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Arpwatch vs Charles

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Arpwatch icon
Arpwatch
Charles icon
Charles

Arpwatch vs Charles: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature Arpwatch Charles
Sugggest Score — —
Category Network & Admin Development
Pricing Open Source —

Product Overview

Arpwatch
Arpwatch

Description: Arpwatch is an open source software used for monitoring Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) traffic on a computer network. It keeps track of Ethernet/IP address pairings and reports changes, which can help detect certain types of attacks.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

Charles
Charles

Description: Charles is an HTTP proxy / HTTP monitor / Reverse Proxy that enables a developer to view all of the HTTP and SSL / HTTPS traffic between their machine and the Internet. This includes requests, responses and the HTTP headers (which contain the cookies and caching information).

Type: software

Key Features Comparison

Arpwatch
Arpwatch Features
  • Monitors ARP traffic
  • Maintains IP/MAC address mapping database
  • Sends email alerts on changes to mappings
  • Detects certain network attacks
  • Command line and daemon modes
Charles
Charles Features
  • HTTP proxy
  • HTTP monitor
  • Reverse proxy
  • View HTTP/HTTPS traffic
  • View requests
  • View responses
  • View HTTP headers
  • View cookies
  • View caching information

Pros & Cons Analysis

Arpwatch
Arpwatch
Pros
  • Open source
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to deploy
  • Detects ARP spoofing
  • Alerts on suspicious activity
Cons
  • Requires expertise to interpret alerts
  • No GUI
  • Limited reporting capabilities
  • Does not prevent attacks
  • Must be tuned for each network
Charles
Charles
Pros
  • Debug HTTP/HTTPS connections
  • Inspect traffic between machine and internet
  • Identify performance issues
  • Troubleshoot network requests
Cons
  • Steep learning curve
  • Manual configuration required
  • Extra overhead for all HTTP traffic
  • Potential privacy concerns

Pricing Comparison

Arpwatch
Arpwatch
  • Open Source
Charles
Charles
  • Not listed

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Learn More About Each Product

Arpwatch
Arpwatch
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
Charles
Charles
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →

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