Postman: What is it, what are the drawbacks, and which alternatives are there?
Postman is a well-known platform used for API development and testing, among other things. It is perhaps one of the most widely used platforms in recent years. However, a lot is changing in the tech industry, and Postman is no exception. Some changes are highly favored, while others are less so. Therefore, you might be wondering which platform to choose if you are looking for an API platform or considering switching to something else.
People look for Postman alternatives for various reasons, including costs, performance, the need for open-source solutions, specific feature requirements, and user-friendliness. Additionally, the discontinuation of Postman ScratchPad and the transition to a cloud-only model have raised concerns among users who prioritize data security and privacy.
In this article, we will provide an overview of several platforms that can serve as strong alternatives to Postman. We will explain what each platform can do, what makes it unique, its pros and cons, and its key features.
Bruno:
Bruno is a fast, lightweight, and privacy-focused API client that offers a user-friendly interface, direct handling of API requests, and efficient team collaboration through file-based API collections and version control systems like Git. Bruno’s offline-only approach, support for declarative scripting, NPM modules, and a CLI makes it a strong alternative to Postman and other API testing tools.
Pros:
+ Data privacy since everything is offline
+ Saved requests are accessible in simple text that can be read and edited, which is not the case with most API testing clients
+ Largely free with an option to pay for the golden edition
+ Open-source development
+ Fast, lightweight, and efficient
Cons:
– No cloud sync and storage due to offline exclusivity
Insomnia:
A well-known open-source model, advanced scripting capabilities, and flexible environment management make it an excellent choice for those who prioritize customization and collaboration. An attractive choice for developers and organizations.
Pros:
+ Open-source
+ Extensive plugin ecosystem
+ Flexible environment management
+ Advanced scripting capabilities
Cons:
– Limited analytics and reporting
– Account required
– Expensive advanced features
HTTPie:
Modern, user-friendly command-line HTTP client for the API era. Supports JSON, colors, sessions, downloads, plugins, and more.
Pros:
+ Simple: Easy to learn and use, with concise syntax and minimal configuration.
+ Speed: Efficient for quick interactions with APIs, ideal for scripting and automation.
+ Integrations: Integrates well with other command-line tools and shell environments.
+ Open-source: Freely available and customizable with extensions.
Cons:
– Learning curve: Although simple, requires learning command-line syntax and understanding HTTP concepts.
– Limited features: Lacks certain visual tools and functionalities, such as environment management and mocking.
– Discovery: Not ideal for exploring and learning new APIs due to the lack of built-in documentation features.
Thunder Client:
Thunder Client is an alternative to the well-known Postman tool used for testing client APIs. The Thunder Client VS Code extension is lightweight and allows you to test APIs directly within the editor. You might not want to download a separate tool to test the APIs you are building. Instead, you can download an extension in VSCode that offers a wide range of functionalities.
Pros:
+ Lightweight and less switching: Thunder Client is a light addition that can be installed on your VSCode editor. There is no need to download a separate tool or switch between the code environment and a web-based API testing platform.
+ Collections and environment variable support: The Thunder Client API tester also has a collection feature, allowing similar requests to be organized and grouped, ensuring better accessibility and sharing with others.
+ Speed: The Thunder Client API tester ensures quick processing of extensive or complex API requests.
+ Scriptless API testing: Thunder Client offers an intuitive and simple GUI where dropdowns can be used to define requests without the need to write test scripts.
Cons:
– Became a paid service since Q3 last year. No access to (old) collections without a paid account.
– Fewer advanced and overall features compared to Postman and other alternatives.
Swagger:
An open-source framework that simplifies the process of designing, documenting, and testing RESTful APIs. It provides a standardized and machine-readable way to describe the structure and functionality of an API. Swagger promotes consistency and collaboration in API development by offering a single source of truth that can be easily shared with developers, testers, and other stakeholders.
Pros:
+ Comprehensive API documentation and automatic generation of API documentation based on the OpenAPI Specification, saving time and reducing the risk of outdated documentation.
+ Swagger tools can validate API requests and responses against the documented specification, allowing issues to be identified and resolved early in the development process.
+ It integrates seamlessly with other development and testing tools, improving automation, test coverage, and overall efficiency in the API development workflow.
Cons:
– Learning curve: Creating and maintaining Swagger documentation can have a steep learning curve, especially for those new to the OpenAPI Specification.
– Initial setup time: Setting up Swagger documentation for an existing API can be time-consuming, particularly if the API lacks structured documentation.
– Limited support for non-REST APIs: Swagger is primarily designed for RESTful APIs, and adapting it to non-RESTful APIs may require a workaround.
Curl:
Curl is an open-source command line tool that supports various protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, and more. You can use curl to interact with APIs by specifying the URL, method, headers, body, and other parameters of the request. Curl then sends the request to the server and displays the response in the terminal. Curl is particularly useful for testing simple or one-time requests, debugging, or troubleshooting API issues.
Pros:
+ Simple and fast: You don’t need to install software, configure settings, or plugins. Just type the curl command in the terminal, and you will see the results immediately.
+ Widely used and compatible with most operating systems and platforms. Curl can be used on Linux, Windows, Mac, or even on a phone or tablet.
+ Additionally, curl is flexible and powerful, supporting many features and options that can help you test various aspects of the API, such as authentication, redirection, compression, cookies, caching, and more.
Cons:
– One of the main drawbacks of using curl is that it is not very user-friendly or intuitive. You need to remember the syntax and options of the curl command, which can be complex and cumbersome.
– You also have to manually format the request and response data, which can tedious and error-prone.
– Curl does not provide visual feedback or validation of the API, such as highlighting, formatting, or checking the status code, headers, or body. You must rely on your own eyes or use other tools to inspect the response.
