are more useful than simply switching proxy nodes.

Advanced features also mean more configuration layers. The original subscription, client overrides, and final running configuration may all differ. After changing ports, DNS, or rules, check which layer you edited to avoid losing changes when the subscription updates. Before enabling TUN, check service permissions and virtual network adapter status. There’s no need to enable every traffic-routing method at once.

FlClash

FlClash uses mihomo and supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. One of its main strengths is a similar workflow across devices, so configuration, proxy groups, and connection controls are easy to find. If you regularly switch between a computer and an Android phone, compare it with Clash Plus.

A similar interface doesn’t mean identical system behavior. Android requires system VPN authorization and may be affected by battery restrictions; on desktop, distinguish between the system proxy and TUN. When getting started, confirm that the target app’s traffic reaches the client before changing routing rules. If no connection appears, check the routing method first instead of immediately changing subscriptions or repeatedly editing DNS.

Clash Nyanpasu

Clash Nyanpasu suits desktop users who want to organize their configuration in detail and are willing to read the settings documentation. It offers features associated with the Meta/mihomo line; available core options depend on the installer. The download list here includes a Windows build. Check the project’s release notes for support on other desktop platforms—product availability and builds listed here aren’t the same thing.

When evaluating it, focus on configuration handling, core settings, and whether the everyday workflow suits you. In particular, distinguish between “the interface saved the configuration” and “the core loaded it successfully.” A configuration syntax error can leave the interface intact while the proxy service fails to start as expected. Keep a working configuration and make changes one at a time so you can roll back easily.

CFW’s General, Proxies, and Profiles pages still feature in many older tutorials, but the original project is discontinued. It belongs to the legacy original Clash and Premium line. A familiar name doesn’t make it a maintained client for modern mihomo configurations. For a new installation, don’t use the archived build as your default choice.

If you’re keeping an existing setup, note your ports, proxy group names, rule order, and Mixin changes. Review how the old configuration works before migrating, but don’t copy the entire application data folder into a new client. For new protocols, unknown fields, or system compatibility problems, migration is usually a better option than searching for a setting the old interface doesn’t have.

Clash Meta for Android

Often abbreviated to CMFA, this Android client follows the Meta/mihomo line. It’s a good fit for users who already understand subscriptions, rules, and per-app access control. On your phone, first authorize the system VPN, then check whether the target apps are included in the routed traffic. App exclusions can directly affect test results.

Battery optimization, background restrictions, and other VPN apps can affect long-running connections. The system VPN channel generally can’t be shared by two apps of this kind, so stop the existing connection before switching clients. Check the processor architecture before choosing an installer; don’t install a package just because its filename contains “Android.” Configuration compatibility depends on the core in the specific build you install.

Surfboard

Surfboard offers a different configuration approach on Android, with its own proxy implementation and Surge-style configuration. It isn’t Clash with a different interface and doesn’t run mihomo. If you already have a configuration made for Surfboard, compare its rules and workflow directly. If your only source is a Clash YAML subscription, first check whether the provider also offers a compatible format.

Changing a file extension won’t convert its format. Node definitions, proxy groups, rules, and DNS syntax may all differ. Even if a configuration imports, check which protocols and options are actually supported. If you don’t want to maintain two formats, choosing a client that matches your existing subscription is easier than fixing the configuration one field at a time.

ClashX Meta is built around macOS menu bar controls and can help explain mode switching and proxy selection in an existing setup. It’s discontinued, and its legacy Meta core isn’t equivalent to current mihomo. New Mac users should compare Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, and FlClash first, then decide whether an archived tool is still needed.

Before migrating, quit the old client and confirm the system proxy no longer points to its old port, then start the new one. Check the Apple Silicon and Intel installers separately. Review permissions, proxy helper components, and login items one by one. Seeing the menu bar icon only confirms that the interface has started; it doesn’t prove that the target traffic is being proxied.