If you're a developer using APIs, you know Postman, the undisputed heavyweight champion of API testing - powerful, feature-rich, and used by millions of people. However, that power comes with great complexity ...... and an ever-increasing price tag.
For many developers, Postman has begun to feel like hitting a nut with a sledgehammer. The application is slow to start, uses a lot of system resources, and locks basic team collaboration features behind paid subscriptions.
What if you just want to quickly send a POST request with a JSON body? What if you need to test an API endpoint without launching a large application or creating an account?
ReqBin is a lightweight, web-based tool with one goal in mind: to make API testing simple, fast, and easy to use. It's not a replacement for Postman for large enterprise workflows, but for the vast majority of day-to-day development, it's probably the only tool you'll ever need.
The Problem with Postman
Modern API platforms such as Postman have evolved into integrated suites. They provide workspaces, monitoring, simulation servers, document generation. While these features are valuable for large teams, they can cause friction for individual developers and small teams:
Resource Hurdles: Postman's desktop applications can be notoriously memory-hungry and slow to start, interrupting your development process.
Overwhelming UI: For new users or simple tasks, the sheer number of features can make the interface cluttered and intimidating.
The “Cloud” Push: Constant pushes to sync collections to the cloud and log in can be frustrating when all you want to do is make requests locally.
Cost: Features that are important for collaboration, such as sharing collections with multiple team members, are often the threshold for paid programs.
What is ReqBin and Why is it Different?
ReqBin is an online API testing tool that takes away all the complexity and focuses on the core developer workflow. It operates entirely in your browser. There are no applications to install, no accounts to open, and no complicated settings.
The idea is simple: provide a clean, fast interface for sending HTTP requests and checking responses.
Think of it not as a platform, but as a tool, like a permanent, overpowered curl command that lives in your browser tab.
How to test APIs with ReqBin
Step 1. Visit website- https://reqbin.com/.
Step 2. To send request to localhost, you need to install and enable reqbin chrome extension.
Reqbin allows you to set custom Bearer token and it often comes with all possible set of API testing examples.
Step 3. (Optional) Create an account and share APIs with your team members.
The Verdict: A must-have tool in the developer's toolkit
ReqBin provides a much-needed alternative to the 90% of tasks that don't require a full API platform. It's the perfect example of a tool that respects your time and focuses on getting the job done with the least amount of friction.
ReqBin has become an indispensable utility by remaining simple, browser-based, and free to use at its core. The next time you find yourself loading up a heavy desktop application to send a simple request, give ReqBin a try.
You may just find that it has become your new default.
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