OpenPost: Building a Free, Open-Source Postman Alternative with Local AI in Mind

azlan abdulla — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:11:38 +0000

This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 2: Side Hustle

What I Built

OpenPost — A Free, Open-Source API Client

OpenPost is a free, open-source desktop API client designed as an alternative to Postman. It aims to make API testing accessible without mandatory accounts or paid feature restrictions.

Built with React, TypeScript, Tauri 2, and Rust, OpenPost focuses on providing developers with a desktop API testing experience and a local-first approach to data storage.

My next goal is to explore local AI integration to help developers understand API errors, generate test cases, and improve their workflows without depending on paid AI APIs.

Who is it for?

Independent developers, students, and small development teams looking for an accessible API testing tool.

Demo

Explore the project on GitHub:

https://github.com/azlanabdulla/OpenPost

Code

The source code is available on GitHub:

https://github.com/azlanabdulla/OpenPost

Contributions, bug reports, and feature suggestions are welcome.

How I Built It

OpenPost uses:

React and TypeScript for the frontend.
Tauri 2 for the desktop application framework.
Rust for native functionality and HTTP request execution.

I'm exploring how an open-weight AI model running locally could extend OpenPost with AI-assisted API testing, including error explanations and test-case generation.

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

Open innovation gives developers the freedom to inspect, modify, and improve the tools they use.

My goal with OpenPost is to make API testing more accessible by keeping the core application free and open-source. Local AI integration is a potential next step toward reducing reliance on paid AI APIs, giving developers more control over their data, and allowing them to choose models that suit their needs.

My Agent Session

OpenPost is being developed as an open-source project. No agent session is included in this submission.

Prize Categories

This project is an exploration of open-source developer tooling, with local AI integration as a planned direction.

Introducing OpenPost — A Free, Open-Source Postman Alternative

azlan abdulla — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:57:27 +0000

Hey developers! 👋

I've been working on OpenPost, a free, open-source desktop API client built as an alternative to Postman. The goal is to make API testing accessible without mandatory accounts or paid feature restrictions.

🔗 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/azlanabdulla/OpenPost

✨ What is OpenPost?

OpenPost is built with React, TypeScript, Tauri 2, and Rust, with a focus on local-first data storage and a desktop-native experience.

🛠️ Features

HTTP requests: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, and OPTIONS.
Response inspection: View status codes, headers, cookies, and response bodies.
Collections and folders: Keep API requests organized.
Environment variables: Reuse configuration across requests.
Import and export: Work with cURL commands and Postman collections.
Authentication support: Configure authentication for your API requests.
Local-first approach: Designed to keep your work on your machine.

🧪 Looking for testers and contributors!

I'd love for developers to try OpenPost and share honest feedback.

Try it with your development APIs.
Report bugs or unexpected behaviour.
Suggest features that would improve your workflow.
If you can solve an existing issue, contributions and pull requests are welcome!
Help improve the documentation, tests, and overall user experience.

🐛 Report an issue: https://github.com/azlanabdulla/OpenPost/issues

🔧 Contribute code: https://github.com/azlanabdulla/OpenPost/pulls

💬 I'd love to hear from you

What features would you expect from a modern API client?
What frustrates you about existing API testing tools?
What should I prioritize next?

OpenPost is still under development, so feedback and contributions can make a real difference.

If you're interested in open-source developer tools, check out the repository and let me know what you think!

⭐ Explore OpenPost: https://github.com/azlanabdulla/OpenPost

Thanks for checking it out!

DEV Community: azlan abdulla