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Posted on Sep 5 • Edited on Nov 14

Best Free Postman Alternatives 2024

#testing #tooling #api #postman

Postman has been a leading tool for API development, widely used for its capabilities in API design, testing, and documentation, making it a staple in the software sector for almost ten years. However, in 2021, Postman disrupted its own dominance by revising its pricing model, moving from unlimited user licenses to a per-user monthly fee. This shift has driven many developers to look for free, open-source, and affordable Postman alternatives.

Thankfully, the API tools landscape has grown significantly, now bursting with robust, often free or open-source, API testing tools. This article aims to provide a detailed overview of their features, benefits, and drawbacks.

Looking for a powerful yet budget-friendly API tool? Apidog offers a comprehensive suite for designing, documenting, testing, and mocking APIs—absolutely free. With robust features that rival premium tools, Apidog is your best alternative to streamline your API workflows without the cost. Give it a try and see the difference in productivity and performance!

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Why Are Users Moving Away from Postman?

Postman, despite its longstanding popularity for API development and testing, has seen users migrate due to limitations in its free plan. Here's why:

API Creation Limits: The free plan confines teams to creating just three APIs. For projects needing numerous APIs, particularly those involving multiple microservices, this restriction can be a critical barrier. Many users find this limitation too restrictive and thus turn to more flexible tools.
Collection Runner Limitations: A major constraint is the cap of 25 collection runner runs per month. For projects requiring frequent testing, this limit can curtail productivity, urging users to either upgrade or seek alternative solutions with more generous or unlimited testing runs.
API and Mock Server Call Caps: The free plan limits users to 1,000 API calls and 1,000 mock server calls each month, which can be insufficient for high-traffic projects or those with complex testing needs. Upon hitting these limits, users often have to find other tools that can better fit their testing demands.
Limited Flows: With only five flows allowed in the free plan, the potential for automating complex workflows is restricted. This can be frustrating for teams wishing to build and automate intricate workflows, prompting them to explore other tools offering more comprehensive automation options.
Team Collaboration Limitations: Effective collaboration is vital in API development, yet Postman's free plan restricts collaboration to only three users. Growing teams find this constraint necessitates an upgrade or a switch to platforms that provide better collaboration features without such tight restrictions.

These restrictions can greatly affect the workflow of developers and teams, leading many to search for more adaptable and economical alternatives that better meet their needs.

Postman Alternatives

Here is an overview of the 30 Postman alternatives. To find out product details, key features, pricing, websites, pros and cons of each tool, check out this blog: postman alternative. Among them, Apidog stands out as the top choice for those seeking a comprehensive and feature-rich tool for API design, testing, and management.

Postman Alternative 1: Apidog(Best Alternative)

Apidog is an all-in-one API development and testing tool that streamlines the API lifecycle. Apidog's unique features cover everything from API design and testing to debugging, mocking, and documentation. With its comprehensive toolset, Apidog enhances team collaboration, automates testing, and ensures seamless integration.

Why Apidog Stands Out:

Integrated API Development Platform: It combines multiple functionalities into one tool, eliminating the need for several separate tools.
API Design-First Approach: Apidog allows teams to design APIs before writing code, which helps in parallel development and improves workflow.
Automated Testing and Documentation: It streamlines productivity by automating testing and documentation processes, reducing manual errors.
Protocol Versatility: The platform supports various protocols like HTTP, REST, and GraphQL, making it highly versatile for different use cases.

Key Features of Apidog

API Developing Toolkit: Design and debug APIs in a powerful visual editor. Describe and debug easily with JSON Schema support.
Manual and Automated Testing Tool: Perform manual and automated API testing with Apidog's test case generation from API specs, visual assertion, built-in response validation, and CI/CD. Seamlessly share API test results with your team.
Smart Mock Server: Local and cloud mock engine generate reasonable mock data according to field names and specifications without writing scripts.
Online API Documentation:Generate visually appealing API documentation, publish to custom domain or securely share with users.
Code Generation: Automatically generate client-side code in multiple languages.
Full API lifecycle management: Apidog excels in managing everything from API design to deployment.
Collaborative: Apidog makes teamwork easy with built-in collaboration features that streamline communication across API development stages.
Cross-platform: Apidog runs on both desktop and cloud, making it accessible for all users.

