Fiddler Classic

Fiddler Classic is a comprehensive tool to offer quick recording, inspection, and debugging traffic between your computer and Internet. It offers multi-platform services for Windows-based PCs, Mac, Linux, and even Mobile devices as well. the lightweight tool offers an awesome series of features for both novice and advanced users.

The app offers intuitive interface divided into multiple tabs, offering statistics of every visited Web page. It also offers a set of filters for both unnecessary traffic and for time bar, enabling users to view specific HTTP session transfers.

What is Fiddler Classic?

Fiddler Classic developed by Progress Software Corporation, falls under the Web Development category, is a commercial software. It is one of trusted debugging tool, allowing developers to test and develop web applications debugging web traffic; regardless of the web browser and system they are using.

It supports HTTPs decryption with capability of capturing and inspecting HTTP and HTTPs traffic accurately. It is the best option for developers and testers, enabling them diagnose issues, test APIs, and refine application performance through clear view of client-server communication. 

Fiddler Classic Features

Debug Web Traffic

You can debug web traffic from multiple devise, including Mac, Windows, Linux, and even mobile devices. However, it is necessary to transfer cookies, headers, and cache directives between client and the server properly and accurately. It offers seamless integration for multiple frameworks such as .NET, Java, Ruby, and so on.

Versatile Toolkit

The app supports decrypting/encrypting sessions for HTTPs traffic to help developers to detect weak configurations or anomalies, revealing certificate chains, TLS versions, and cipher details. The transparency of the app proves the significant asset into encrypted communication for both; debugging and basic security assessments. However, it requires steep learning curve at start, but most of the users can manage it reliably with the help of extensive documentation and active support. 

Rich Extensibility 

The rich extensibility model enhances the app’s functionality through FiddlerScript and .NET-based Extensions. In the way, users are capable of managing advanced customization and automation of debugging tasks. Moreover, it performs multiple tasks in different scenarios such as security tester for different web allocation, decrypts HTTPs traffic, and utilizes a man-in the-middle decryption technique for displaying and modifying requests. It is also possible to personalize the app for decrypting all traffic, or one specific sessions as well.

Manipulate Web Sessions

It makes possible the manipulation as well as editing web sessions, as you can set a breakpoint for pausing the process of the session, allowing alteration of the request/response. It is up to you to compose the HTTP requests for running through the tool. 

Record HTTP/HTTPs Traffic

It is one of best and free to use web debugging proxy to log all HTTPs traffic between your computer and the internet. It allows to debug traffic from virtually any application that supports a proxy, including IE, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and so on. Moreover, you can utilize it for viewing the “total page weight”, HTTP caching, and compression as well. it offers rules such as “Flag any uncompressed responses larger than 25kb” for isolating performance bottlenecks. 

Broad Compatibility

The app offers broad compatibility for debugging HTTPs traffic across multiple devices such as PC, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices. It also offers seamless integration to multiple browsers, including Chrome, IE, Firefox, and so on, along with support of multiple applications, making it one of most popular tool, specifically for developers and security testers.

User-friendly Interface

The app with intuitive and user-friendly interface proves easy to use utility, even for new beginners. The extensive documentation library and a community forum is available to guide and support the developers, allowing them to maximize their debugging skills. 

Pros

• Offers quick debugging, inspecting, and troubleshooting web traffic
• Cross-platform compatibility 
• Supports huge number of web browsers and applications
• Offers free and paid services
• Supports multiple protocols such as HTTP, HTTPs, WebSocket, and FTP
• Manipulate and edit web sessions

Cons

• Requires steep learning curve
• Security testing tools are limited
• Lack of advanced functionality within free version