Headmin! vs Hammer

Headmin is a native admin console for Headscale, the open-source, self-hosted control server for Tailscale-based networks. Point it at your own server and manage your entire tailnet from your phone — no dashboard tab required. CONNECT TO YOUR OWN SERVER Enter your Headscale URL and API key once. Your credentials are validated and then stored securely on-device, in your phone's Keychain or Keystore — never on our servers, because we don't have any. Headmin talks directly to your Headscale instance. USERS List, create, rename and delete users in seconds. NODES See every device on your network at a glance: online status, IP addresses and tags. Rename a node, move it to a different user, expire its key, or remove it entirely. Generate pre-auth keys with custom expiry, reusable or single-use, tagged for your ACLs. ROUTES View every subnet route and exit node your devices advertise, and approve or disable them individually. ACL POLICIES Edit rules, groups, tag owners and hosts through a visual editor, or drop into a raw HuJSON view for full control. BUILT FOR SELF-HOSTERS Headmin has no backend of its own and no account system — it's a thin, secure client for the server you already run. Your data stays between your phone and your infrastructure. Requires an existing Headscale server and an API key (generate one with `headscale apikeys create`).

Hammer is a professional HTTP and HTTPS debugging toolkit for developers, QA engineers, mobile teams, and technical users who need a clear way to inspect, analyze, and troubleshoot network traffic on iPhone and iPad. Whether you are testing an API, debugging a mobile app, checking request headers, reviewing response data, or exporting sessions for deeper analysis, Hammer helps you understand what is happening between your app, website, and backend services. Designed for local-first network inspection, Hammer keeps captured data on your device by default. Requests, responses, headers, cookies, and session history remain local unless you choose to export or share them. How Hammer Works: Hammer uses Apple's public Network Extension framework and a Packet Tunnel Provider to enable on-device traffic capture. When you tap Start and approve the iOS system configuration prompt, Hammer creates a local Packet Tunnel. Traffic included in the active capture session is routed through Hammer's local proxy process on the same device, where requests and responses can be inspected and displayed. The Packet Tunnel does not connect your traffic to a remote VPN server. Hammer does not provide anonymous browsing, change your virtual location, or hide your public IP address. iOS displays VPN-related permission text and may show a VPN status indicator because Apple manages Packet Tunnel Provider configurations through its VPN configuration infrastructure. Key Features: Live Traffic Capture Capture HTTP and HTTPS requests in real time. Review method, host, path, status code, protocol, timing, size, and request details in a clean debugging interface. Detailed Request Inspector Inspect URL parameters, request and response headers, message bodies, status codes, timing metrics, and content types. HTTPS Debugging Use optional certificate-based HTTPS inspection in development, testing, or other authorized environments. Certificate installation and trust are controlled by the user through iOS Settings. Request History Keep capture sessions organized locally so you can revisit traffic, compare results, and investigate issues after testing. Rules and Filters Manage rules for bypassing hosts, blocking traffic, rewriting requests, mapping responses, and controlling traffic during debugging. HAR Export Export captured sessions as HAR files for desktop analysis, bug reports, team collaboration, or long-term debugging records. Local Proxy Workflow Use Hammer's on-device Packet Tunnel and local proxy workflow to inspect traffic from apps, browsers, and services you are authorized to analyze. Clean Debugging Interface Work with readable request lists, structured detail views, protocol statistics, favorites, and practical tools for repeated debugging. Local-First Privacy Captured network content is processed and stored locally by default. Hammer does not require an account, and the Packet Tunnel does not upload captured traffic to a remote VPN server. Data leaves your device only when you explicitly export, share, or submit it through a user-initiated action. Hammer is useful for: • Debugging mobile app API requests • Inspecting HTTP and HTTPS traffic • Reviewing headers, cookies, and response bodies • Testing backend services and REST APIs • Checking status codes, redirects, and timing • Exporting HAR files for issue reports • Managing traffic rules during development • Investigating network behavior during QA testing Hammer is intended for legitimate development, testing, and debugging workflows. Use it only with apps, websites, services, and network traffic that you own or have permission to inspect.