While there are numerous alternatives to Postman, Apidog emerges as the best option for those seeking a comprehensive API lifecycle tool. Its versatility, ease of use, and robust feature set make it the ideal solution for teams managing APIs from design to production. Apidog not only simplifies API testing, mocking, and documentation but also fosters team collaboration, automates workflows, and improves overall productivity.

For developers and businesses in need of an all-in-one platform that goes beyond Postman’s offerings, Apidog is the top choice to streamline your API development and testing processes.

Postman Alternative 2: NativeRest

NativeRest is a lightweight API client designed for macOS users, providing a simple interface for interacting with APIs. It supports all common HTTP methods, making it ideal for developers who need a straightforward API testing tool without added complexity.

Why Consider NativeRest:

Simple and intuitive UI
Ideal for lightweight API testing on macOS

Postman Alternative 3: Swagger UI

Swagger UI is a leading open-source tool that provides a visual interface for interacting with REST APIs. It allows users to explore APIs documented with OpenAPI, making it a popular choice for API testing and development, especially for teams that prioritize documentation.

Key Strengths:

OpenAPI support
Visual interface for API documentation and interaction

Postman Alternative 4: Insomnia REST Client

Insomnia is a modern API client that offers a clean interface, support for GraphQL and REST, and environment variables management. It’s a great alternative for developers who prefer a more streamlined and less resource-intensive tool than Postman.

Why Choose Insomnia:

Lightweight and resource-efficient
GraphQL and REST support
Environment variables management

Postman Alternative 5: Paw (Rapid API)

Paw is an advanced API client designed specifically for macOS. It offers rich features like environment management, response visualizers, and a sleek user interface, making it a great choice for developers looking for an elegant yet powerful API client.

Why Paw Stands Out:

Sleek UI with advanced features
Ideal for macOS users needing a robust API tool

Postman Alternative 6: Apigee

Apigee, by Google, is an API management platform that allows businesses to design, secure, and scale APIs. It’s ideal for organizations looking to implement full lifecycle API management, with strong support for analytics, security, and versioning.

Why Consider Apigee:

Enterprise-grade API management
Strong security and analytics features

Postman Alternative 7: SoapUI

SoapUI is a robust tool for testing both SOAP and REST APIs. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create complex test scenarios. SoapUI is widely used for its extensive support for web service testing.

Ideal Use Cases:

SOAP and REST testing
Drag-and-drop test case creation

Postman Alternative 8: Runscope

Runscope is a cloud-based API testing and monitoring platform. It enables users to monitor their APIs and ensure they’re working as expected by running automated tests across various stages of development.

Key Features:

API testing and monitoring
Automated tests for different environments

Postman Alternative 9: Boomi

Boomi is an enterprise-level integration platform that includes powerful API management tools. It allows users to integrate various cloud and on-premises systems and manage APIs within the same platform.

Why Use Boomi:

Enterprise integration with API management capabilities
Suitable for large-scale organizations

Postman Alternative 10: Restlet Studio

Restlet Studio provides an easy way to design APIs and generate API documentation. It is a cloud-based API design tool that makes API creation simple for developers, enabling rapid prototyping and design.

Best For:

Quick API design and documentation
Easy-to-use cloud-based interface

Postman Alternative 11: Thunder Client

Thunder Client is a lightweight API client for Visual Studio Code. It integrates directly into the code editor, making it a convenient tool for developers who prefer to test APIs without leaving their coding environment.

Why Choose Thunder Client:

Integrated with Visual Studio Code
Lightweight and quick to use

Postman Alternative 12: Talend API Tester

Talend API Tester is a Chrome extension that offers a convenient way to test APIs directly from the browser. It supports a wide range of HTTP requests and features a simple interface for quick API tests.

