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Charles Proxy VS iTerm2

Compare Charles Proxy VS iTerm2 and see what are their differences

Charles Proxy logo Charles Proxy

HTTP proxy / HTTP monitor / Reverse Proxy

iTerm2 logo iTerm2

A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.
  • Charles Proxy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20
  • iTerm2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-29

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.

iTerm2 features and specs

  • Versatility
    iTerm2 supports a wide range of features such as split panes, multiple tab management, and hotkey-activated terminal windows, making it highly versatile for different workflows.
  • Customization
    Offers extensive customization options, including themes, color schemes, and key bindings, allowing users to tailor the terminal to their preferences.
  • Advanced Features
    Includes advanced functionality like instant replay, which allows users to rewind their terminal session, and integration with automation tools like AppleScript.
  • Performance
    Designed to be efficient and responsive, ensuring it performs well even with multiple sessions and tabs open simultaneously.
  • Integrations
    Seamless integration with macOS features such as native notifications, fullscreen mode, and support for external editors.
  • Community Support
    Active community and comprehensive documentation, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning advanced configurations.

Possible disadvantages of iTerm2

  • Mac-Only
    iTerm2 is exclusive to macOS, which means users on other operating systems cannot utilize its features.
  • Complexity
    The sheer number of features and customization options can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a learning curve to utilize efficiently.
  • System Resource Usage
    iTerm2 may consume more system resources compared to simpler terminal emulators, which could be a concern on lower-end hardware.
  • Update Frequency
    Occasional updates can introduce bugs or unexpected behavior, requiring users to adjust settings or find workarounds.

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

Analysis of iTerm2

Overall verdict

  • iTerm2 is regarded as an excellent terminal emulator for macOS due to its robust feature set and usability, making it a top choice for power users.

Why this product is good

  • iTerm2 is often praised for its advanced features, customization options, and efficiency that enhance productivity for users who work with the command line frequently. It offers split panes, hotkey window, undo close, instant replay, and a highly configurable interface that caters to power users, making it a versatile tool for developers and system administrators.

Recommended for

  • Developers and programmers who need a highly customizable terminal.
  • System administrators who require powerful scripting and automation capabilities.
  • Users who frequently work with command-line interfaces and require multiple sessions handled efficiently.
  • Anyone seeking an enhanced, feature-rich alternative to the default macOS terminal.

Charles Proxy videos

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iTerm2 videos

Customizing iterm2 with ZSH and PowerLevel9k | Z shell Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Charles Proxy and iTerm2)
Developer Tools
35 35%
65% 65
SSH
0 0%
100% 100
Security
100 100%
0% 0
Proxy
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 iTerm2

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

iTerm2 Reviews

  1. Useful

    I've had so many problems with terminal in my Mac.. thanks for this tool. It's like really useful

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Fast|Convenience|Fastest, safest, and cheapest
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    None

MobaXterm for Mac: Best Alternatives to MobaXterm for Mac
You can choose a Hotkey and register it as a shortcut to open the iTerm2. When you are using other application, just press the Hotkey and it will bring iTerm (terminal) to the foreground of your screen. So the iTerm2 is the best alternative to MobaXterm for Mac which will be always available for you.
30 best PuTTY alternatives for SSH clients for 2020
The iTerm2 system is available for Macs. Specifically, the program can run on Mac OS 10.10 and higher. This interface shows different terminal sessions through a split screen method, allowing you to tile sessions side by side. To lessen confusion, the active panel shows in full resolution, while the others dimmed. You can set up keyboard shortcuts to navigate through the...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iTerm2 seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 113 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.

iTerm2 mentions (113)

  • Using iTerm2's new AI Chat features with Azure OpenAI
    For the longest time I've used iTerm2 as a replacement for Terminal. It's fast, it's native, it's not yet another lipstick-on-an-Electron-wrapper type of thing. Only Ghostty comes close to it, and even though it's faster and resizes better, it misses some of the features I've grown to depend on. - Source: dev.to / 8 days ago
  • Brains. Bugs. Dopamine. how to trick yourself into loving code again
    Fig / Warp / iTerm2 terminals that actually respect your eyes and sanity https://fig.io | https://warp.dev | https://iterm2.com. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Must-have apps and services in 2024
    iTerm + fish. I wrote a post explaining my environment settings. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Unavoidable developer tools
    ๐ŸŽ macOS: The default Terminal.app is widely used, but iTerm2 is often preferred for its rich feature set and customization options. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Ask HN: How can I experiment with LLMs with a old machine?
    Make yourself comfortable with https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/freedom-to-build-announcing-oracle-cloud-free-tier-with-new-always-free-services-and-always-free-oracle-autonomous-database https://gist.github.com/rssnyder/51e3cfedd730e7dd5f4a816143b25dbd https://www.reddit.com/r/oraclecloud/ or any other offer. Deploy some minimal Linux on them, or use what's offered. Plus optionally, if you don't want to... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Charles Proxy and iTerm2, you can also consider the following products

Fiddler - Fiddler is a debugging program for websites.

MobaXterm - Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more

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

PuTTY - Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.

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.

KiTTY - KiTTY is a fork from version 0.70 of PuTTY. It adds extra features to PuTTY.