Proxifier for Mac

Unreliable, won't manage UDP connections, ugly, no CLI support, no automation, config file is hideously formatted, very poor documentation. It gets .5-star for existing and working some of the time. I work in an environment that requires proxy servers to access almost everything, however it isn't just a simple "direct for this, this proxy for that"...we have 3 or 4 different proxy servers based on access. Some are for "public", some are for different internal sites. On Windows this is successfully managed by proxy auto-discovery and config files, however Apple hasn't ever actually implemented proxy support completely. Proxifier is the standard that everyone uses in my workplace, and it has been OK until Sierra came out and it is now the least reliable apps I use. Randomly it will have very high CPU utilization and stop responding, requiring a force quit and restarting the app until it happens again in 5 minutes or several hours. Prior to MacOS Sierra I could leave Proxifier running until my next system reboot, and uptimes were only interrupted by OS updates that required reboots. If Proxifier was at least reliable I could overlook all of the other flaws. The interface is ugly. It doesn't support UDP at all, so if you are trying to get something like Google Hangouts to work you can't do it with Proxifier alone...I had to block the UDP connections using Little Snitch so that Hangouts would fail back to TCP and then Proxifer would actually manage it. It would be great if Proxifier would actually evolve, for $40 I would expect more polishing. Why can't it give you easy ways of testing/validating proxy configurations? Why can't the "traffic" be broken out on a per-proxy basis?

I've been using this on the trial for a couple weeks now. Also tried MacProxy and ProxyCap, each of which has its strengths, but I ended up settling on Proxifier because of the following features: Most powerful rules. It's the only one that lets you specify multiple hostnames in a single rule. As an example, in order to enable iCloud at work, I have to redirect *.icloud.com, *.akamaiedge.com, and *.akadns.com through the proxy. You could just create multiple rules in the other apps, but I prefer having them grouped together. Rule sets. Proxifier lets you save and easily switch between sets of rules. ProxyCap will save and load rules, but not in a convenient way, and MacProxy doesn't have rule sets at all. If you need to set up different rules for different networks, this is indispensable. No need to restart after installing, and unlike the other two, it doesn't have a process that runs in the background when you're not using it. It's just a standalone app that only needs to be open when you're actually using it. I docked a couple points for Ease of Use for two reasons: - Doesn't manage SSH tunnels. You have to go start your tunnel manually every time, restart it if it gets interrupted, and close it when you're done with it. It's not hard to do, but it would still be much nicer if all I had to do is open this app and let it take care of everything. - Crummy interface. The UI is ugly and un-Mac-like, but more importantly, it's weird and confusing. The main window toolbar has links to the config panels (each of which opens the config window and goes directly to a specific page). The config window has an almost identical toolbar, but in this context, the exact same buttons switch between views in the same window. For some reason, the Rules window is non-resizable, which is just plain silly. Once you've got 8 rules, they can no longer fit within the window. The order of rules matters, so sometimes you need to move them up and down, but drag & drop isn't supported, so you have to use crummy up/down arrows. It's like using a primitive web UI from 10 years ago. Editing a proxy or rule opens yet another window, and this one is modal, so it blocks the rest of the UI until you close it. The app's "Preferences" menu item just opens the same configuration window. The "DNS" and "Advanced" sections are preferences, but the "Proxies" and "Rules" sections are not, and it's all mixed together, as the developer doesn't seem to understand the difference. In short, the UI is just not very well designed, and needs a lot of work to make it friendlier. I would probably not recommend this to non-tech-savvy friends, but for those of who are comfortable using the command line and working with SSH, this is definitely the most powerful app of its kind.

Tried Proxifier, MacProxy and ProxyCap: Out of those, Proxifier offers the best rule management and feature-set. My Score: + Superb rule management (Wildcards even in Application name) + Great realtime traffic overview + Profile switching is nice and simple + Works without installation and/or restart - Does not manage SSH tunnel Compared to competition: - ProxyCap manages SSH tunnel; DNS resolution can be selected on a per rule basis - MacProxy has a simpler Interface Finally I'd like to say, that during my tests all of the Applications tested were working without causing any trouble. They all offer a free trial, so try before you buy.

@MU admins: v2.11 is the proper/latest version of proxifier. No ".2" at the end.

Review of the v2 RC Usability: The UI is extremely polished, exactly what you would expect from a mac app. The interface is clean and intuitive with live feedback from your connections and what rule/action has been taken on that specific connection in accordance with your rule set. Rules are extremely powerful with wildcard support. With unlimited profiles and unlimited rules each profile can contain, switching setups for different needs is as easy as a drop down menu. Documentation is available for each and every feature of the app. Even the in-app preferences have tips for how more complex settings should be configured. Proxifier's default profile can't be deleted so you can always revert back to it's default state if you get carried away playing with the many options. Support: I have been using proxifier since it's first release of v1 for os x and every time I have emailed support I have received a response extremely quickly, less than 24 hours in most cases. I honestly have not had to email them much, but the few times I had a request or question I had a response in my inbox the next time I checked my mail. Besides email, your problem or request can be tracked online through their support site which automatically registers your email and sends you an automated response so you can track the issue, and see all correspondences quickly. Features: WAY TOO MAY features to list here but the most apparent is being able to tunnel specific apps or your entire system through a proxy server or a chain of proxies even if the app does not have native proxy support. Proxy chains can be made up of proxies with differing protocols without a problem. As mentioned in usability; rule sets with wildcard support allow you to setup exactly how you want specific connections to be handled in an extremely easy to use GUI and the app interface gives you real time information on how current connections are being handled, originating from, and a slew of other useful information. All in all, great app and has been since it's inception. Releases died down for a bit with v1 but it always remained completely functional with every OS it was advertised as supporting. It's pretty obvious the software was not abandoned as v2 is a major upgrade. As a bonus, since the app is too "powerful" for the mac app store, you can try it out before you buy it. Proxifier is in a league of it's own with no real competitors. ProxyCap's feature list is closest of all the other "proxification" apps out there but it still lags quite a bit in my opinion. Besides features it's UI is a straight rip form their windows version and the app relies on a LaunchDaemon installed to /Library/LaunchDaemons/ that runs as root every time the computer is turned on, no matter who is logged in. Might just be me, but I like to be able to control what processes are running and when. Compare all of the proxification apps and then stick with what works for you, my choice is pretty apparent. Proxifier is to other proxification apps what 1password is to password managers. Way above the competition in every regard.