ClashX and V2RayU are both popular proxy tools on the macOS platform, but they have completely different positioning and design philosophies. ClashX is a versatile multi-protocol tool, while V2RayU focuses specifically on the V2Ray protocol. How to choose? This article will comprehensively compare these two tools.
ClashX is suitable for users who need multi-protocol support and a powerful rule engine; V2RayU is suitable for users who only use the V2Ray protocol and prefer simplicity. If you're unsure, we recommend ClashX for more comprehensive features and a more active community.
🎯 Core Differences Summary
Quick Comparison Table
| Comparison Dimension | ClashX | V2RayU |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol Support | Multi-protocol (SS/SSR/VMess/Trojan/VLESS) | Mainly V2Ray (VMess/VLESS) |
| Rule Engine | Powerful | Basic |
| Update Frequency | Active (Frequent updates) | Slow (Infrequent updates) |
| GitHub Stars | 30k+ | 10k+ |
| Community Support | Very Active | Relatively Limited |
| Memory Usage | ~50MB | ~110MB |
| Ease of Use | Moderate | Simple |
| Price | Free | Free |
🔌 Protocol Support Comparison
ClashX: Multi-Protocol Support
Supported Protocols:
- ✓ Shadowsocks (SS): Full support including all encryption methods
- ✓ ShadowsocksR (SSR): Supports SSR-specific obfuscation and protocols
- ✓ VMess: V2Ray core protocol, full support
- ✓ VLESS: V2Ray next-gen protocol, supported
- ✓ Trojan: Full Trojan protocol support
- ✓ Hysteria: Supports emerging high-performance protocol
- ✓ SOCKS5/HTTP: Standard proxy protocols
V2RayU: Focused on V2Ray
Supported Protocols:
- ✓ VMess: Full support, V2Ray core protocol
- ✓ VLESS: V2Ray new protocol, supported
- ✓ Shadowsocks: Basic support (via V2Ray core)
- ✓ SOCKS5: Standard proxy protocol
- ✗ ShadowsocksR: Not supported
- ✗ Trojan: Limited support
- ✗ Other Protocols: Mostly unsupported
If your service provider offers multiple protocols (SS, SSR, Trojan, etc.), ClashX is the better choice—one tool for everything. If you only use V2Ray protocols (VMess/VLESS), V2RayU is completely sufficient.
⚙️ Detailed Features Comparison
Rule Engine Comparison
ClashX Rule Advantages:
- Rule Sets: Support remote rule sets with automatic updates
- Policy Groups: Flexible policy group configuration (auto-select, manual-select, load-balance)
- Domain Routing: Powerful domain matching (DOMAIN, DOMAIN-SUFFIX, DOMAIN-KEYWORD)
- GEOIP: Geographic IP-based routing
- Process Rules: Application process-based routing (macOS exclusive)
V2RayU Rule Limitations:
- Basic routing rules with relatively simple functionality
- No support for complex policy group configuration
- Rule updates require manual operation
- Limited traffic splitting capabilities
Subscription Management
| Feature | ClashX | V2RayU |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription Link Import | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto-update Subscription | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple Subscription Management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subscription Conversion | ✓ (Powerful) | Basic |
Node Speed Test & Statistics
ClashX：
- Supports batch latency testing
- Real-time traffic statistics (upload/download speed)
- Connection count statistics
- Real-time node latency display
V2RayU：
- Supports single-node latency testing
- Basic traffic stats
- Feature set is simple
DNS Handling
ClashX：
- Fake-IP mode (fast response)
- Redir-Host mode (real IP)
- DNS splitting and optimization
- DoH (DNS over HTTPS) support
V2RayU：
- Basic DNS Handling
- Feature set is simple
- Limited configuration options
🔄 Development Activity Comparison
GitHub Data Comparison (January 2025)
| Metric | ClashX | V2RayU |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Stars | 30k+ | 10k+ |
| Forks | 4.5k+ | 1.8k+ |
| Recent Update | Active (within weeks) | Slow (months) |
| Issues Response Speed | Fast | Slow |
| Community Activity | Very Active | Relatively Limited |
Active development means: 1) security fixes are timely; 2) new features keep coming; 3) better OS compatibility; 4) issues are resolved faster. ClashX clearly leads here.
Version Update Frequency
ClashX：
- New versions released every 1-2 months on average
- Timely follows macOS system updates
- Ongoing Apple Silicon optimization
- Active community contributions
V2RayU：
- Lower update frequency, may update only every few months
- System compatibility updates lag behind
- Slow to add new features
- Relatively few community contributions
⚡ Stability & Performance Comparison
Memory Usage Test
Test Environment: MacBook Pro 14" M2 Pro, macOS 14.0
| Test Scenario | ClashX | V2RayU |
|---|---|---|
| Idle State | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Normal Operation | 48 MB | 108 MB |
| High Load | 72 MB | 184 MB |
Conclusion:ClashX uses about half the memory of V2RayU, making it more lightweight.
CPU Usage
- ClashX：Idle 0.2%, normal 1-3%, peak 5%
- V2RayU：Idle 0.4%, normal 2-4%, peak 7%
- Conclusion:ClashX has lower CPU usage and is more power-efficient
Stability Performance
ClashX：
- Stable during long-term operation, rarely crashes
- Good memory management, no memory leaks
- Fast recovery after network switch
- Good system compatibility
V2RayU：
- Generally stable but occasional crashes
- Memory usage may increase during long-term operation
- May require restart when switching networks
- Compatibility with new macOS versions may lag
Connection Speed
- Connection Establishment:ClashX around 320ms; V2RayU around 420ms
- Actual Speed:Using the same V2Ray nodes, speeds are essentially identical
- Conclusion:ClashX faster connection, similar throughput
ClashX comprehensively outperforms V2RayU in performance. Lower memory usage, lower CPU usage, and better stability make it the superior choice for performance. V2RayU uses more resources and is not recommended for lower-end Macs.
