Postman is a type of API platform used for developing and using the APIs. The Postman platform includes a detailed set of tools that help in accelerating the API lifecycle- from documentation, sharing, and testing of the APIs. Numerous other platforms act as alternatives to Postman which are available in the market.
Some of these alternatives to Postman are paid and some are ultimately free with a wide range of features. Therefore in this article, a detailed comprehensive knowledge has been provided about the Postman and the top 10 best postman alternatives in 2024.
What is Postman?
Postman refers to a type of API platform which is used for building and using the APIs. Postman mainly helps in simplifying each step of the API lifecycle and streamlines the collaboration so that the users can easily develop better APIs. It helps in easily storing, cataloging, and collaborating all around the API artifacts on a single central platform. It can also store and manage API documentation, test cases, metrics, API specifications, and many more.
10 Best Postman Alternatives in 2024
There are multiple Postman alternatives available for software developers to use in place of Postman, but some of them are popular for their best features. Therefore, the top 10 Postman alternatives in 2024, known for their exceptional features and usability, are mentioned below:
1. SoapUI
SoapUI is an open-source API testing tool that is used for both SOAP and REST testing. SoapUI testing tool helps the developers to easily write, integrate, and automate API tests. It is also used for testing web services like soap web services and HTTP-based services. SoapUI also provides a wide range of features for API testing needs such as API discovery, automated assertion creation, and so on.
Key Features
- SoapUI consists of a wide range of protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, JDBC, AMF, JMS, and so on.
- It allows the testers to write, integrate, and automate the tests in APIs.
- A data-driven testing feature is available in SoapUI.
2. Insomnia
Insomnia is an open-source REST API client that is mainly used for designing and testing the REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs. It consists of a simple and easy-to-use user interface and also has built-in support for GraphQL testing without the requirement of any separate tools. Insomnia consists of a pre-built debugger to troubleshoot API requests.
Key Features
- Insomnia consists of reusable code snippets.
- It has an easy request chaining to develop complex workflows.
- Insomnia consists of response content and headers are presented in an accessible format.
3. Apache JMeter
Apache JMeter is an open-source performance testing tool that is used for the testing of web applications, APIs, and other network protocols. It is designed to measure performance and to test functional behavior. To test the APIs by using Apache JMeter developers need to set up a Test Plan in JMeter.
Key Features
- Robust reporting and analysis in Apache JMeter allows testers to develop tables, graphs, and other visual representations.
- It offers a command line interface that allows the tester to run automated API tests in headless mode.
- It can be used on different platforms such as Windows, macOS, and so on.
4. Swagger
Swagger is another popular alternative to Postman which particularly consists of well-organized API documentation features. Swagger consists of a library of reusable components which can be built and shared across various APIs, by reducing the amount of code.
Key Features
- Swagger consists of a smart error feedback and syntax auto-completion feature.
- It can be seamlessly integrated into the CI/CD pipelines.
- The swagger codegen can also generate client SDKs and server stubs for any APIs.
5. TestSigma
TestSigma is an alternative to Postman which needs no coding knowledge and also gives a high level of customization to API call sequences which matches the workflow of an application. It offers multiple comparison models which allow the software developers to choose the level of rigidity.
Key Features
- It allows end-to-end test automation for both UI and API testing.
- TestSigma consists of Codeless API test creation.
- It can be easily integrated with Dev and QA toolchain.
6. HTTpie
HTTpie is another popular alternative to Postman and it has a command-line interface. HTTP client allows the users to send the requests to APIs and web servers by using a simple syntax. It can also be used for web page scraping, API debugging and also interacting with the RESTful services.
Key Features
- HTTpie consists of built-in JSON support.
- It can be used in Windows, Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD support.
- HTTpie provides colorized and formatted terminal output.
7. Assertible
Assertible is a monitoring and cloud-based testing tool that was designed to help the software developers and the QA teams to automate API testing and monitoring. This alternative to Postman is used to provide a wide range of features that help the teams make sure that their APIs are secure, reliable, and functional. This tool offers advanced test automation features such as schema validation, parameterized testing, and so on.
Key Features
- It supports conditional logic, webhooks, and dynamic variables which makes it easy to test the complex API workflows.
- Monitoring and Collaborated API Testing features are available.
- It can integrate with Slack, Zapier, GitHub, and many more.
8. ReadyAPI
ReadyAPI is a detailed API testing tool that was created by SmartBear which allows the developers and testers to perform performance, security, and functional testing of APIs. ReadyAPI also provides a user-friendly interface for testing, generating, and designing reports on the API tests. It is also designed to support both SOAP APIs and RESTful APIs.
Key Features
- With the help of ReadyAPI security and performance testing is done.
- It supports a variety of API types such as REST, SOAP, and so on.
- By using ReadyAPI different integration for continuous deployment and integration can be done.
9. Hoppscotch
Hoppscotch is a type of API testing and development tool that is known as one of the best alternatives to Postman. Hoppscotch consists of a user-friendly interface to test and debug the APIs. It is particularly available as a desktop and website application and can also be used in Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Key Features
- It consists of a user-friendly interface to quickly and easily develop tests and debug the API requests.
- It doesn’t require to create an account to use it.
- It supports a wide range of HTTP request types.
10. Paw
Paw is an alternative to Postman which is a type of macOS native application for development and API testing. Paw allows the users to easily make HTTP requests, develop and share the API documentation, and more APIs. It supports a wide range of HTTP protocols and authentication methods and also helps users write custom scripts and plugins.
Key Features
- It supports the JSON schema and it is a fully-featured visual editor.
- It helps in code generation for various languages such as Objective C, JavaScript, and Swift.
- It helps in automatically generating API documentation from API requests.
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Conclusion
Postman is one of the testing tools that is mainly used for API testing and there are many other alternatives of Postman which are available all over the internet for the software developers. These postman alternatives come with a wide range of key features that help the developers quickly and easily do the API testing. Therefore in this article, detailed knowledge is given about the top 10 alternatives of Postman with its key features.
FAQs
What do you mean by Postman?
Postman is defined as an API platform which is used for building and using the API. In simple terms, it simplifies every step of API lifecycle and also helps in streamlining the collaboration.
What is the use of API testing tools?
API testing tools are used to provide an user-friendly interfaces with less coding needs and also helps the software developers to deploy the tests.
Name some top alternatives of Postman.
Some of the top alternatives of Postman are- SoapUI, Insomnia, Paw, ReadyAPI, HTTpie, ApacheJMeter, Swagger, Hoppscotch, Assertible, TestSigma and so on.