Charles vs Surge for Mac

Struggling to choose between Charles and Surge for Mac? 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, Surge for Mac is a Development product tagged with static-site-generator, local-development, testing.

Its standout features include Local web server for testing and development, Automatic reloading of changes, Support for static sites and client-side web apps, Deployment to Surge.sh hosting platform, Custom domain name support, Collaboration and team features, and it shines with pros like Easy to set up and use, Provides a live server-like environment for testing, Integrates well with popular web development workflows, Offers free hosting on Surge.sh, Supports custom domains.

Feature	Charles	Surge for Mac
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

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).

Surge for Mac

Description: Surge for Mac is a developer tool that allows you to build, test, and publish static sites and apps locally on your computer. It provides a similar environment to a live server and allows web developers to test projects before deploying them publicly.

Key Features Comparison

Charles Features

• HTTP proxy
• HTTP monitor
• Reverse proxy
• View HTTP/HTTPS traffic
• View requests
• View responses
• View HTTP headers
• View cookies
• View caching information

Surge for Mac Features

• Local web server for testing and development
• Automatic reloading of changes
• Support for static sites and client-side web apps
• Deployment to Surge.sh hosting platform
• Custom domain name support
• Collaboration and team features

Pros & Cons Analysis

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

Surge for Mac

Pros

• Easy to set up and use
• Provides a live server-like environment for testing
• Integrates well with popular web development workflows
• Offers free hosting on Surge.sh
• Supports custom domains

Cons

• Limited to static sites and client-side apps
• No database or server-side functionality
• May not be suitable for complex web applications

Pricing Comparison

Charles

• Free
• Open Source

Surge for Mac

• Free
• Subscription-Based