👥 User Experience Comparison
Interface Design
Configuration Difficulty
ClashX：
- Subscription import: One-click import, very simple
- Manual configuration: Requires learning YAML format, has a learning curve
- Rule configuration: Powerful features but requires learning
- Onboarding: 1-2 hours for basics, 5-10 hours for advanced use
V2RayU：
- Subscription import: One-click import supported
- Manual addition: GUI-based node addition, simple and intuitive
- Rule configuration: Basic routing, simple setup
- Learning time: 30 minutes to master basic usage
Error Messages & Debugging
ClashX：
- Clear error messages for fast debugging
- Detailed logs, easy troubleshooting
- Config validation is solid
V2RayU：
- Simple error messages
- Log viewer is basic
- Relatively difficult troubleshooting
Documentation & Community Support
ClashX：
- Complete official documentation
- Rich community tutorials, abundant Chinese resources
- GitHub Issues Active，Fast issue response
- Large user base, easy to find solutions
V2RayU：
- Relatively simple documentation
- Fewer community tutorials
- Issues response is slower
- May be difficult to find answers when encountering problems
🎯 Use Case Recommendations
Reasons to Choose ClashX
- Multi-protocol users:Service providers offer multiple protocols like SS, SSR, VMess, Trojan, etc.
- Need powerful rules:Need complex routing rules and policy groups
- Performance-focused:Value resource usage and performance
- Active updates:Need timely system compatibility updates
- Community support:Want an active community to help solve problems
- Long-term use:Need a stable and reliable long-term solution
Reasons to Choose V2RayU
- V2Ray only:Only use V2Ray protocols (VMess/VLESS)
- Simple needs:Only need basic proxy features, no complex rules
- GUI preference:Prefer traditional window interface over menu bar
- Get started fast：Want to be up and running in 30 minutes
- Specific services:Subscribed service provider specifically optimized for V2RayU
If you are unsure, choose ClashX. Even if you only use V2Ray protocols, ClashX fully supports them and offers more features with better performance. V2RayU is simpler to start with, but its features and performance are weaker than ClashX.
🔄 Migration Guide
Migrating from V2RayU to ClashX
Migration Steps:
- Export subscription link:Copy subscription link from V2RayU
- Import to ClashX:Import the same subscription link in ClashX
- Test connection:Test if nodes connect normally
- Configure rules:Configure routing rules as needed (optional)
- Remove V2RayU:Uninstall V2RayU after confirming ClashX works properly
Migration Advantages:
- Gain a more powerful rule engine
- Support more protocols, strong future extensibility
- Better performance and stability
- Active community support
Configuration File Conversion
Notes:
- V2RayU and ClashX use different configuration formats and need conversion
- Most subscriptions support Clash format and can be imported directly
- If a subscription doesn't support Clash format, use a subscription conversion tool
- Manual configurations need to be rewritten in YAML format
For most users, migrating from V2RayU to ClashX is straightforward—just re-import your subscription. After migrating you'll see ClashX offers more features and a better experience. Moving sooner delivers greater long-term benefits.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will V2RayU become obsolete?
Answer: From the development trend, V2RayU's activity is declining.
- Update frequency is getting slower
- Community activity is decreasing
- Feature development is stagnant
- Recommend migrating to more active projects (like ClashX) as soon as possible
2. Does ClashX support all V2Ray features?
Answer: ClashX supports the main V2Ray features, which is completely sufficient for regular users.
- Supports VMess and VLESS protocols
- Supports common transport methods (WebSocket, gRPC, etc.)
- Supports TLS and XTLS encryption
- Some extremely advanced V2Ray configurations may not be supported
3. Can both be installed simultaneously?
Answer:You can install both simultaneously, but don't run them at the same time.
- Running both simultaneously will cause port conflicts
- You can keep both tools and switch as needed
- Recommend eventually choosing one for primary use
4. How should I choose?
Fast decision flow:
- Use only V2Ray and prefer simplicity → Choose V2RayU
- Use multiple protocols → Choose ClashX
- Need powerful rule engine → Choose ClashX
- Prioritize performance and stability → Choose ClashX
- Need active community support → Choose ClashX
- Not sure → Choose ClashX (90% of users' choice)
📝 Summary & Final Recommendations
For 90% of users, we recommend choosing ClashX.
ClashX leads V2RayU in protocol support, feature completeness, performance, community activity, and more. Even if you only use the V2Ray protocol, ClashX fully supports it and delivers a better experience.
V2RayU is only suitable for:A small minority of users who only use V2Ray and prefer an extremely simple interface.
Core Comparison Summary
| Dimension | Winner |
|---|---|
| Protocol Support | ClashX |
| Rule Engine | ClashX |
| Performance | ClashX |
| Development Activity | ClashX |
| Community support | ClashX |
| Learning Curve | V2RayU |
1. Trend selection:Choose actively developed projects to avoid future obsolescence
2. Feature headroom:Even if you only need basic features now, choose feature-complete tools to leave room for the future
3. Timely migration:If you're already using V2RayU, recommend migrating to ClashX as soon as possible