AnBo official client, V2rayNG, Shadowrocket or Clash: which should you choose?
The short answer: official to get going quickly, third-party once you know your rules
If you want to get started as fast as possible, choose the AnBo official client. If you’re already familiar with proxy rules, or you have a ready-made workflow, you can use a third-party tool. Both routes work; the difference is how much weight you put on convenience and how much on control.
The official client brings account, exit, routing and TUN management together, so after you log in you can pick an exit and switch routing on and off without putting a configuration together yourself. Third-party clients give you control of the rules, at the cost of having to understand the configuration yourself and being responsible for checking that the source is trustworthy.
The official client: account, exit, routing and TUN management in one place
The official clients on the download page cover Windows, macOS, Android and Linux. Windows support covers Windows 10 and 11 (x64 and ARM64), macOS needs version 12 or later and supports both Apple silicon and Intel, and Android needs version 8 or later. The exact version requirements are as described on the download page.
Who it suits
The official client keeps things simple for first-time users, for people who don’t want to dig into configuration files, and for people who want to manage account usage and exit choice in one place. App-level smart routing and TUN mode are also switched on and off right in the client, with no extra rules to prepare.
Third-party clients: choose by platform and habit
AnBo works with third-party tools such as V2rayNG, Shadowrocket and Clash. They are maintained by their own developers, differ quite a bit in features and interface, and suit different situations.
| Client | Common platform | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| V2rayNG | Android | People who are used to third-party tools on Android devices |
| Shadowrocket | iOS and iPadOS | People with an iPhone or iPad who need a third-party tool to connect |
| Clash family | Multi-platform | People who want rule-level control and use several platforms |
| Fingerprint browsers | Proxy setup | People who need to set up a proxy separately inside a browser environment |
One thing to note: the official clients listed on the download page don’t include iOS or iPadOS. People with an iPhone or iPad usually connect through a third-party tool such as Shadowrocket.
Where the functional differences are
The official client puts account, exit, routing and TUN management in a single interface, so the state is clear at a glance. The strength of third-party tools is how flexible their rules are: you can write your own rules, decide where traffic goes by domain or app, or combine several configurations. The cost is that you maintain those rules yourself, and if a rule is wrong or a configuration is out of date, you do the troubleshooting yourself too.
Whichever you choose, the exits, usage and configuration in your AnBo account stay consistent. A third-party tool is another way to connect; it doesn’t change the data balance or exit types in your account.
How to choose: situations, platforms and questions to ask
Common situations
- You’ve just signed up and want to try the free 1 GB each month first: use the official client. You can start right after logging in, with no configuration to prepare;
- You have an iPhone or iPad: use Shadowrocket, and import the latest configuration shown on your account page;
- You’ve used Clash for a long time and your rule files are well developed: keep using Clash and connect with the configuration from your account, and your existing rules can stay;
- You have both a computer and a phone: use the official client on the computer, and on the phone choose the official client or a third-party tool depending on the system. Both share the same balance.
Recommendations by platform
Windows, macOS and Linux: Every desktop system has an official client, so choose the official version for everyday use. If you maintain your own rule files, or have used the Clash family for a long time, you can keep using the tools you know and connect with the configuration from your account.
Android: On Android you can use either the official client or V2rayNG. If you want less fiddling, choose the official client; if you’re used to managing several configurations in V2rayNG, there’s nothing wrong with staying with it.
iPhone and iPad: The official clients listed on the download page don’t include iOS or iPadOS, so you will usually use a third-party tool such as Shadowrocket. Its configuration method differs from the desktop one, so pay particular attention to whether the source is trustworthy when you import a configuration, and treat the latest configuration on your account page as the reference.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What system is your device running? Windows, macOS, Android and Linux all have official clients, while iPhone and iPad need a third-party tool;
- Do you want to manage account usage, exits, routing and TUN in one interface? If so, prefer the official client;
- Do you already have your own rule files and workflow? If so, staying with a third-party tool you know is more comfortable;
- Are you willing to take responsibility for configuration and troubleshooting yourself? If not, the official client is simpler.
Things to keep in mind when using a third-party client
Download from trusted sources
Third-party clients are maintained by their own developers, and AnBo isn’t responsible for their distribution channels. Download from the developer’s official channel or a trusted app store, and avoid installers from unknown sources, because a client can see your network traffic.
Follow the latest configuration in your account
The exact setup steps and compatibility depend on your operating system, the client version and the latest configuration in your AnBo account. Tutorials online may be out of date; when they differ, follow the latest configuration on your account page.
Don’t share your configuration
The configuration in your account is for your own use. One account can be used on multiple devices with no extra charge per device, but sharing the account abnormally or reselling resources is not allowed, and both violate the Terms of Service.
What to watch for when you install more than one client
Installing the official client and a third-party tool on the same device doesn’t conflict by itself, but don’t let two programs take over the network at the same time. Each one changes the system’s network settings, and stacked together they often cause connection problems and make it hard to tell which one is responsible. A safer approach is to run only one at a time and quit the other one before you switch.
You also don’t need to worry about data when you switch from one client to another. The data balance belongs to the account, not to a client, so whichever client you connect through, you use the same balance. After switching, run a short connection test to confirm that the exit and routing match what you expect before you start real work. For usage, the figures on your account page are more reliable than your own estimates in the client.
