Comparison

Charles Proxy vs Free VPN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Charles Proxy

Capture and inspect network requests and responses directly on your iOS device. Debug networking issues without needing a computer. View detailed metadata, headers, and bodies, and even transfer sessions to a desktop for further analysis.

Highlights
  • Capture network requests and responses
  • Inspect metadata, headers, and bodies
  • SSL Proxying for plain text viewing
  • Measure network performance
  • Block requests to specific hosts
  • DNS spoofing
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Charles Proxy for iOS lets you capture, inspect and modify network requests and responses on your iOS device. You can view metadata, headers and bodies in the app, so you can finally debug your app’s networking issues without a computer. Charles Proxy for iOS is an app from the creator of Charles Proxy for desktop. HOW IT WORKS Turn Charles on when you want to start capturing. Charles captures your network requests and responses in the background while you test your app or website. Return to Charles to inspect the requests and responses. If you also have Charles on your desktop, you can transfer recorded sessions to your desktop to explore them on the big screen. Charles creates a local VPN on your device. All of your network traffic passes through Charles on your device, and then out to the internet as usual over either WiFi or Mobile / Cellular data. There is no remote server involved, and your data always remains private to you. FEATURES * SSL Proxying to view SSL requests in plain text * View and share request and responses bodies * Syntax highlighting for text request and response bodies * Measure network performance over WiFi or Mobile / Cellular networks * Block requests to nominated hosts * DNS spoofing

About

Free VPN

Connect to free VPN servers worldwide for a fast, secure, and anonymous internet experience. Protect your data with encryption and enjoy unlimited locations. Watch ads for full access or go ad-free with a premium subscription.

Highlights
  • Global VPN server access
  • Fast and secure connection
  • Private and encrypted data
  • Unlimited location options
  • Ad-free premium option
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Free VPN lets you connect to VPN servers all around the world — completely free. With just one tap, enjoy a fast, secure, and anonymous internet experience. - Unlimited location options: Tokyo, Paris, London... connect wherever you want. - High-speed connection: No buffering, no waiting — just smooth browsing. - Keeps your data private and encrypted: Your safety is our priority. - Watch a few ads to unlock everything for free. - Want peace and quiet? Go ad-free with our premium version. - Whether you're at school, at a café, or abroad, - Free VPN keeps you protected — and your freedom in your pocket. And remember, you can always reach us at apps@freevpnapp.co.uk Stay free with love. - Subscriptions Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase.Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period.Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal.Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase.Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy: https://freevpnapp.co.uk/privacy/ Terms of Use : https://freevpnapp.co.uk/terms/ Contact : apps@freevpnapp.co.uk Free VPN LTD

Screenshots

Charles Proxy4 screens
Free VPN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Free VPN at Free against Charles Proxy's $8.99. Free VPN also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months). Charles Proxy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Free VPN is free to download; Charles Proxy costs $8.99 up front. Free VPN sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Charles Proxy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Free VPN holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Free VPN has 50K ratings behind it against 185, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Charles Proxy's written reviews are positive against 60% of Free VPN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Charles Proxy ships an update every 4 months, Free VPN every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Charles Proxy versus Free VPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCharles ProxyFree VPN
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (185 ratings)4.7 (50K ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.9% of reviews59.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18550K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#46 — better#166
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.016 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperXK72 LimitedFree VPN LTD (Apps)

Customer experience

Charles Proxy

All ratings185 ratings
Positive74.6%
Neutral5.4%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews231 reviews
Positive51.9%
Neutral11.7%
Negative36.4%

Free VPN

All ratings50,070 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews2,478 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral4.2%
Negative36.2%

User reviews

Charles Proxy

From 185 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great tool for developers
  • 👍 Useful for debugging
  • 🔒 SSL proxying works
  • 💡 Convenient to use on mobile

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Stability issues, crashes
  • 🐛 SSL certificate not trusted
  • 🐛 Doesn't handle gzip compression
  • 🐛 Slow performance compared to desktop

Free VPN

From 50K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and stable connection
  • 👍 Genuinely free VPN with ads option
  • 🔒 Keeps location anonymous
  • 🎥 Allows access to region-locked content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional disconnections and connection issues
  • 🔍 Limited server locations
  • ⚠️ Potential privacy/security concerns
  • 🕰️ Ads required to access VPN

Bugs and requests

Charles Proxy

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Doesn't work with latest iOS versions
  • Fails to export sessions frequently
  • Incompatible with apps using VPN
  • Large JSON bodies not displayed properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to edit and replay requests
  • Improve JSON viewer and formatting
  • Add support for WebSockets
  • Provide option to map to local
  • Add scripting and breakpoint features

Free VPN

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to connect to certain servers
  • Asks for authentication credentials unexpectedly
  • Interferes with other apps/services
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More server location options
  • Ability to add more time before expiration
  • Improved stability and reliability
  • Clearer communication on privacy/security

In-app purchases

None

Charles Proxy

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Free VPN

Subscriptions6
  • Boosted & Ad Free VPN$3.997 Days
  • Boosted & Ad Free VPN3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Boosted & Ad-Free$12.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Boosted & Ad-Free3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • 2 Month - Ad Free Premium3 Days trial$17.992 Months
  • Boosted & Ad Free VPN$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Charles Proxy free?
Charles Proxy costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Free VPN free?
Free VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Charles Proxy or Free VPN?
Free VPN is rated higher. Charles Proxy averages 4.0 out of 5 from 185 ratings, while Free VPN averages 4.7 from 50K ratings.
Do Charles Proxy or Free VPN have ads?
Free VPN shows ads; Charles Proxy does not.
Which is updated more often, Charles Proxy or Free VPN?
Charles Proxy ships an update every 4 months, and Free VPN every 10 days. Most recently, Charles Proxy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Free VPN on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Charles Proxy or Free VPN?
Charles Proxy currently peaks at #46 in the App Store charts, and Free VPN at #166. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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