Debuggex vs RegexPilot

Debuggex is an online visual regex tester for JavaScript, Python, and PCRE. It offers visual and text modes, a step-through debugger, and pattern explanations for examining expressions. Users can add unit tests to check matches and subgroups as a regex changes, and browse a repository of pre-built expressions that includes tests. The service generates code snippets, saves patterns, and creates links that reopen expressions; expressions can also be embedded in StackOverflow answers. The Free plan costs nothing and includes two saved unit tests per regex and ten public expressions. Basic costs $5 a month, while Pro costs $15 a month. Enterprise has no listed price and includes options such as private server deployment, denial-of-service prevention, flexible user counts, an OEM license, and on-site training. The free tier excludes snippets based on expressions from the library. The privacy policy says saved or shared expressions can be viewed by anyone with the link, and previous versions are stored after updates. Debuggex is available on the web.

RegexPilot is a Mac-native visual regular-expression builder with AI for composing, inspecting and testing patterns. Users assemble expressions from categorized drag-and-drop blocks, inspect them in a panel and follow a plain-English breakdown tree linked to the pattern. Sample text shows highlighted matches and capture groups, and replacements can be assembled from blocks. The product supports 21 regex flavors and routes patterns to the corresponding language engines. Users can provide API keys for listed AI providers or run AI offline with LM Studio, Ollama, llama.cpp or LocalAI. Its library includes 50 curated patterns and supports folders, tags and JSON import/export. A VS Code extension synchronizes changes between the app and regex literals in the editor. Users can export code for 21 languages, create SVG or PNG railroad diagrams and make browser-openable share links. The desktop app says it sends no usage statistics, telemetry or analytics to a server on its own; patterns and settings remain on-device unless a share link is created. It requires macOS 14 or newer. The free plan covers JavaScript and TypeScript engines; the one-time license costs 19.00 EUR.