Key Benefits:

Simple interface
Convenient browser-based testing

Postman Alternative 13: Testfully

Testfully is a modern tool for API testing and monitoring. It focuses on providing an intuitive user experience while enabling teams to automate their API tests across development, staging, and production environments.

Postman Alternative 14: Bruno

Bruno is an open-source API client that emphasizes simplicity and minimalism. It provides a straightforward interface for sending HTTP requests and analyzing responses, making it ideal for developers who need a lightweight alternative.

Postman Alternative 15: Yaak

Yaak is a lightweight API client designed for fast and efficient testing. It supports all HTTP methods and offers features like request templates and response analysis, making it a practical tool for quick API tests.

Postman Alternative 16: HTTPie

HTTPie is a user-friendly command-line HTTP client that simplifies API interactions. Its human-readable output and simple syntax make it ideal for developers looking for a more intuitive tool than traditional CLI options.

Postman Alternative 17: ReadyAPI

ReadyAPI by SmartBear is a comprehensive tool for testing and monitoring SOAP and REST APIs. It offers advanced features like load testing, security testing, and service virtualization, making it ideal for large-scale API testing.

Postman Alternative 18: Hoppscotch

Hoppscotch is a lightweight and fast API client that runs in the browser. It’s open-source and designed for quick and efficient API testing without the need for installation or heavy resource consumption.

Postman Alternative 19: Postcode

Postcode is a simple and minimalistic API testing tool that offers a clean interface for sending HTTP requests and inspecting responses. It’s ideal for developers looking for a no-frills approach to API testing.

Postman Alternative 20: Firecamp

Firecamp is a collaborative API testing tool that supports REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and Socket.IO. It’s great for teams that need a shared environment for testing and debugging various types of APIs.

Postman Alternative 21: TestMace

TestMace is a comprehensive API testing tool that offers automated test case creation, environment management, and rich documentation capabilities. It’s ideal for teams looking for a more structured approach to API testing.

Postman Alternative 22: LoadNinja

LoadNinja is a performance testing tool that allows users to test their APIs under load using real browsers. It provides real-time analytics and scriptless test creation, making it a strong option for performance-focused teams.

Postman Alternative 23: Airborne

Airborne is a Ruby-based API testing framework designed for REST APIs. It integrates well with RSpec, making it an ideal choice for Ruby developers looking for an API testing tool within their existing development workflow.

Postman Alternative 24: curlx

curlx is a powerful extension of the popular curl command-line tool. It offers additional features for API testing and development, including enhanced syntax and request management for a more user-friendly experience.

Postman Alternative 25: RecipeUI

RecipeUI is a simple API client designed to make testing APIs quick and efficient. Its user-friendly interface and support for various HTTP methods make it a solid alternative for developers looking for simplicity.

Postman Alternative 26: httpYac

httpYac is a command-line-based API testing tool that supports multi-protocol testing, including HTTP, GraphQL, and WebSocket. It offers script-based testing, making it a flexible choice for developers comfortable with the CLI.

Postman Alternative 27: JMeter

JMeter is an open-source tool that focuses on performance testing and can simulate heavy loads on APIs. It’s widely used in large projects where performance and scalability are critical aspects of testing.

Postman Alternative 28: TestSigma

TestSigma is a test automation platform that supports API testing. It offers AI-driven test creation and execution, allowing teams to automate their API testing workflows without writing code.

Postman Alternative 29: Assertible

Assertible is an API testing platform that focuses on continuous integration and deployment pipelines. It enables users to automate API tests and monitor API performance in production environments.

Postman Alternative 30: Tricentis Tosca

Tricentis Tosca is an enterprise-level test automation tool that supports API testing as part of a larger continuous testing platform. It’s ideal for large organizations needing a comprehensive test automation suite with API capabilities.

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