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Charles Proxy VS API Tester

Compare Charles Proxy VS API Tester and see what are their differences

Charles Proxy logo Charles Proxy

HTTP proxy / HTTP monitor / Reverse Proxy

API Tester logo API Tester

API Tester is the first mobile app to test any type of API on the go. Including REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, SOAP, JSON RPC, XML, HTTP, HTTPS.
  • Charles Proxy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20
  • API Tester Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-06

Main features: - All types of HTTP requests: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS, COPY, LINK, UNLINK, PURGE, LOCK, UNLOCK, PROPFIND, VIEW. - Powerful GraphQL editor with full-scale experience: body editor with Queries, Mutations, Subscriptions and syntax support; variables editor; documentation explorer; request settings and metadata. - WebSocket testing tool. Handles connection and message exchange via WS or WSS. - API calls with any kind of request data encoding and transfer type (query params, URLEncoded params, FormData, raw data, send files from device storage, cloud, remote server). - Settings. TLS can be skipped, redirects can be disabled, timeouts are adjustable. Weak SSL verification can be enabled and replaced with self-signed certificate. - Import request or collection by curl, link or file from your device. And naturally, there is any type of collection for you: Swagger, OpenAPI, Postman, YAML. - Need to share request in seconds? One tap and done. Deep link and cURL command supported. - Integrations: Shortcuts, Widgets, Apple Watch app.

Additional little things: - Autocomplete for most common headers keys. - Syntax highlighting; Auto formatting. - Optimized for viewing on any device screen. - Cookies. Collect, edit, create. - Request metrics. Measure request duration, response size, status code changing. - History of all request calls. - Request authorisation. Basic Auth with password and username. OAuth with header or query access token.

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.

API Tester features and specs

  • GraphQL
  • Websocket
  • Debugging APIs

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

Charles Proxy videos

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API Tester videos

7 Reasons Why You Should Become An API Tester | 100% Salary Hike Possible? | TheTestingAcademy

More videos:

  • Review - Talend API Tester: Technical Overview
  • Tutorial - How To Use DevTools As an API Tester? | API Testing Tutorial | Day 29

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Charles Proxy and API Tester)
Developer Tools
75 75%
25% 25
Proxy
100 100%
0% 0
APIs
0 0%
100% 100
Security
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 Charles Proxy and API Tester

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. Wiresharkโ€™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. Fiddlerโ€™s UI is information-rich and...
Source: dev.to

API Tester Reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, API Tester seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 18 times 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.

Charles Proxy mentions (0)

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

API Tester mentions (18)

  • How to Test APIs for Beginners-API Testing Best Practices๐Ÿ”ฅ
    Manual API testing involves directly interacting with the API using tools like Apidog, API Tester or any other available online tools. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • All about Postman Collection
    You can also import this collection to the mobile app and test it. This is possible by using the API Tester. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Defect life cycle in API testing โš™๏ธ
    It is worth noting that detecting bugs is not as simple as it may appear at first.Thatโ€™s why developers and testers must have good testing tools for this. I suggest you try API Tester; youโ€™ll love it! - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Status codes in API Testing๐Ÿ†—๐Ÿ†˜
    How successful response code looks like in API Tester app. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Top 5 cryptocurrency APIs for developers ยฉ๏ธ
    Do you know what is common to all the aforementioned APIs? You can easily access any of them by using the greatest app โ€“ API Tester :). - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Charles Proxy and API Tester, you can also consider the following products

Fiddler - Fiddler is a debugging program for websites.

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

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

Insomnia REST - Design, debug, test, and mock APIs locally, on Git, or cloud. Build better APIs collaboratively for the most popular protocols with a devโ€‘friendly UI, built-in automation, and an extensible plugin ecosystem.

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.

RapidAPI for Mac - Paw is a REST client for Mac.