mitmproxy vs ttyd
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Interactive proxy that lets you inspect and modify HTTP and HTTPS traffic from your machine.
Open source · MIT
A command-line tool that shares a terminal session in a web browser.
The short answer
Choose mitmproxy if you need…
- Developers debugging how an app talks to a backend API
- Penetration testers inspecting traffic from a client application
- People who want to script or automate changes to web traffic with a command-line tool
- Anyone who prefers a browser-based view of intercepted traffic (mitmweb)
Choose ttyd if you need…
- Developers who want to open a shell on a home server or device from a browser
- People running tools on OpenWrt routers or other small Linux boxes
- Anyone who needs quick browser access to a command-line program on a local network
- Users who want a terminal in a browser with file transfer or image output support
Side-by-side
| mitmproxy | ttyd | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 46.6k | 12.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | See the README | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Python | C |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 3 months ago |
What each one is
mitmproxy
mitmproxy is a proxy that sits between your device or app and the internet, so you can see the web requests and responses passing through it, including encrypted HTTPS (TLS) traffic. It offers a console interface (mitmproxy), a command-line tool (mitmdump, described as similar to tcpdump for HTTP), and a web interface (mitmweb). The README says it supports HTTP/1, HTTP/2, and WebSockets.
ttyd
ttyd runs a command on your machine and serves it as a terminal you can open in a web browser. You start it from the command line, and anyone with the address (and credentials, if you set them) can see and, if you allow it, type into that terminal. People use it to reach a shell or program from another device without a native terminal client.
Best for
mitmproxy
- Developers debugging how an app talks to a backend API
- Penetration testers inspecting traffic from a client application
- People who want to script or automate changes to web traffic with a command-line tool
- Anyone who prefers a browser-based view of intercepted traffic (mitmweb)
ttyd
- Developers who want to open a shell on a home server or device from a browser
- People running tools on OpenWrt routers or other small Linux boxes
- Anyone who needs quick browser access to a command-line program on a local network
- Users who want a terminal in a browser with file transfer or image output support
Strengths
mitmproxy
- Handles encrypted HTTPS traffic, not just plain HTTP
- Offers three interfaces: console, command line, and web
- Open source under the MIT license with an active project (recent pushes and many stars)
ttyd
- Written in C on top of libuv and WebGL2, aiming for speed according to the README
- Supports CJK text, IME input, SSL, and basic authentication
- Available through many package managers on macOS, Linux, Windows, and OpenWrt
Not ideal for
mitmproxy
- Users who only need a simple browser debugging panel; built-in browser developer tools cover many of those cases
- People intercepting traffic they do not own or have permission to inspect, since it is designed to break open encrypted connections
ttyd
- Anyone exposing a terminal to the internet without strong authentication, since the README describes basic auth and SSL options but the security risk of a shared shell is significant
- Users who only want an SSH-style remote login; the README lists Wetty as an SSH/login-based alternative
- People who need a full multi-user web-based IDE, as ttyd focuses on the terminal itself
Trade-offs
mitmproxy
- Intercepting HTTPS requires installing and trusting mitmproxy's certificate on the device being tested, which is a setup step many newcomers find fiddly
- The README is short and points to external documentation for installation and tutorials, so this entry relies on that pointer
- The latest release listed has no prebuilt binaries, so you may need Python tooling or to follow the install docs
ttyd
- Sharing a shell over the web carries real security risk, so configuration must be done carefully
- The README is brief and points to the wiki for usage examples
- Read-only by default; write access must be enabled explicitly with a flag
Getting started
mitmproxy
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mitmproxy/mitmproxyttyd
Install with Homebrew on macOS
brew install ttydInstall on Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ttydFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between mitmproxy and ttyd?
mitmproxy: Interactive proxy that lets you inspect and modify HTTP and HTTPS traffic from your machine. ttyd: A command-line tool that shares a terminal session in a web browser. mitmproxy suits developers debugging how an app talks to a backend api, while ttyd suits developers who want to open a shell on a home server or device from a browser.
Are mitmproxy and ttyd free?
mitmproxy: Free and open source. ttyd: Free and open source.
Is mitmproxy or ttyd more popular?
mitmproxy has more GitHub stars (46.6k) than ttyd (12.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to mitmproxy and ttyd?
Other options people compare them with include GoTTY.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.