Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Advanced REST Client (ARC) VS Charles Proxy

Compare Advanced REST Client (ARC) VS Charles Proxy and see what are their differences

Advanced REST Client (ARC) logo Advanced REST Client (ARC)

API testing tool. Which allows web developers to create and test custom HTTP requests.

Charles Proxy logo Charles Proxy

HTTP proxy / HTTP monitor / Reverse Proxy
  • Advanced REST Client (ARC) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-11
  • Charles Proxy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20

Advanced REST Client (ARC) features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    ARC provides a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to navigate and create HTTP requests without a steep learning curve.
  • Support for Various Protocols
    ARC supports multiple protocols including HTTP, WebSocket, and HTTP/2, allowing developers to test a wide range of APIs and services.
  • Customizable
    ARC allows users to customize headers, parameters, and authentication methods, providing flexibility to meet a variety of testing scenarios.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The application is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring accessibility for a broader developer audience.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, ARC allows users to contribute to its development, ensuring continuous improvement and adaptation to new needs.

Possible disadvantages of Advanced REST Client (ARC)

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to other tools like Postman, ARC lacks some advanced features, such as automated testing and more comprehensive collaboration options.
  • Stability Issues
    Some users report occasional stability and performance issues, particularly with larger requests or when handling extensive data sets.
  • Learning Curve for Beginners
    While the interface is user-friendly, beginners might find the initial setup and understanding of REST concepts challenging without proper guidance.
  • Community Support
    Although ARC is open-source, it has a smaller user community than some competitors, which may affect the speed and quality of available support and resources.

Charles Proxy features and specs

  • Comprehensive HTTP/HTTPS Debugging
    Charles Proxy offers robust capabilities to inspect HTTP and HTTPS traffic, making it easier for developers to debug and optimize network requests.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The tool has an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, which makes it accessible for both novice and experienced users.
  • Support for Various Platforms
    Charles Proxy is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, enhancing its accessibility to a wide range of users.
  • Throttling Feature
    It allows users to simulate different internet speeds, latency, and bandwidth conditions, which is useful for testing applications under various network scenarios.
  • SSL Proxying
    Charles can decrypt SSL traffic, which is crucial for developers to inspect secure web traffic in development and testing phases.
  • Session Recording and Exporting
    It allows users to record network sessions and export them to share or analyze later, facilitating team collaboration and troubleshooting.

Possible disadvantages of Charles Proxy

  • Cost
    Charles Proxy is a paid tool. While it offers a trial version, a license must be purchased for continued use, which could be a limitation for some users or small teams with restricted budgets.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the interface is user-friendly, some advanced functionalities have a steep learning curve, especially for users who are not familiar with network debugging.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running Charles Proxy can be resource-intensive on your system, potentially slowing down performance, especially when monitoring large amounts of traffic.
  • Manual Configuration
    Users need to manually configure their devices or browsers to route through Charles Proxy, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming.
  • Limited Automation Capabilities
    Charles Proxy has limited support for automation compared to other modern debugging tools, which may affect its suitability for automated testing workflows.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There may be compatibility issues with certain applications or devices, particularly those with strict security measures against proxying, which can impede testing efforts.

Analysis of Charles Proxy

Overall verdict

  • Charles Proxy is considered an excellent tool for those who need to monitor and analyze network communications. Its rich set of features and ease of use make it a valuable asset for developers and testers.

Why this product is good

  • Charles Proxy is widely regarded as a robust and versatile tool for web developers, offering comprehensive features for HTTP/HTTPS debugging, web traffic analysis, and SSL proxying. It provides a user-friendly interface, supports a wide array of platforms, and is especially useful for troubleshooting network issues and optimizing network calls.

Recommended for

  • Web Developers
  • Mobile App Developers
  • Network Engineers
  • QA Testers
  • Technical Support Teams

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Advanced REST Client (ARC) and Charles Proxy)
API Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
25 25%
75% 75
Proxy
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Advanced REST Client (ARC) and Charles Proxy

Advanced REST Client (ARC) Reviews

We have no reviews of Advanced REST Client (ARC) yet.
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Charles Proxy Reviews

Top 10 HTTP Client and Web Debugging Proxy Tools (2023)
Charles Proxy is another tool that has a good popularity. It is a web proxy i.e., HTTP proxy or HTTP monitor that runs on your computer. Compared to Paw which works on only macOS, Charles proxy if configured or run correctly is agreeable with all OS, web browsers, any smart devices, personal computers, and internet applications.
12 HTTP Client and Web Debugging Proxy Tools
As the name says, Charles proxy is an HTTP and reverse proxy. It works by routing local traffic through it.
Source: geekflare.com
Comparing Charles Proxy, Fiddler, Wireshark, and Requestly
Although thousands of developers around the globe use Wireshark and Charles Proxy, they fail to occupy the top side in the design aspect. Wireshark’s interface is robust and detailed but can be intimidating for beginners. While Charles Proxy has a more approachable interface compared to Wireshark, it might seem cluttered to some users. Fiddler’s UI is information-rich and...
Source: dev.to

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Advanced REST Client (ARC) seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Advanced REST Client (ARC) mentions (1)

  • Tell HN: Postman just wiped all my stuff
    I been using 'Advanced Rest Client' (ARC) https://install.advancedrestclient.com/ No accounts required, offline, open source, A little bloated using electron but its multiplatform and a desktop client. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

Charles Proxy mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Charles Proxy yet. Tracking of Charles Proxy recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Advanced REST Client (ARC) and Charles Proxy, you can also consider the following products

API Fortress - API performance, accuracy, and uptime testing. Without code.

Fiddler - Fiddler is a debugging program for websites.

Hoppscotch - Open source API development ecosystem

Proxyman.io - Proxyman is a high-performance macOS app, which enables developers to view HTTP/HTTPS requests from apps and domains.

HttpMaster - HttpMaster is a professional software tool for testing and debugging HTTP applications, primarily aimed at REST API applications and web services.

HTTP Toolkit - Beautiful, cross-platform & open-source tools to debug, test & build with HTTP(S). One-click setup for browsers, servers, Android, CLI tools, scripts and more.