Postman is a Chrome extension that makes API development faster and easier. It allows you to make requests, view responses, and manipulate the request and response data.
We are huge fans of Postman, but we were dismayed by how difficult it is to find Postman extensions for third-party APIs.
So we made a Chrome extension for Postman that allows you to search for Postman Chrome extensions for any public API on the internet!
Chrome Extension For Postman
About Postman
Postman helps you be more efficient while working with APIs. Postman is a scratch-your-own-itch project. The need for it arose while one of the developers was creating an API for his project. After looking around for a number of tools, nothing felt just right. The primary features added were a history of sent requests and collections. A number of other features have been added since the initial release. A small list is below. To see a fancier page and a video tutorial, check out http://www.getpostman.com/.
Features
Create requests quickly.
Compact layout
HTTP requests with file upload support
Formatted API responses for JSON and XML
HATEOAS support
Image previews
Request history
Basic Auth and OAuth 1.0 helpers
Autocomplete for URL and header values
Key/value editors for adding parameters or header values. Works for URL parameters too.
Use environment variables to easily shift between settings. Great for testing production, staging or local setups.
Keyboard shortcuts to maximize your productivity
Document and share APIs.
Use collections to organize requests.
Document requests inside collections. You can even store entire HTML notes. Postman uses Bootstrap so you can use it too to style your notes.
Download and share collections with your team of developers.
Installation
Installing from the zip file
If you downloaded the Postman zip file here is what you need to do to install it as a developer extension:
Go to Tools > Extensions inside Chrome by clicking on the wrench icon on top right.
Select “Load unpacked extension”
Select the “chrome” folder with manifest.json in it’s root
Postman will be installed as a developer extension.
The installation from the Chrome Web Store will remain independent with all your data.
Building and installing from source
Install the dependencies sudo npm install -g grunt grunt-cli.
Generate the template.js and request.js files by running grunt. You can watch the folder for changes using grunt watch.
For miscellaneous grunt tasks, look at grunt.js.
Submitting bugs for this legacy version of Postman Client
If you are using this legacy version locally, you may submit bugs on GitHub itself. Please include Postman and Chrome version along with your operating system.
Report Issues at: https://github.com/postmanlabs/postman-chrome-extension-legacy/issues
Important Notes
If JavaScript is disabled for all sites
If JavaScript is disabled for all sites, in order to use the Postman packaged app, you will need to set an exception for it. In chrome settings, go to Privacy > Content Settings > JavaScript > Manage Exceptions and add the following exception chrome-extensions:///.
Postman packaged app’s’ extension ID can be found at chrome-extensions://. Ensure developer mode is enabled and look for the ID under Postman – REST Client.
postman like extension for chrome
Back in 2012, when Abhinav Asthana released the first version, Postman was a simple HTTP client available as a Chrome extension. Fast forward to today, Postman became a collaboration platform for API development. Postman features include but not limited to: HTTP client, tools for API testing and API monitoring, mock API servers, and documentation.
Postman offers solutions in different verticals. As a result, it attracts users with various needs. For example, if you are using Postman for API testing, we recommend you to read our api testing tools as we have listed some of the best API testing tools in the market for you. Moreover, we wrote an in-depth article and compared Testfully as an excellent Postman alternative for API testing and monitoring.
This article lists the top 8 Postman alternatives for sending requests to different types of API, including SOAP, Restful, or GraphQL. We continue to update this article with the latest information about the offered features. Please reach out to us via our contact page for any correction or addition of a new tool.
Table of Contents
Testfully
Insomnia
Hoppscotch
Paw
Thunder Client
Firecamp
TestMace
Nightingale
Comparison table
Testfully
Website: testfully.io | Pricing: Free, Paid plans start from $49 a month
Testfully runs in browser; no need to install any software. You can send requests to both local and deployed Restful and GraphQL APIs and inspect the response. Testfully supports Environments, Configs and allows you to embed random data in your requests. Testfully stores your requests on the cloud, and you can easily share them with your colleagues. Testfully’s API testing & monitoring features allow you to easily re-use tests and verify the correctness of your local & deployed APIs in different environments.
Testfully, a Postman alternative
Testfully’s Pros
It offers a free plan with unlimited team members
Pricing model is not based on the number of users
No coding is required for API validation; everyone in your team can use it
Supports multi-step tests, Postman only offers one-step tests
Collaborate with your team members through shared tests and collections
Supports Restful & GraphQL API
You can use requests for API monitoring as well
Looking for a Postman alternative?
Testfully’s free plan offers Unlimited team members, Multi-step tests, team collaboration, historical test results and many more features. Import from Postman supported!
