The Burp Suite alternative built for what Burp can't do.
Burp Suite is the industry standard for a reason — and Crusader does everything you'd expect from a serious proxy. But it also does the things Burp (and Caido) still can't: native mobile & mTLS testing, identity-aware Shadow Replay across accounts, and agent-native automation through MCP. Drag your .burp file in and keep every finding.
Crusader is a Burp Suite alternative that starts free and adds what Burp and Caido can't: native mobile & mTLS interception, identity-aware Shadow Replay for finding IDOR/BOLA, and agent-native MCP automation. Hunter Pro is $499/year — the same budget line as Burp Suite Pro's $475 (Caido Pro is $200) — and you migrate in one drag by importing your existing .burp project. Choose Burp if you depend on its 300+ BApp extensions or need macOS today; choose Crusader if you test mobile, work across multiple identities, or want AI-driven workflows.
Thinking about switching from Burp?
Most people don't leave Burp because it's bad — they leave because their testing outgrew it. Web apps became mobile apps, single accounts became multi-tenant permission matrices, and manual replay became something an AI agent should help with. Burp answers those with heavy extension chains and a Java runtime that idles at gigabytes of RAM. Crusader was built for that world from the first commit: a single local-first desktop app where the proxy, the mobile lab, identity replay, an OAST server, and an automation layer all share one project.
What Crusader does that Burp doesn't
These are the capabilities that don't exist in Burp Suite Professional today, and aren't in Caido either. They're the reason to switch rather than just save money.
Cert-pinning bypass & mTLS, no extension chains
Native Frida integration, a device timeline, cert-pinning bypass, and client-certificate mTLS are built in. In Burp you assemble this from extensions and external tooling; in Crusader it's one screen. Mobile docs →
Shadow Replay across every account
Define two or more identities once and replay any request as each of them side-by-side — the fastest way to surface IDOR/BOLA and broken access control. Burp needs macros, session rules, or an extension to approximate it. Shadow Replay →
MCP & Claude Code automation
Crusader speaks the Model Context Protocol, so an AI agent can drive your history, scope, replay and findings directly — with the evidence staying local. This is the workflow Burp's roadmap is only starting to chase. MCP docs →
Beacon OAST — self-host on a single Pro seat
DNS/HTTP/SMTP callbacks with geo/ASN and one-click promote-to-finding for blind SSRF, XXE and out-of-band injection. You can self-host Beacon on your own server on one Hunter Pro seat — Burp reserves self-hosted Collaborator for enterprise. Beacon →
Everything you already do in Burp — without the friction
Switching costs nothing in muscle memory. Crusader has the intercepting HTTP/2 and WebSocket proxy, history with powerful filtering, a Repeater with response diffing, an Intruder-style attack studio, an active scanner with a findings ledger, Decoder, Comparer, and unlimited JavaScript plugins. Your existing work comes with you: drag a .burp file onto the start screen and history, site map, scope, scanner issues, notes and highlights all import and re-index — the original file untouched. It's local-first, with no account and no product telemetry.
Crusader vs Burp Suite Pro vs Caido
A straight, honest side-by-side of the three tools pentesters and bug-bounty hunters actually compare in 2026. Where Burp or Caido is genuinely stronger, we say so.
| Capability | Crusader | Burp Suite Pro | Caido Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price / year | $499 (free tier) | $475 (no real free tier) | $200 (free tier) |
| Genuinely usable free tier | Yes — proxy, Repeater, plugins, import | Community only (throttled, no scanner) | Yes — core proxy |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux (macOS soon) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Web UI (any OS) |
| Architecture | Local-first desktop | Java desktop (RAM-heavy) | Rust, web-based |
| HTTP/2 & WebSocket proxy | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Repeater / Intruder-style attacks | Yes | Yes | Yes (Automate) |
| Active scanner | Yes (newer) | Yes (most mature) | No built-in scanner |
| Native mobile (cert-pinning, Frida, mTLS) | Built in | Manual / extensions | No |
| Identity-aware Shadow Replay | Yes | Macros/rules only | No |
| Agent-native / MCP / AI | MCP + Claude Code | Burp AI (early) | No |
| OAST / Collaborator | Beacon — self-host on Pro | Collaborator (self-host = enterprise) | Limited |
| Extension ecosystem | JS plugins (growing) | 300+ BApp Store (best) | JS plugins (growing) |
| Import .burp projects | One drag | — | Partial |
| Local-first / no telemetry | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Maturity | New (2026) | Industry standard, 15+ yrs | Established (2022) |
Where Burp Suite is still stronger
An honest comparison names the gaps. If any of these are dealbreakers for you, Burp is the right call today — and we'd rather you know now than churn later.
- Extension ecosystem. Burp's BApp Store has hundreds of vetted extensions built over a decade-plus. If your workflow depends on specific BApps, check for equivalents before switching — this is Burp's biggest genuine advantage.
- Scanner maturity. Crusader's active scanner covers the common classes, but Burp's has fifteen years of tuning and coverage behind it. For scan-heavy, coverage-first engagements, Burp is still ahead.
- macOS today. Burp runs on macOS right now. Crusader's signed macOS build is close but not shipped — if you're on a Mac and need it this week, that's a real gap.
- Track record. Burp is the tool auditors, clients and courses assume. Crusader is new; some teams will (reasonably) wait for it to prove itself.
Switching takes about thirty seconds
Download Crusader (free, no account, no card), drag your .burp file onto the start screen, and your history, site map, scope, scanner issues and notes come across into a live workspace — your original Burp file stays exactly where it is. Try it on one real target next to Burp; keep whichever earns the seat. Read the import guide →
Burp Suite alternative — FAQ
Is Crusader a free Burp Suite alternative?
Yes. Crusader has a free-forever tier — no account, no card, no time limit — that includes the HTTP/2 and WebSocket proxy, Repeater with response diff, Decoder, Comparer, unlimited JavaScript plugins, and Burp project import. Burp's free Community edition throttles Intruder and has no scanner, so Crusader's free tier is a fuller daily driver. Hunter Pro unlocks the active scanner, mobile tooling and automation at $499/year.
Can I import my existing Burp Suite projects?
Yes. Drag a .burp project file onto Crusader's start screen and it becomes a live workspace — history, site map, scope, scanner issues, notes and highlights all import and re-index. HAR, Caido and Fiddler SAZ files import the same way, and your original file is never modified.
Does Crusader do mobile testing like Burp?
It goes further. Crusader has native cert-pinning bypass, Frida integration, a device timeline and mTLS client-certificate support built in, rather than a chain of manual Burp extensions. Android app analysis is built in; iOS traffic is intercepted through the proxy, though IPA static analysis isn't parsed yet.
Crusader vs Caido — which is the better Burp alternative?
Caido is the lightweight, lower-cost pick focused on fast manual proxying. Crusader is the fuller workstation: it adds a built-in active scanner, native mobile and mTLS tooling, identity-aware Shadow Replay across accounts, and agent-native automation via MCP — none of which Burp or Caido offer. If you only need a fast proxy, Caido is excellent; if you test mobile, work across multiple identities, or want AI-driven workflows, Crusader does more.
Does Crusader have an active scanner like Burp Suite Pro?
Yes — Hunter Pro includes an active scanner with a findings ledger. Burp's scanner is more mature after fifteen years; Crusader's is newer but covers the common injection and access-control classes, and by design it never auto-confirms blind SSRF — you promote Beacon out-of-band hits to findings yourself.
Is Crusader as extensible as Burp?
Not yet — and we won't pretend otherwise. Burp's BApp Store has hundreds of vetted extensions built over more than a decade, and that ecosystem is Burp's single biggest advantage. Crusader runs single-file JavaScript plugins from a growing community store and exposes automation through MCP and a CLI, but if your workflow depends on specific BApps, confirm equivalents exist before switching.
What does Crusader cost compared to Burp Suite Pro?
Burp Suite Professional is $475/year in 2026 with no real free tier. Crusader is free forever for core proxying, and Hunter Pro is $499/year — the same budget line as Burp, with a genuinely usable free tier underneath. During beta, the Founder's Edition locks Hunter Pro at $249/year for life.
Does Crusader run on macOS?
Not yet. Windows and Debian/Ubuntu Linux installers are available now, with a signed, notarized macOS build shipping shortly. Burp runs on macOS today, so if you're on a Mac and need a tool this week, that's a real gap to weigh.
Can Crusader replace Burp for bug bounty?
For most web and mobile bug-bounty workflows, yes — proxy, Repeater, Intruder-style attacks, an active scanner, OAST via the built-in Beacon server, and multi-identity Shadow Replay are all there, plus one-drag .burp import so you keep your existing work. The main exceptions are workflows that depend on specific Burp BApps or that require macOS today.
Is my testing data private?
Yes. Crusader is local-first: everything lives in a SQLite database on your own machine, and the app has no product analytics or usage telemetry. Network calls are limited to optional software-update checks and license validation.
Try it next to Burp on one real target.
Free forever, no account, no card. Drag your .burp file in and keep every finding. Decide with your own traffic.