Beneath vs Web Inspector: which iOS web inspector should you use?
Short answer
Web Inspector is free and gives you the console and copy as cURL at no cost, which Beneath puts behind a one-time Pro unlock. Beneath is free to browse and read source, adds ten developer tools, and goes further on raw on-the-wire bytes and the real Chrome DevTools. Both are free to download today, and Web Inspector has four years and a 4.6 rating behind it where Beneath launched in September 2026.
Published . Last reviewed . App Store figures checked 15 September 2026.
At a glance
| Fact | Beneath | Web Inspector |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Standalone browser, inspector and 10 developer tools | Safari extension |
| Released | 14 September 2026 | 16 September 2021 |
| Developer | Dynamic Web Solutions B.V. (AppActive) | And a Dinosaur |
| Price | Free, with a one-time €9.99 Pro unlock | Free |
| Minimum iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Download size | 27.4 MB | 2.4 MB |
| Current version | 1.0 | 2.0.1 |
| Last updated | 14 September 2026 | 29 August 2026 |
| App Store rating | No ratings yet | 4.6 out of 5, from 17 ratings |
Figures come from each app's App Store listing, read through Apple's lookup API on 15 September 2026: Beneath and Web Inspector.
The short version
These two apps take different shapes. Web Inspector is a Safari extension: you browse in Safari as normal and open the inspector over the page you are already on. Beneath is a separate browser with the inspector built in, plus a Safari share-sheet action for the times you started in Safari.
Neither shape is better in the abstract. If almost all of your browsing happens in Safari and you want a devtools panel there, an extension fits your habits. If you want a purpose built tool where source and network are the point rather than an add-on, a standalone app fits better.
Feature comparison
Rows marked undocumented mean the app’s own App Store description does not mention the capability. We do not guess in either direction.
| Capability | Beneath | Web Inspector |
|---|---|---|
| Runs inside Safari | Share-sheet action only | Yes, as an extension |
| Standalone browser | Yes | No |
| Read the page source | Free | Yes |
| DOM tree, tap to inspect | Free to view | Yes |
| Matched CSS rules | Free | Yes |
| Network request list | Free to list | Yes |
| Cookies, local and session storage | Free to view | Yes |
| Edit an element’s HTML | Beneath Pro | Yes, free |
| Console output, logs, errors and stack traces | Free | Yes |
| Running JavaScript in the console | Beneath Pro | Yes, free |
| Copy request as cURL | Beneath Pro | Yes, free |
| Edit storage and cookies | Beneath Pro | Undocumented |
| Raw server bytes shown separately from the live DOM | Free | Undocumented |
| Response headers and redirect chain | Free | Undocumented |
| Request bodies, timing, WebSocket frames | Beneath Pro | Undocumented |
| Real Chrome DevTools frontend | Beneath Pro | No, it has its own interface |
| Ten built-in developer tools | Three free, seven with Pro | None |
| Price | Free, with a one-time Pro unlock | Free |
| Minimum iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 |
What Web Inspector includes
Straight from its App Store description, Web Inspector adds five panels to Safari:
- Elements for browsing the DOM tree, tapping elements on the page, viewing node details, styles and computed values, searching the DOM, editing an element’s HTML, and copying or deleting nodes.
- Console for typing JavaScript to debug and modify the page.
- Sources for reading the webpage source with syntax highlighting.
- Network for the list of requests with headers and responses, filtering, and copying a request as a cURL command.
- Resources for cookies, local storage and session storage.
That is a genuinely complete set for everyday debugging, it is free, and it has been maintained since 2021. The current version 2.0.1 shipped on 29 August 2026.
What Beneath adds
Beneath overlaps with all five of those panels. Four things go further.
Raw source, kept separate from the DOM. Beneath shows you three labelled views of the same page: Raw is the bytes re-fetched with the page’s own cookies and user agent, with status, headers and the full redirect chain. DOM is the live document right now. Pretty indents either one. The distinction matters when you are trying to work out whether a problem came from the server or from JavaScript, and every view says which one you are reading. When the replay disagrees with what the page actually received, which is what happens behind bot walls, Beneath re-fetches from inside the page and tells you.
The actual Chrome DevTools. Beneath runs the real Chrome DevTools frontend against the live page, with Elements, Console, Network and Application. Not a similar interface, the same one, with touch shims for long-press context menus. It is part of the Pro unlock, and it stays off until you ask for it because it costs memory on every page while armed.
More of the storage and network picture. WebSocket frames, IndexedDB and cache names, quota, a one-tap clear site data, and a resources list of everything the page loaded, openable as source or as an image.
Ten developer tools in the same app. JSON, Base64 and URL encoding are free; a JWT decoder, hash generator, case converter, timestamp converter, number base converter, string escaper and colour converter come with Pro. Web Inspector has no equivalent, so if you use those you are currently switching to another app for them.
What each one costs
This is the part where Web Inspector wins outright, and it is worth being blunt about it.
Web Inspector is free, with everything included. Elements, Console, Sources, Network with copy as cURL, and Resources. No purchase, no tier, no gate.
Beneath is free to browse, read source and look, and charges once for the things that change or dig deeper. Editing the page, evaluating JavaScript in the console, copying a request as cURL, opening full request details, editing storage, the Chrome DevTools panels and seven of the ten built-in tools all sit behind a single one-time Beneath Pro unlock.
So if your work is console driven, or copy as cURL is the feature you use every day, Web Inspector gives you both for nothing and Beneath asks you to pay. That is a real argument for Web Inspector and we are not going to dress it up.
Which should you pick
Choose Web Inspector if you want something today, you do your browsing in Safari, you are on iOS 15 or 16, or you want the smallest possible download at 2.4 MB.
Choose Beneath if the difference between the server response and the rendered DOM is what you are chasing, you want response headers and the redirect chain in front of you, or you want real Chrome DevTools rather than an equivalent panel.
Honestly, you may want both. They do not conflict, and both are free to install. The caveat worth stating plainly is track record: Web Inspector has been maintained since 2021 and carries a 4.6 rating from 17 ratings. Beneath launched on 14 September 2026 with none.
How we compared these
Every figure in the table at the top of this page was read from Apple’s iTunes lookup API for the Netherlands storefront on 15 September 2026. Capability rows come from each app’s own App Store description, not from our impressions. Where a description is silent we say undocumented rather than assuming the feature is missing. If Web Inspector ships something that makes this page wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Web Inspector free?
Yes. Web Inspector is a free download on the App Store. It has a 4.6 out of 5 rating from 17 ratings as of 8 September 2026.
Can I use both apps at the same time?
Yes. Web Inspector is a Safari extension and Beneath is a separate browser, so they do not conflict. Many people will keep Web Inspector in Safari and open Beneath when they need raw source or Chrome DevTools.
Does Web Inspector show the raw HTML sent by the server?
Its Sources panel shows the webpage source with syntax highlighting. The App Store description does not state whether that is the original server response or the current DOM, so we do not claim either way.
Which one works on older iPhones?
Web Inspector requires iOS 15 or later. Beneath requires iOS 17 or later, so Web Inspector reaches older devices.
Is Beneath free?
Beneath is free to browse pages, read raw and DOM source, view the elements tree, styles, the network list and storage, and to use three of its ten built-in tools. A one-time Beneath Pro unlock adds the console, page and storage editing, full request details, copy as cURL, the Chrome DevTools panels and the other seven tools. Web Inspector, by contrast, is entirely free.
Is Beneath available yet?
Yes. Beneath 1.0 reached the App Store on 14 September 2026 and is a free download. Web Inspector has been available since September 2021, so it has a far longer track record.