Some great open-source alternatives to Postman
When it comes to API clients to make requests to your APIs, most developers end up using Postman. It’s a great tool that has been around for a long time and covers everything you expect from an API client.
But Postman has become cluttered and a bit hard to navigate for quite a while now. The UI feels too busy, leading to a lot of unnecessary clicks and scrolling.
So, I’m listing out some of the open-source Postman alternatives which have all the features that Postman barring some minor differences.
HTTPie
HTTPie is one of my favorite API client tools that I use quite often. It’s primarily a command-line tool that makes it easy to make HTTP requests. But now, it also has a nice UI that you can use to make requests.
You can install HTTPie on your system but what makes it stand out is you can start using it right into your browser without all the hassle of installing it.
In the recent versions of HTTPie, you can even run APIs using AI prompts which is pretty handy.
Yaak
Yaak is one more API client which has rencently been open-sourced. It has a simple yet functional UI that you can use to make requests.
It supports REST, GraphQL, and gRPC protocols to make requests to your APIs. You can also categorize your APIs into folders which is helpful in managing your APIs.
Fun fact: Yaak is built by the creator of Insomania.
Hoppscotch
Hoppscotch is the only API client in this list which is browser-only. You can’t install it on your system but since it’s a PWA, you can still install it in your system “technically”.
You can create/import collections and sync them in your workspace.
Hoppscotch also lets you test your WebSocket or Sockt.io-based APIs in a specialized realtime editor.
Bruno
Bruno is the API client in this list which, in my opinion, is a little heavy while using it. While it covers most of the basics, I feel it’s a bit cluttered compared to the other clients I mentioned here but still less cluttered than Postman.
Even with these shortcomings, Bruno is still worth giving a shot.
Insomnia
Insomnia is perhaps the most popular alternative to Postman. It mostly resembles Postman but it’s less cluttered and good-looking than the former.
It has collections, environments, and a feature to sync all of these to the cloud. So, this could be the perfect alternative if you’re looking to move away from Postman!
Scalar Client
I recently discovered Scalar’s API client and it’s surprisingly cool. Essentially, Scalar is platform that lets create API documentations but they also offer this slick API Client which is available on the web and desktop (including macOS, Windows, and Linux).
The UI in my opinion is pretty clean, minimal, and straight-forward with the ability to create workspaces and environments. You can also create and import collections from other API clients which is great!
Oh and it’s open-source as well.
Thunder Client
And lastly, if you want something right into your code editor, Thunder Client is the way to go.
It’s a VS Code extension that you can install and use to make requests to your APIs. It has got features like collections upto 30 collections in their free plan. I think it has got enough free features to fulfill your need to run APIs without leaving the editor which is a bonus in itself.
While this isn’t an open-source client, I still included it here purely because of the convenience it brings in to the workflow. And so, if you’re looking for something pretty simple yet effective API client, look no further than Thunder Client.
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