Charles vs ProxyHawk

Charles is a web proxy and HTTP monitor for developers who need to inspect traffic from browsers and other internet applications configured to use it. While recording is enabled, it captures and displays HTTP and SSL/HTTPS requests and responses, including headers, cookies, and caching information. SSL Proxying lets users examine HTTPS session contents. They can repeat or edit requests, intercept requests or responses with breakpoints, replay traffic, mock responses, inspect WebSockets, and chain proxies. Bandwidth throttling and added latency simulate slower connections. Charles presents JSON, JSON-RPC, and SOAP in a simplified tree format and supports Flash Remoting AMF0 and AMF3. Its iOS app captures HTTP and HTTPS traffic and can share requests or sessions with desktop Charles. Captured data is stored on the user's computer; Charles says its developers cannot access it. The software runs on iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. There is no free plan; a 30-day trial is available. Individual licenses start at $30, paid once for 10+ users, while 1–4 licenses cost $50 as a one-time purchase.

ProxyHawk is a native macOS proxy debugger for capturing and inspecting HTTP traffic from Mac apps, iPhones, iOS Simulator, Android devices, and Android emulators. Mobile traffic routes through the Mac, where capture and display happen locally without uploading HTTP content to a vendor cloud. Its API Client composes and replays requests, imports cURL, and exports Postman collections with environment variables. API Guard checks responses for removed fields, changed types, and missing array items, and can alert through Slack and email. Other tools include breakpoints, block rules, local and remote mapping, scripts, network throttling, request and response editing, and response mocking. Shared sessions strip Authorization headers, cookies, and tokens client-side; links expire after seven days. ProxyHawk requires macOS 13 or later and has no Windows or Linux version. The Free plan captures up to 500 requests per day but excludes SSL/TLS decryption, breakpoints, block rules, scripting, and mapping. Paid plans start at ₹417/mo, and a free trial is offered.