The short answer. ClashBar is the menu bar client for the mihomo core. Hiddify is the multi-platform client for subscription links and several protocols. ShadowsocksX and ShadowsocksX-NG are the original macOS clients for that protocol. DashVPN is the smart-routing client for VLESS, Shadowsocks and subscription links. SpechtLite is the rule-based one. ClashX Guide is not a client — it is documentation and troubleshooting for ClashX — and it is here because it is the thing people need alongside one. The real question is which core you run, because that decides which rule files and subscriptions work.
This guide covers 7 proxy clients for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClashBar | proxy client | Open source | GPL-3.0 | 0.3.6 |
| ClashX Guide | proxy client | Free | not published | — |
| DashVPN | proxy client | Free | not published | 1.0.2 |
| Hiddify | networking tool | Open source | not published | 4.1.1 |
| ShadowsocksX | networking tool | Open source | not published | 2.6.3 |
| ShadowsocksX-NG | networking tool | Open source | not published | — |
| SpechtLite | networking tool | Open source | GPL-3.0 | 0.10.7 |
What actually decides this
- Which core it runs. The core determines which configuration format, which subscription protocols and which rule sets are supported. A client is a skin over a core, and the core is what you actually choose.
- How subscriptions update. A subscription link is a URL that expires. Automatic update is expected; what matters is whether the client tells you when it fails, because an expired subscription looks like a broken connection.
- What it exposes for rules. Rule-based routing, direct connections and per-process control are separate features. Whether the client exposes them in the GUI or only through a config file decides who can use it.
- Whether it needs a helper installed. Routing traffic requires a network extension or a helper with elevated rights. That grant is worth understanding, because it is the kind of thing that outlives the tool that asked for it.
- System proxy, TUN or transparent. A system proxy only catches applications that honour the setting. A TUN or transparent mode catches everything, including command-line tools and apps that hardcode their own route. The second is why people move off a client, and it is a property of the core rather than the interface.
Our picks
- ClashBar — Its record describes a mihomo-powered menu bar proxy client, which names both the core and the interface. Choose it when you run a mihomo-compatible core and want a menu bar client for it.
- Hiddify — Its record describes a multi-platform client for managing subscriptions and multiple proxy protocols, which is the subscription case. Choose it when you manage subscription links across several protocols.
- DashVPN — Its record describes smart-routing proxy support for exactly those, which is the protocol-coverage case. Choose it when you want smart routing across VLESS, Shadowsocks and subscription links.
- ShadowsocksX — Its record describes a secure SOCKS5 proxy, which is the protocol-native option. Choose it when you want the original macOS client for Shadowsocks.
The apps
ClashBar
ClashBar is a proxy client for macOS. mihomo-powered menu bar proxy client. It is released under GPL-3.0.
ClashBar is listed with current version 0.3.6.
Full profile and verified facts for ClashBar →
ClashX Guide
ClashX Guide is a proxy client for macOS. Guides and troubleshooting tools for ClashX. It is free.
Full profile and verified facts for ClashX Guide →
DashVPN
DashVPN is a proxy client for macOS. Smart-routing proxy client with support for VLESS, Shadowsocks, and HTTPS subscriptions. It is free.
What it does. Smart VPN Client for Outline Servers.
DashVPN is listed with current version 1.0.2.
Full profile and verified facts for DashVPN →
Hiddify
Hiddify is a networking tool for macOS. Multi-platform proxy client for managing subscriptions and multiple proxy protocols. It is open source.
What it does. Multi-platform auto-proxy client, supporting Sing-box, X-ray, TUIC, Hysteria, Reality, Trojan, SSH etc. It’s an open-source, secure and ad-free.
Hiddify is listed with current version 4.1.1.
Full profile and verified facts for Hiddify →
ShadowsocksX
ShadowsocksX is a networking tool for macOS. Secure socks5 proxy, designed to protect your internet traffic. It is open source.
ShadowsocksX is listed with current version 2.6.3.
Full profile and verified facts for ShadowsocksX →
ShadowsocksX-NG
ShadowsocksX-NG is a networking tool for macOS. Next generation of ShadowsocksX. It is open source.
Full profile and verified facts for ShadowsocksX-NG →
SpechtLite
SpechtLite is a networking tool for macOS. Rule-based proxy app for macOS. It is released under GPL-3.0.
What it does. A rule-based proxy for macOS.
SpechtLite is listed with current version 0.10.7.
Full profile and verified facts for SpechtLite →
How to choose
- Free of charge. ClashX Guide and DashVPN — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. ClashBar, Hiddify, ShadowsocksX, ShadowsocksX-NG and SpechtLite — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
Open source: ClashBar, Hiddify, ShadowsocksX, ShadowsocksX-NG and SpechtLite (5 of 7).
Common mistakes
- Treating a proxy client as a VPN. The traffic still leaves the machine through the same interface, and the difference shows in any test that looks at more than your IP.
- Letting a subscription expire and debugging the wrong layer. Check the subscription date before anything else.
- Installing two clients that both install a network extension. They conflict and which one wins depends on load order.
- Assuming a menu bar icon means traffic is routed. Most clients can be connected in the UI and idle in practice.
- Changing the client and not the core. If the config was the problem, a new interface with the old config reproduces it exactly.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these proxy clients?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 7 proxy clients: ClashBar, ClashX Guide, DashVPN, Hiddify, ShadowsocksX, ShadowsocksX-NG and SpechtLite. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these proxy clients free?
Pricing across this group: open source (ClashBar, Hiddify, ShadowsocksX, ShadowsocksX-NG and SpechtLite) and free (ClashX Guide and DashVPN). We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these proxy clients are open source?
ClashBar (GPL-3.0), Hiddify (not published), ShadowsocksX (not published), ShadowsocksX-NG (not published) and SpechtLite (GPL-3.0) are open source.
Do these proxy clients support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
