Comparison

HTTPBot vs Surge 5

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

Head to head
About

HTTPBot

This app allows users to send HTTP/HTTPS requests and connect to WebSockets, making it easy to debug APIs on the go. It supports various response formats, collaboration features, and authentication methods, streamlining API development and testing.

Highlights
  • Send HTTP/HTTPS and WebSocket requests
  • Inspect JSON, HTML, and XML responses
  • Import/export Postman collections
  • Support for OpenAPI/Swagger specs
  • Native GraphQL request support
  • Multiple authentication methods
  • Shortcuts integration for automation
Features
Read full description

HTTPBot is a powerful API client and debugger that lets you send HTTP/HTTPs requests, connect to WebSockets, browse and invoke remote MCP servers, inspect JSON & HTML responses, and debug APIs on the go. With HTTPBot, you can - Make requests and view responses from anywhere. - Debug API issues even while away from your terminal. - Work with JSON, HTML, XML, and raw text responses effortlessly. - Collaborate with your team by importing & exporting Postman collections, and by syncing with the Postman API. FEATURES - Powerful request editor provides a GUI for easily editing HTTP, HTTPS & WebSockets requests. - Connect to remote MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers to browse and invoke their tools, prompts, and resources. - Supports all major HTTP methods, including GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, HEAD, and OPTIONS. - Automatically highlights JSON, HTML, and XML content for better readability. - View detailed metrics for requests and responses, including size, duration, SSL and more. - Support for OpenAPI/Swagger specs as well as Postman collections & environments, including sync with Postman accounts on the cloud - View request documentation for APIs - Native support for GraphQL requests - edit queries and variables directly, and view schema. - Import & export collections from/to any document storage provider, like iCloud Drive, Dropbox and more. - Supports authentication using Basic, Digest, OAuth 1.0a, OAuth 2.0, JWT and much more. Securely store auth credentials for frequent use. - Save frequently-used variables in environments - Filter & query responses using XPath & JSONPath - Automate your workflows with Shortcuts integration. PRICING HTTPBot is available to download for free, with a risk-free 7-day trial to unlock access to its features. Enjoy full access beyond the trial with a yearly subscription, or a one-time purchase for a lifetime upgrade. All plans unlock the app on all platforms where it is supported. LEGAL Duration & price of each subscription is displayed in the app when upgrading to Pro. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account upon confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless it is cancelled atleast 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription in your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of the free trial period is forfeited as soon as a subscription is purchased. Terms of use: https://www.httpbot.io/terms.html Privacy policy: https://www.httpbot.io/privacy.html

About

Surge 5

This advanced network utility allows developers to intercept, process, and forward network traffic. It offers deep control over connections, including URL redirection, local file mapping, and HTTPS decryption. Ideal for debugging and network analysis.

Highlights
  • Network connection takeover
  • Modify network requests/responses
  • Forward traffic to other proxies
  • Intercept and save network data
  • Decrypt HTTPS traffic
  • Rule-based forwarding
  • Ad blocking by domain
Features
Read full description

