What is Charles?
Charles is an HTTP proxy, monitor and reverse proxy that lets a developer see all of the HTTP and SSL/HTTPS traffic passing between their machine and the internet, including the requests, the responses and the HTTP headers that carry cookies and caching information. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, so the same tool and the same licence work across platforms. A licence is a one-time purchase of $50 for a single user, with volume pricing that drops to $30 per licence at ten or more, and site licences for whole organisations. There is a 30-day trial. A licence covers the current major version and all updates to it, so moving to a new major version later means paying an upgrade fee. It suits developers who need to inspect and manipulate HTTP traffic, particularly across a mixed-platform team.
Verified product facts
- Type
- HTTP debugging proxyEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Pricing
- One-time purchaseDeveloper-stated
- Price
- USD 50Developer-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Current version
- 5.2.1Developer-stated
- Official website
- www.charlesproxy.com/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Charles does at a glance.
HTTP proxy, monitor and reverse proxy
In one application
Views all HTTP and SSL/HTTPS traffic
Between the machine and the internet
Shows requests, responses and HTTP headers
Including cookies and caching information
Reverse proxy mode
For inspecting traffic from remote clients
Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
From the same licence
Volume and site licensing
For teams and organisations
What you can use Charles for
- Inspecting the HTTPS traffic an application sends and receives
- Debugging caching and cookie behaviour by reading the HTTP headers
- Watching traffic from a remote device through reverse proxy mode
- Standardising on one debugging proxy across a mixed Windows, Mac and Linux team
Who is Charles for?
- Developers who need a cross-platform HTTP debugging proxy rather than a Mac-only one
- Organisations that want site licensing rather than per-seat subscriptions
Who is Charles not for?
- Anyone who needs an open-source proxy they can inspect — Charles is closed source
- Users who want a perpetual licence across major versions, since a licence covers one major version
Limitations
- Closed source, so the proxy implementation cannot be audited
- A licence covers the current major version only; upgrading to the next major version costs 40% of the original price
- Reading HTTPS traffic requires trusting an intercepting certificate on the device
- The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks
Strengths and trade-offs
What Charles does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Views HTTP and SSL/HTTPS traffic in full, including requests, responses and the HTTP headers carrying cookies and caching information.Developer-stated
- Works as a proxy, a monitor and a reverse proxy from one application.Developer-stated
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, so one licence and one tool cover a mixed-platform team.Developer-stated
- Is a one-time purchase with volume discounts, rather than a subscription.
- A 30-day trial allows evaluation before purchase.
Trade-offs
- A licence covers only the current major version; moving to the next major version costs 40% of the original price.
- Closed source, so the proxy and its certificate handling cannot be inspected.
- Site licences are priced per site, so a multi-site organisation needs the more expensive Multi-Site License.
- Reading HTTPS traffic requires trusting an intercepting certificate, which weakens the device's security while installed.Derived
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- A macOS disk image is published by the vendor, alongside Windows and Linux builds.
- First launch
- Runs in a 30-day trial without a licence key; a key is entered to continue afterwards.
- System integration Derived
- Configures itself as the system HTTP proxy so that application traffic passes through it.
What it does
Charles configures itself as an HTTP proxy and records what passes through it, so a developer can see the traffic their machine and its applications send to the internet. It captures requests, responses and the HTTP headers — which is where cookies and caching instructions live, and often where the bug actually is.
It also works as a reverse proxy, which covers the case where the traffic you need to watch comes from a remote client rather than from your own machine.
Cross-platform, and what that costs
The distinguishing choice is that Charles is not Mac-only. Windows, macOS and Linux builds come from the same product and the same licence, which matters to teams that are not uniform. The trade-off is that it is a Java application rather than a native one, and it is closed source.
Licensing
Charles is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: $50 for a single user, $40 each at five or more, $30 each at ten or more, with a Site License at $400 and a Multi-Site License at $700. There is a 30-day trial.
The important detail is what a licence covers. It is valid for the current major version — 5.x — and every update to it, but not the next major version. Upgrading costs 40% of the original price, and is free only if the next major version ships within three months of your purchase.
Questions about Charles
How much does Charles cost?
A single user licence is $50 as a one-time purchase. Five or more licences cost $40 each and ten or more cost $30 each. A Site License is $400 and a Multi-Site License $700.
Is there a free trial of Charles?
Yes. You can try Charles for 30 days before purchasing a licence, which the vendor provides so you can evaluate it before deciding.
Does a Charles licence include future versions?
Not major versions. A licence is valid for the current major version, 5.x, and all updates to it, but not the next major version. An upgrade costs 40% of the original price, and is free if the next major version is released within three months of your purchase.
Which platforms does Charles run on?
Windows, macOS and Linux. The vendor describes it as a web debugging proxy for all three.Developer-stated
Alternatives to Charles
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
mitmproxy
Open-source interactive HTTPS proxy, scriptable in Python.
Both intercept and inspect HTTP traffic, but mitmproxy is free and open source with a Python scripting API while Charles is a paid graphical application.
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
Proxyman
Native macOS HTTP debugging proxy with HTTPS decryption.
Both are paid HTTP debugging proxies with HTTPS decryption, but Charles is cross-platform and Java-based while Proxyman is a native Mac-only application.
Works well with
Not a replacement — apps commonly used alongside this one.
Wireshark
Open-source network protocol analyzer with deep packet inspection.
Charles shows the HTTP layer, including headers and cookies, while Wireshark shows the packets beneath it across every protocol.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
- Charles — official websiteGrade B
