Is Clash for Windows Still Usable After It Was Discontinued?
Short answer: it still runs, but it will never receive another security fix. Whether you should switch depends on your situation, not on whether something newer exists.
The last public release of Clash for Windows was 0.20.39. In November 2023 the Clash core and its companion repositories were deleted by the original author, and CFW was abandoned along with them. The original GitHub repository is gone — every installer still circulating comes from a third-party mirror. See the download page for how to verify what you are getting.
What still works
| Capability | Status |
|---|---|
| Running the installer | Yes. 0.20.39 still launches on Windows 10 and 11 |
| Updating subscriptions | Yes. Subscription content is generated server-side; the client needs no upgrade to pick up new nodes |
| Existing protocols | Yes. Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, Snell and WireGuard are unaffected by the discontinuation |
| Rules and proxy groups | Yes. Rules and proxy groups keep parsing your YAML as before |
| System proxy and TUN | Yes, though TUN needs administrator rights and service mode — see TUN troubleshooting |
What no longer works
| Gap | Practical impact |
|---|---|
| No security fixes | If a vulnerability is found, nobody will patch it. This is the real cost |
| No new protocol support | Hysteria2, TUIC v5 and similar protocols cannot be used in CFW |
| No macOS build | CFW was Windows-only; anything advertised as "Clash for Mac" is not it |
| Dead update channel | The in-app update check no longer points anywhere valid |
| Documentation frozen | New protocol fields and rule syntax will never be reflected |
When you can keep using it
- You only use Windows and have no cross-device requirement
- Your provider's nodes still use protocols CFW supports (SS / VMess / Trojan / Snell)
- You accept the absence of security updates, and this machine is not your only production environment
- Your configuration is already tuned, and migrating costs more than staying
In that case the right move is: back up your configuration and stop downloading "new", "localized" or "optimized" builds from unknown sources (see choosing an installer). Keep the tutorial and FAQ as your reference.
When it is time to switch
- Your provider starts offering Hysteria2 or TUIC nodes that CFW cannot use
- You need macOS, or want two machines to share one subscription
- You have a hard requirement on security updates (work devices, sensitive data)
- You no longer want to hunt for installers on third-party mirrors
If you decide to switch
This site recommends exactly one option: Clash Light. It runs the same mihomo (Clash Meta) core, so subscription URLs and config files carry over as-is — you do not need to buy anything again from your provider. It supports Windows and macOS.
How to move your subscription, how the interface maps to CFW's, and what to check afterwards are all covered in the migration guide. This site does not distribute installers; get them from the official Clash Light download page.
A note on "localized", "lite" and "portable" builds
Since the project was abandoned, plenty of repackaged CFW installers have appeared. They typically modify the application bundle (for example app.asar) and the update endpoint. You cannot verify what changed, the version is frozen at the moment of repackaging, and legitimate fixes can never reach you.
If all you want is a different interface language, the official build already ships with a language switcher — no repackaging required. See choosing an installer.