Top 7 Stoplight Alternatives in 2025

Top 7 Stoplight Alternatives in 2025

Stoplight Is Shutting Down Here Are the Best Alternatives for Your Team

When SmartBear announced that Stoplight is being sunset, it hit the developer community hard. For many API and product teams, Stoplight wasn’t just another tool  it was the center of their design, documentation, and collaboration workflows.

Now, with SmartBear pushing teams toward its enterprise-focused API Hub, developers are looking for simpler, more affordable, and developer-first alternatives.

The good news? There are several strong options that match or even exceed Stoplight’s capabilities   which many teams are calling the true all-in-one replacement.

Let’s look at the top 7 Stoplight alternatives in 2025, and why they’re worth your attention.

1. Apidog — The Complete Stoplight Alternative

Best for: Teams that want design, testing, and documentation in one workspace

If you loved Stoplight for how it unified the API workflow, you’ll feel right at home with Apidog. It combines API design, documentation, testing, and mocking into a single, collaborative platform eliminating the need to jump between multiple tools.

Key features:

• Visual API design with OpenAPI & Swagger support
• Real-time team collaboration (share projects, review instantly)
• Built-in testing suite for automated and manual testing
• Mock server generation for faster frontend-backend integration
• One-click API documentation hosting and sharing

Why developers prefer Apidog:

• Transparent pricing - no enterprise lock-ins or surprise fees
• Modern, clean interface that’s intuitive even for non-developers
• Supports Git integration, CI/CD pipelines, and global teamwork
• Affordable for startups yet scalable for enterprises

Apidog isn’t just a Stoplight alternative it’s a full upgrade that puts developers back at the center of the API lifecycle.

2. Scalar — The Open-Source Successor

Best for: Teams that want a lightweight, open-source documentation experience

Founded by former Stoplight contributors, Scalar has gained popularity for offering a familiar experience rooted in open-source principles. It focuses on clean API documentation, seamless Git integration, and fast rendering speeds.

Highlights:

• MIT-licensed and open source
• Optimized for OpenAPI with auto-sync features
• Developer-friendly Markdown-style customization
• Active migration support for former Stoplight users

Downsides:

• Fewer integrations and automation tools compared to Apidog
• Early-stage platform (some enterprise features still coming)

Scalar is great for teams that value transparency and flexibility, though it’s not yet as comprehensive as Apidog in testing or workflow coverage.

3. Postman

Best for: API testing and team collaboration

Postman remains one of the biggest names in API development, with a huge community and strong testing tools. Over time, it has added features for API design and documentation, though those remain secondary to its core testing focus.

Strengths:

• Industry-leading API testing and environment management
• Simple API design interface
• Wide integration ecosystem

Weaknesses:

• Documentation output is limited compared to Stoplight or Apidog
• Can get expensive for teams at scale

Postman is a solid option if testing is your main use case, but if your team needs robust documentation and collaboration, tools like Apidog or Scalar may fit better.

4. Redocly

Best for: Creating beautiful, customizable documentation portals

Redocly is all about presentation. It takes OpenAPI specs and turns them into elegant, fully branded API portals. While it doesn’t handle testing or design natively, its documentation quality and developer experience are top-notch.

Strengths:

• Stunning, responsive documentation UI
• Strong branding and customization options
• Great for public-facing developer portals

Limitations:

• No integrated API testing or design tools
• Requires a bit of setup to host and maintain

For teams that prioritize presentation and developer engagement, Redocly is an excellent complement to other API design tools.

5. SwaggerHub (SmartBear API Hub)

Best for: Enterprises already in the SmartBear ecosystem

As the successor SmartBear is pushing after acquiring Stoplight, **SwaggerHub/API Hub** combines existing SmartBear tools. It’s mature and reliable , but also expensive and slower to innovate.

Pros:

• Seamless integration with other SmartBear products (ReadyAPI, Zephyr, etc.)
• Enterprise support and security compliance

Cons:

• High cost charges for both editors and API consumers
• Feature stagnation over recent years
• Closed ecosystem, not ideal for open collaboration

SwaggerHub remains stable for large corporations but feels less aligned with the open, agile workflows that Stoplight users loved.

6. Insomnia (by Kong)

Best for: Developers who need a simple API design and testing tool

Insomnia offers a smooth experience for API design, debugging, and collaboration  especially for individual developers or small teams. It’s fast, lightweight, and easy to learn.

Highlights:

• Great OpenAPI support
• Local-first workflow for privacy-conscious teams
• Built-in testing, variable handling, and environments

Drawbacks:

• Limited documentation and sharing capabilities
• Fewer enterprise collaboration features

If you only need design and testing, Insomnia is a delight. For complete documentation workflows, though, you’ll want something more full-featured like Apidog.

7. RapidAPI Studio

Best for: Teams building and monetizing public APIs

RapidAPI Studio integrates API design, testing, and marketplace publishing — making it a strong choice if your goal is to distribute and monetize APIs.

Advantages:

• Combines creation, testing, and publishing
• Access to RapidAPI’s large developer network

Trade-offs:

• Focused on public APIs rather than internal collaboration
• May include unnecessary marketplace features for some teams

🏁 Final Thoughts

The end of Stoplight doesn’t have to be a setback  it’s a chance to adopt something that better fits modern API development needs.

If your team is looking for an affordable, developer-friendly, and all-in-one Stoplight replacement, Apidog clearly leads the pack.

It unifies design, documentation, testing, and collaboration, giving teams everything they need in one sleek platform  no corporate upsells, no hidden costs, just better APIs.

Stoplight may be shutting down, but your workflow doesn’t have to.

Choose tools that grow with you, not against you.