Prices and features accurate as of April 2026.
← All comparisonsPry vs Charles Proxy
Charles is a veteran network debugging proxy used by millions since 2002. Pry is a modern, on-device alternative built with SwiftUI for iOS-first workflows.
Pry wins
Modern UX
Pry wins
Setup Speed
Tie
Price
| Feature | Pry | Charles Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 30 seconds | 10-20 minutes |
| Needs a Mac | No | Yes (or Win/Linux) |
| Proxy required | No | Yes |
| Certificate trust | No | Yes |
| Works on cellular | Yes | No |
| Works on VPN | Yes | No |
| On-device UI | Yes | No |
| Free tier | Full SDK, MIT | 30-day trial |
| Price (paid) | $49 one-time | $50 one-time |
| Modern UI | SwiftUI native | Java Swing |
| Network monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Breakpoints | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| Mock responses | Yes (Pro) | Yes (Map Local) |
| Performance metrics | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Console logs | Yes | No |
| Deeplink simulator | Yes | No |
| Push simulator | Yes | No |
| Bandwidth throttle | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| SOCKS proxy | No | Yes |
| Multi-platform traffic | iOS only | Any device on network |
Where Charles wins
Charles is platform-agnostic — it captures traffic from any device on the network, not just iOS. It has SOCKS proxy support, works with any HTTP client (not just URLSession), and has been battle-tested for over 20 years. If you need to debug traffic from browsers, Android, or arbitrary network devices, Charles handles it.
Where Pry wins
- Modern, native UI. SwiftUI vs Java Swing. The difference is night and day.
- No Mac, no proxy setup. Charles needs WiFi + proxy config + certificate trust.
- Works on cellular and VPN. Charles only sees WiFi traffic through the proxy.
- Performance metrics, console, deeplinks, push. Features Charles doesn't have.
- Real free tier. Charles has a 30-day trial. Pry Free is MIT-licensed forever.
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