5 curl Alternatives for REST API Testing (CLI and GUI)

You run curl, get a single line of minified JSON, add | jq, add -i for headers, then paste the bearer token again because the previous one expired. The request worked. The friction starts when you need to read the response, save the request, share it, and run it again tomorrow.

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curl is not the problem. It is reliable, available almost everywhere, and perfect for quick checks. But once a one-off command becomes a repeatable workflow—testing the same endpoints, switching environments, managing tokens, and validating responses—you need something more structured than shell history.

If you want to stay with curl first, start with this guide on how to use cURL to test a REST API.

First, use curl where it makes sense

Before replacing curl, keep it for the jobs where it is still the best tool:

• Quick one-off checks: verify an endpoint responds.
• Deploy scripts: run a simple health check.
• CI smoke tests: hit a URL and fail on a bad status code.
• Documentation examples: paste a universal request format into a README.
• Exact reproduction: control headers, body, method, and transport options directly.

Example health check:

curl -f https://api.example.com/health

If that is all you need, stay with curl. If you are repeating multi-step API workflows every day, use a real API client. Here are five practical alternatives.

1. HTTPie: better terminal UX for manual requests

HTTPie is the easiest upgrade if you like the terminal but want readable output and less syntax overhead.

A POST request with curl:

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/orders \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -d '{"sku":"A-100","qty":2}'

The same request with HTTPie:

http POST api.example.com/orders \
  sku=A-100 qty:=2 \
  Authorization:"Bearer $TOKEN"

HTTPie assumes JSON, sets the content type, formats the response, and uses := when you want a raw JSON value instead of a string.

Use HTTPie when you want to:

1. Stay in the CLI.
2. Send readable requests quickly.
3. Get pretty-printed JSON without piping to jq.
4. Keep simple scripts possible.

HTTPie is a productivity improvement, not a full workflow platform. It does not give you native saved suites, team workspaces, or response assertions.

If you are comparing the two directly, see this guide on switching between curl and HTTPie.

2. Hurl: plain-text API tests with assertions

Hurl is useful when you want API checks stored as files in your repo. You define requests in .hurl files, add assertions, and run them from the command line.

Create orders.hurl:

POST https://api.example.com/orders
Authorization: Bearer {{token}}
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "sku": "A-100",
  "qty": 2
}

HTTP 201
[Asserts]
jsonpath "$.status" == "confirmed"
jsonpath "$.id" exists

Run it:

hurl --test --variable token=$TOKEN orders.hurl

This does four things:

1. Sends the request.
2. Expects status 201.
3. Checks that $.status equals confirmed.
4. Fails if $.id is missing.

Because Hurl exits non-zero on failure, it fits directly into CI:

hurl --test --variable token=$TOKEN tests/*.hurl

Use Hurl when you want:

• Git-native API tests.
• Plain-text request files.
• Assertions without a GUI.
• CI-friendly execution.

The tradeoff: Hurl is intentionally minimal. There is no visual editor, shared workspace, API documentation system, or built-in mocking. Collaboration happens through Git.

This overlaps with the broader pattern of Git-native API clients.

3. Postman with Newman: collections plus CI execution

Postman is a popular GUI for building requests. Newman is the CLI runner that executes Postman collections in CI.

A typical Newman command:

newman run orders-collection.json \
  --environment staging.json \
  --reporters cli,junit

That command:

1. Loads the exported collection.
2. Applies the staging environment.
3. Runs every request.
4. Prints CLI output.
5. Emits JUnit results for CI.

Use Postman with Newman when:

• Your team already has Postman collections.
• You want to reuse those collections in CI.
• Your workflow is already organized around Postman workspaces.

The main friction is that the GUI and runner are separate pieces. Newman is a separate npm package, and some teams also evaluate alternatives because of sync, account, or local-first requirements.

Related reads:

• Leaving Postman in 2026
• Apidog vs Postman

4. Insomnia: focused desktop API exploration

Insomnia is a lightweight desktop client for building and sending API requests. It supports REST, GraphQL, and gRPC, manages environments, and organizes requests into workspaces.

