mitmproxy vs socks5-proxy-server

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?
Featuremitmproxysocks5-proxy-server
CategoryReverse Proxy & GatewaysReverse Proxy & Gateways
LicenseMITApache-2.0
LanguagePythonJavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, sourcedocker
GitHub stars★ 44,605★ 142
First released20102025
ReplacesCharles Proxy, Fiddler

Why pick each one

Choose mitmproxy if…

  • Powerful for debugging
  • Highly scriptable
mitmproxy details

Choose socks5-proxy-server if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
socks5-proxy-server details

Frequently asked questions

Is mitmproxy or socks5-proxy-server better?

mitmproxy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider socks5-proxy-server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are mitmproxy and socks5-proxy-server free and open-source?

Yes. mitmproxy is licensed under MIT and socks5-proxy-server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run mitmproxy and socks5-proxy-server with Docker?

mitmproxy: yes. socks5-proxy-server: yes.

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