Charles vs Fiddler

Struggling to choose between Charles and Fiddler? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Charles is a Development solution with tags like proxy, http, https, monitor, reverse-proxy.

It boasts features such as HTTP proxy, HTTP monitor, Reverse proxy, View HTTP/HTTPS traffic, View requests, View responses, View HTTP headers, View cookies, View caching information and pros including Debug HTTP/HTTPS connections, Inspect traffic between machine and internet, Identify performance issues, Troubleshoot network requests.

On the other hand, Fiddler is a Development product tagged with proxy, http, https, traffic-inspection, breakpoints.

Its standout features include HTTP/HTTPS traffic interception and inspection, Session analysis and manipulation, Breakpoints and conditional breakpoints, HTTPS traffic decryption, Automatic request resending, Scripting support, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Powerful debugging features, Supports all major platforms, Large user community and documentation.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Charles

Charles

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).

Categories:
Development Debugging & Testing
proxy http https monitor reverse-proxy

Charles Features

  1. HTTP proxy
  2. HTTP monitor
  3. Reverse proxy
  4. View HTTP/HTTPS traffic
  5. View requests
  6. View responses
  7. View HTTP headers
  8. View cookies
  9. View caching information

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

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

Fiddler

Fiddler

Fiddler is a free web debugging proxy which logs all HTTP(S) traffic between your computer and the Internet. It allows developers to inspect traffic, set breakpoints, and fiddle with incoming or outgoing data. Fiddler can be used to debug traffic from virtually any application that supports a proxy like web browsers, mobile apps, IoT devices, and more.

Categories:
Development Web Debugging
proxy http https traffic-inspection breakpoints

Fiddler Features

  1. HTTP/HTTPS traffic interception and inspection
  2. Session analysis and manipulation
  3. Breakpoints and conditional breakpoints
  4. HTTPS traffic decryption
  5. Automatic request resending
  6. Scripting support

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Powerful debugging features

Supports all major platforms

Large user community and documentation

Cons

Steep learning curve

Can slow down traffic

Potential privacy concerns with HTTPS decryption

Limited native mobile app support