mitmproxy vs Shadowsocks-libev
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
mitmproxy
Interactive HTTPS proxy for inspection and debugging
VS
Shadowsocks-libev
Lightweight encrypted SOCKS5 proxy
| Feature | mitmproxy | Shadowsocks-libev |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,605 | ★ 16,181 |
| First released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Charles Proxy, Fiddler | commercial VPN proxies |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is mitmproxy or Shadowsocks-libev better?
mitmproxy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Shadowsocks-libev if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are mitmproxy and Shadowsocks-libev free and open-source?
Yes. mitmproxy is licensed under MIT and Shadowsocks-libev under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mitmproxy and Shadowsocks-libev with Docker?
mitmproxy: yes. Shadowsocks-libev: yes.