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Best Free Alternatives to Charles Proxy
Stop paying $50 (Multi-license discounts available). Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: Development UtilitiesVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
Proxyman
FREEBest Modern macOS Alternative
Why we like it
Built natively in Swift for Apple Silicon; incredible UI/UX; one-click SSL certificate installation for iOS/Android simulators; includes a 'Scripting' tool to modify requests using JavaScript.
Keep in mind
The Windows version is less mature than the macOS version; high-end collaboration features require a subscription.
Fiddler Everywhere
FREEBest for Cross-Platform Teams
Why we like it
Modern, sleek interface that works identically on Windows, Mac, and Linux; powerful 'Rules' engine for mocking responses; built-in team collaboration for sharing captured sessions.
Keep in mind
The 'Everywhere' version is subscription-based (unlike the legacy 'Fiddler Classic'); can be resource-heavy compared to Proxyman.
mitmproxy
FREEBest for Developers & Automation
Why we like it
100% free and open-source; features an interactive CLI, a web interface (mitmweb), and a Python API for full automation; extremely lightweight and powerful for security researchers.
Keep in mind
Steeper learning curve (CLI-first); no native 'one-click' GUI for non-technical users; requires Python knowledge for advanced scripting.
Wireshark
FREEBest for Low-Level Network Analysis
Why we like it
The global standard for packet inspection; can see every bit of traffic including non-HTTP protocols (TCP, UDP, etc.); massive community and protocol support.
Keep in mind
Overkill for simple web/API debugging; very steep learning curve; difficult to decrypt HTTPS traffic compared to a specialized proxy like Charles.
HTTP Toolkit
FREEBest for Visual 'No-Config' Debugging
Why we like it
Automatically intercepts traffic from specific tabs or apps without global proxy settings; beautiful, modern interface; great for quick prototyping and intercepting Node.js or Python traffic.
Keep in mind
The free tier is limited; some advanced rewriting features are locked behind the 'Pro' paywall.
Requestly
FREEBest for Browser-Based Mocking
Why we like it
Available as a browser extension and desktop app; excels at redirecting URLs and modifying headers on the fly; includes 'Session Replay' for QA teams.
Keep in mind
Pricing is geared toward enterprise teams; not as deep for mobile device debugging as Charles or Proxyman.
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