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Head-to-head · Web Debugging Proxies

HTTPeep vs Charles

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score HTTPeep #6 in Web Debugging Proxies 8.7/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 5 of 6 features Visit HTTPeep
Charles #10 in Web Debugging Proxies 8.3/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Charles

HTTPeep leads on 1 check, Charles on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreHTTPeep · 8.7/10
  • Free planonly HTTPeep
  • Free trialboth
  • Most featuresCharles · 6 of 6

HTTPeep scores higher on our rubric for web debugging proxies: 8.7 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #10.

HTTPeep offers free plan; Charles doesn't.

HTTPeep is the better fit for developers wanting free capture plus simulation tools. Charles is the better fit for developers needing a general-purpose desktop proxy.

  • HTTPeep fits best

    Developers wanting free capture plus simulation tools

  • Charles fits best

    Developers needing a general-purpose desktop proxy

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Side by side

Feature HTTPeep 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Charles 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.3
Ranking #6 in Web Debugging Proxies #10 in Web Debugging Proxies
Best for Developers wanting free capture plus simulation tools Developers needing a general-purpose desktop proxy
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $49 one-time $50/user one-time
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial 7 days 30 days
Free trial length 7 days · no card needed 30 days
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Email, Docs Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features HTTPeep 5/6 · Charles 6/6
Request/response editing ✓ ✓
Breakpoint rules ✓ ✓
Traffic replay ✓ ✓
Response mocking ✓ ✓
WebSocket inspection Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Proxy chaining ✓ ✓
Specs
Platforms Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free Community plan includes capture, breakpoints, mocking, replay, and routing
  • Traffic simulation covers latency, bandwidth, failures, and disconnects
  • Works across desktop, browser, terminal, mobile, and developer ecosystems
  • Covers inspection, editing, breakpoints, replay, rewriting, and mapping
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with CLI and headless operation
  • Supports SSL decryption, throttling, WebSockets, and proxy chaining
Cons
  • Community is limited to basic proxy, request viewing, and simple rule matching
  • Solo includes a one-device license and one year of updates
  • The Team version is still in development
  • No separate perpetual free plan
  • Licensing is tied to one computer for individual licenses
  • Paid licensing may not suit users seeking a free debugging proxy
Our verdict

HTTPeep is a cross-platform HTTP/HTTPS debugging proxy for developers and QA engineers. It captures and decrypts application traffic locally, so teams can inspect requests and responses, edit traffic, mock APIs, route requests to local or…

Read the review →

Charles is a desktop web debugging proxy for developers working with web and networked applications. It records HTTP, HTTPS, and related traffic so users can inspect requests, responses, headers, cookies, and bodies. The product runs on…

Read the review →
  1. HTTPeepWeb Debugging Proxies 8.7Free plan · 7-day trial
  2. CharlesWeb Debugging Proxies 8.330-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • HTTPeep — where it wins

    • Free Community plan includes capture, breakpoints, mocking, replay, and routing
    • Traffic simulation covers latency, bandwidth, failures, and disconnects
    • Works across desktop, browser, terminal, mobile, and developer ecosystems

    Where it doesn't

    • Community is limited to basic proxy, request viewing, and simple rule matching
    • Solo includes a one-device license and one year of updates
    • The Team version is still in development
  • Charles — where it wins

    • Covers inspection, editing, breakpoints, replay, rewriting, and mapping
    • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with CLI and headless operation
    • Supports SSL decryption, throttling, WebSockets, and proxy chaining

    Where it doesn't

    • No separate perpetual free plan
    • Licensing is tied to one computer for individual licenses
    • Paid licensing may not suit users seeking a free debugging proxy

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update