If you need to inspect HTTP requests and responses, the alternatives to Charles are other debugging proxies: Proxyman (a native Mac app), mitmproxy (free, open source, scriptable) and HTTP Toolkit. If what you actually want is to know which apps connect where — including apps that ignore proxy settings and non-HTTP traffic — a proxy can't show that, and LightAtom can, with no certificates to install.
Who this is for
- You set up Charles to see what an app talks to, but some apps bypass the proxy.
- You want connection-level visibility for every app, not request contents.
- You don't want to install a root certificate on your Mac just to see destinations.
Comparison
| LightAtom | Charles Proxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Not announced yet | $50 per user |
| Platforms | macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Blocks connections | No | Not listed |
| Per-app bytes / live rate | Yes | Not listed |
| Map view | Yes | Not listed |
| Open ports view | Yes | Not listed |
| DNS / domain names | Yes | Not listed |
| Open source | Not listed | Not listed |
| macOS support | macOS 14 or later | Not listed |
| Last checked | 24 Oct 2026 | 24 Oct 2026 |
When to stay with Charles Proxy
Keep Charles (or move to Proxyman or mitmproxy) when you need request and response bodies, headers, rewriting, throttling, breakpoints or mobile-device debugging through a proxy. LightAtom doesn't decrypt or modify traffic.
How to switch
- For HTTP debugging: try Proxyman for a native Mac UI, or install mitmproxy with brew install mitmproxy.
- For seeing every app's connections: install LightAtom; no proxy or certificate needed.
- If you remove Charles, also remove its root certificate from Keychain Access.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Charles Proxy alternative for Mac?
Proxyman is the most popular native Mac alternative; mitmproxy is the best free and open-source one.
Is mitmproxy free?
Yes. mitmproxy is free and open source, with a terminal UI, a web UI (mitmweb) and a Python scripting API.
How much does Charles Proxy cost?
$50 per user, with a free trial, according to its website.
Why don't some apps show up in Charles?
Apps can ignore system proxy settings, use certificate pinning, or use non-HTTP protocols. A connection monitor sees them anyway, without contents.