Use Insomnia when you want:

1. A clean desktop UI.
2. Fast manual API exploration.
3. Environment switching.
4. Less command-line syntax.
5. A focused client rather than a larger platform.

It is a good replacement for curl when the main problem is manual request-building. It is less suitable when you need deeper automated testing, larger team workflows, or an end-to-end API lifecycle platform.

If you are evaluating similar tools, see this list of Insomnia alternatives.

5. Apidog: one workspace for requests, tests, mocks, docs, and CI

Apidog fits the point where “test this endpoint” becomes “design, debug, test, mock, document, and automate this API with a team.”

A practical Apidog workflow looks like this:

1. Create or import an API request.
2. Store base URLs and tokens in environments.
3. Send the request from the visual editor.
4. Inspect formatted responses.
5. Save the request into folders.
6. Chain requests into test scenarios.
7. Extract values from one response and reuse them in the next request.
8. Add response assertions.
9. Run the same scenario in CI with the Apidog CLI.

For example, instead of manually copying an orderId from one response into the next request, build a scenario that:

1. Creates an order.
2. Extracts $.id.
3. Stores it as a variable.
4. Sends a follow-up request using that variable.
5. Verifies the final response.

For response validation patterns, see API assertions: a practical guide.

Apidog also lets you import existing curl commands. Paste a curl request, and Apidog parses it into a saved request. That makes migration from shell snippets more direct.

For comparison, see this guide on importing curl into Postman.

Run Apidog tests in CI

When your scenario is ready, run it headlessly with the Apidog CLI:

npm install -g apidog-cli

apidog run \
  --access-token $APIDOG_ACCESS_TOKEN \
  -t <scenarioId> \
  -e <environmentId> \
  -r cli,junit

This command runs the selected scenario against the selected environment and can output JUnit results for CI dashboards. It exits non-zero when tests fail, so it can gate a build.

For the full command reference, run:

apidog run --help

Or read the Apidog CLI automation guide.

Use Apidog when you need:

• Manual request testing.
• Environment management.
• Test scenarios.
• Assertions.
• Team collaboration.
• Mocking.
• API documentation.
• CI execution.

Download Apidog and paste in your first curl command to convert it into a saved request.

Where curl still wins: a one-line health check in a deploy script. Do not open a GUI for that.

Quick comparison

Tool	Interface	Built-in assertions	Team workspace	CI runner	Best for
curl	CLI	No	No	Scriptable	Quick one-offs, health checks
HTTPie	CLI	No	No	Scriptable	Readable terminal requests
Hurl	CLI / text files	Yes	Via Git	Native	Git-native testable requests
Postman + Newman	GUI + CLI	Yes	Yes	Newman	Collection-based teams
Insomnia	GUI	Light	Light	Limited	Focused manual exploration
Apidog	GUI + CLI	Yes	Yes	Apidog CLI	End-to-end API lifecycle

How to choose

Use the smallest tool that solves the workflow:

• One request or health check: use curl.
• Same terminal workflow, better output: use HTTPie.
• API tests stored in Git: use Hurl.
• Existing Postman collections: use Postman with Newman.
• Lightweight manual desktop client: use Insomnia.
• Team API workflow with testing, mocking, docs, and CI: use Apidog.

A good signal that you have outgrown curl: you are copying tokens between commands, repeating the same sequence of requests, manually checking the same JSON fields, or sending screenshots of requests to teammates.

For a wider category view, see this roundup of 30 API testing tools.

Bottom line

curl is still the right tool for quick checks and simple scripts. The alternatives solve different levels of workflow complexity:

• HTTPie improves terminal readability.
• Hurl adds Git-native assertions.
• Postman with Newman runs collections in CI.
• Insomnia gives you a focused desktop client.
• Apidog brings request sending, testing, automation, mocking, and documentation into one workspace.

If your quick curl command has become a repeatable API testing workflow, download Apidog, paste in an existing curl command, and turn it into a saved, repeatable test.