Surge is an advanced network toolbox and proxy utility. It is designed for developers and therefore requires professional knowledge to use. These four capabilities form the core workflow of Surge: · Takeover: Take over the network connections sent by the device. Surge supports both proxy service and virtual NIC takeover, capturing HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and UDP traffic from any app — even those ignoring proxy settings. All features work on the cellular network. · Processing: Modify the requests and responses that have been taken over: URL rewrite, header and body rewrite, local file mapping, custom DNS answers, and JavaScript-based modification. · Forwarding: Forward requests to proxy servers, either globally or driven by a flexible rule system. Policy groups select the best server automatically by latency, availability, or learned connection quality. · Intercept: Record and inspect requests and responses, including headers and bodies, and decrypt HTTPS traffic with MITM. Highlighted Features · Proxy protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, SOCKS5, SOCKS5-TLS, HTTP2 CONNECT, TrustTunnel, Shadowsocks, Snell, Trojan, Hysteria 2, AnyTLS, and SSH, with UDP relay support. · Used as a WireGuard or Tailscale client, converting the L3 VPN into a proxy policy. · Rules based on domain match/suffix/keyword/wildcard, CIDR IP range, GeoIP, ASN, protocol, port, and logical combinations; reusable rule sets hosted locally or remotely. · Policy groups: manual selection, automatic latency testing, fallback, load balancing, and the self-learning Smart group. · Complete DNS suite: DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-HTTP/3, DNS-over-QUIC, DNS-over-TLS, and concurrent queries for the fastest answer. · Local DNS mapping (equivalent to /etc/hosts) with wildcards, aliases, and per-domain DNS servers. Switch your app between production and development environments without changing any code. · Decrypt HTTPS traffic with Man-in-the-Middle and a built-in CA certificate generator. · Record and display HTTP requests and responses with JSON, text, image, and video viewers for the captured body; album mode for the request list; pre-filter for capturing. · Raw L3 packet capture. · Scripting: extend Surge with JavaScript — modify requests and responses, write custom rules, customize DNS answers, and run scheduled tasks. · Block unwanted requests by rules with high-performance pre-matching. · Measure traffic usage and network speed on Wi-Fi, cellular, and proxy connections. · Remote Dashboard: observe and debug traffic in real time from a Mac via Wi-Fi or USB, including cellular traffic. · Surge Ponte: access your home or office network remotely via your own devices, with no third-party service involved. · HTTPS proxy protocol supports client-side TLS certificate validation. · Safari extension to add rules; widgets and Information Panel for quick control. · Sync profiles across devices with iCloud Drive or Dropbox. · Full IPv6 support, TLS 1.3, HTTP/2, and QUIC. · High performance and industrial-grade stability, suitable for intensive use. Surge does not provide any proxy or VPN service; you need to configure your own servers. You may read the online manual for more information: https://nssurge.com/support Terms and Conditions: https://nssurge.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://nssurge.com/legal/privacy

Screenshots

HTTPBot4 screens
Surge 54 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HTTPBot at 4.5 against Surge 5's 4.1. Surge 5's advantage is chart position (#6 vs #68). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. HTTPBot sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Surge 5 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HTTPBot holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 994 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of HTTPBot's written reviews are positive against 51% of Surge 5's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HTTPBot ships an update every 2 weeks, Surge 5 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
HTTPBot versus Surge 5: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHTTPBotSurge 5
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.3K ratings) — better4.1 (994 ratings)
Positive reviews55.7% of reviews — better51.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better994
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#68#6 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArvindh SukumarSurge Networks Inc.

Customer experience

HTTPBot

All ratings1,322 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews298 reviews
Positive55.7%
Neutral10.1%
Negative34.2%

Surge 5

All ratings994 ratings
Positive77.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative20.5%
Written reviews447 reviews
Positive51.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative44.3%

Bugs and requests

HTTPBot

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when using response filters
  • Issues with importing Postman collections
  • Requests sometimes show incorrect HTTP method
  • Inconsistent behavior with SSL verification
  • Response data not properly formatted

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for PATCH requests
  • Improve Postman collection and environment integration
  • Add ability to copy/paste from response
  • Implement better handling of URL variables
  • Improve response formatting and readability

Surge 5

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

HTTPBot

Subscriptions7
  • Pro Upgrade - Weekly$2.997 Days
  • HTTPBot Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • HTTPBot Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • HTTPBot Yearly Subscription$19.991 Year
  • HTTPBot Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Pro Upgrade$29.991 Year
  • HTTPBot Pro Upgrade - Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Unlock$29.99
  • Lifetime Unlock$49.99
2 purchases

Surge 5

Subscriptions1
  • Feature Subscription$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Surge Pro$49.99

Questions

Is HTTPBot free?
HTTPBot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surge 5 free?
Surge 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HTTPBot or Surge 5?
HTTPBot is rated higher. HTTPBot averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Surge 5 averages 4.1 from 994 ratings.
Do HTTPBot or Surge 5 have ads?
Neither HTTPBot nor Surge 5 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HTTPBot or Surge 5?
HTTPBot ships an update every 2 weeks, and Surge 5 every 5 weeks. Most recently, HTTPBot was updated on September 23, 2026 and Surge 5 on September 22, 2026.
Which is more popular, HTTPBot or Surge 5?
HTTPBot currently peaks at #68 in the App Store charts, and Surge 5 at #6. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons