Comparison
A Proxifier alternative for Mac — including the parts Proxifier can't do
macOS 13+ · Apple Silicon and Intel · Updated 2026-08-28
Why people look for a Proxifier alternative on macOS
Proxifier is the tool most people reach for first when they need one Mac application on a proxy and the rest of the system left alone. It does that job. The reasons people start looking elsewhere are usually specific and always the same handful:
- UDP is not forwarded. Games, voice chat, WireGuard-style traffic and anything on QUIC either leak out directly or simply fail.
- QUIC is a coin flip. Chrome and many apps try HTTP/3 first; if that is not handled deliberately, behaviour changes depending on the network you are on.
- Rules do not follow the network. Office, home and hotspot need different routing, and switching by hand every time gets old fast.
- When something is routed wrongly, there is no clear answer to "which rule did this?"
Side-by-side
| Capability | Proxifier for Mac | ProxyRouter |
|---|---|---|
| Route a chosen app through SOCKS5/HTTP | Yes | Yes |
| Pick apps by icon, no process names typed | Partly — text rules | Yes |
| UDP over SOCKS5 (UDP ASSOCIATE) | No | Yes |
| QUIC handled explicitly | No | Proxy / force TCP / direct |
| Automatic profile switch per network | No | Wi-Fi by SSID, wired by gateway MAC + subnet |
| Per-connection explanation of the matched rule | No | Yes, plus a dry-run rule tester |
| Command line and scripting | Limited | CLI, URL scheme, App Intents, MCP server |
| Block an app from the network | No | Yes, with the blocked attempts still visible |
| Provides proxy servers | No | No — you bring your own |
What stays the same
Both tools sit at the system network layer, so the applications you route need no proxy settings of their own — that is the whole point of this category, and it does not change. Both need a system extension approved once. Both leave your DNS and network preferences alone when they are switched off.
Moving over in about five minutes
- Install ProxyRouter and approve the system extension once when macOS asks.
- Add your upstream — the same SOCKS5 or HTTP endpoint Proxifier was using, including a local one like 127.0.0.1:7890.
- Recreate your rules by picking applications from the list. Set the default to Direct so anything unlisted stays off the proxy.
- Open the activity view and confirm each app is on the path you expect before you quit Proxifier.
FAQ
Is ProxyRouter a drop-in replacement for Proxifier?
For the core job — sending chosen applications through a SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy while everything else goes direct — yes. Rules are built by picking apps and destinations, so nothing has to be imported. Proxifier profile files (.ppx) are not imported automatically; rebuilding a typical rule set takes a couple of minutes.
What can ProxyRouter do that Proxifier for Mac cannot?
Three things in practice: forwarding UDP over SOCKS5 (UDP ASSOCIATE), treating QUIC as an explicit decision instead of an accident, and switching whole rule profiles automatically when you change networks. It also explains, per connection, which rule matched.
Does it need a system extension like Proxifier does?
Yes. Routing by process on modern macOS is only possible through a Network Extension, so both tools need one. The extension is approved once, in System Settings, and can be removed from ProxyRouter's own settings.
Can I keep using Clash, sing-box or Surge as the upstream?
Yes, and that is the most common setup. Run your existing client in local-port mode and point ProxyRouter's upstream at it (for example 127.0.0.1:7890). ProxyRouter then decides which applications reach that port, which is exactly the layer those tools do not cover.
ProxyRouter comes with a free full-feature trial, no card required. You bring your own SOCKS5 or HTTP upstream — a corporate proxy, a staging gateway, or a port on localhost. We do not provide or resell proxy servers.