Sign up and get 10K API monitoring credit
Testfully’s Cons
Currently, it does not support Soap APIs
Demo
Insomnia
Website: insomnia.rest – Pricing: Free, Paid plans start at $5 (per month/user)
Insomnia started as an HTTP client, just like Postman itself, and evolved to a tool for API development. It offers an HTTP client, automated API testing, and an Open API editor. You can send requests to both local & deployed APIs, define multiple environments, and embed environment variables to your requests. It supports XML, JSON, Form, and many other types of request payload, so it’s easy to construct any request.
Insomnina, a Postman HTTP client alternative
Insomnia Pros
Simple and easy-to-use UI. Unlike Postman, Insomnia offers a simple and elegant user interface.
Insomnia loads faster than Postman and is more responsive than Postman
You can organize multiple API services using collections and focus on one at a time.
You can embed customizable random values to your request
Insomnia Cons
You cannot write tests for standard requests. Testing capabilities of Insomnia are only available to Design Documents (API specs written in Open API format).
Hoppscotch
Website: hoppscotch.io – Pricing: Free & Open source
Hoppscotch is an open source Postman alternative. It is available via browser and does not require any account so if you are looking for an online Postman alternative, you should definitely check out Hoppscotch. Open hoppscotch.io, and you can start sending requests. Moreover, Hoppscotch offers dedicated UI for Restful, GraphQL, and Web socket connections. You can easily send requests to APIs in different environments using Hoppscotch’s Environment and Environment Variable feature. Hoppscotch’s approach to testing is similar to Postman and Insomnia, a simple code editor to write test cases in Javascript using Hoppscotch’s testing framework.
Hoppscotch, a Postman HTTP client alternative
Hoppscotch’s Pros
Dedicated GUI for Web socket allows you to send messages to Web sockets
Dedicated GUI for GraphQL APIs allow you to explore GraphQL schemas and send requests easily
Hoppscotch’s Cons
It’s still the early days of Hoppscotch, so there is not much documentation
While testing Hoppscotch, we noticed some bugs in UI
Paw
Website: paw.app – Pricing: $49
Paw was available as a Mac-only app for a long time with a $49.99 price tag. On Feb 2021, Rapid API announced that they had acquired Paw and announced the availability of cross-platform Paw applications and a new subscription-based pricing model. Out of the box, Paw does not offer many of the features that Postman offers but don’t let that disappoint you because Paw provides a range of extensions for adding new features. For example, we used a Faker.js extension to generate random data and include it in the request.
Paw, a Postman HTTP client alternative
Paw’s Pros
The native Mac app is fast
Paw is extendable using 3rd-party extensions
Paw’s Cons
Does not offer a free plan
Thunder Client
Website: thunderclient.io – Pricing: Free
Thunder Client is a Vscode Postman alternative since it runs as a Visual Studio Code extension (not open source) and has focused on being a simple and efficient HTTP client while building or integrating with APIs. It supports collections as a way to group relevant requests. Moreover, ThunderClient supports the concept of Environment and Environment Variables to store and re-use values within multiple requests. Finally, ThunderClinet offers a UI that you can use to set the expected response code, response time, and response body for testing APIs.
Thunder Client, a Postman HTTP client alternative
Thunder Client’s Pros
It’s free
Thunder Client’s Cons
Only available as a VScode extension
Firecamp
Website: firecamp.io – Pricing: Free, Paid plans start at $9 (per month/user)
Firecamp started as an alternative for Postman to offer features that Postman doesn’t in API development. It provides an HTTP client, dedicated GUI for WebSocket, GraphQL, and Socket.io. You may face some bugs and get confused while working with the app, but generally, it looks fine. Firecamp currently does not have a CLI tool, but the website says it will come soon. In addition, free users can invite up to 3 team members to their workspace for team collaboration.
Firecamp, a Postman HTTP client alternative
Firecamp Pros
Firecamp provides dedicated GUI for WebSocket, GraphQL, and Socket.io
You can organize multiple API services using collections and focus on one at a time.
You can import Postman collections
Firecamp Cons
While testing Firecamp, we noticed some bugs
UI can be confusing
You can invite up to 3 team members as part of the free plan.
Currently, it does not offer a CLI
You cannot import Postman environment files
TestMace
Website: testmace.com – Pricing: Free, Paid plans start from $4 a month/ Individual.
TestMace is a cross-platform API client (Windows, Mac, Linux) and API testing tool that works with different APIs. Using TestMace, you can easily create, execute, and manage HTTP requests and tests for your API as a developer or tester.
TestMace, a Postman alternative
TestMace Pros
TestMace supports global variables (Environment, User-defined, Default)
You can add various assertions to your requests to test your APIs.
You can see responses and requests at the same time.
TestMace supports the group for your requests by adding them in a folder, so you can run all of them on one hood.
You can set the default header in the folder level, applying all its requests.
TestMace can generate random data with scripting ability.
You can write JavaScript codes as the Setup/teardown scripts.
TestMace supports “Team Collaboration”. You can sync your project to the cloud and share it with your team.
The “UI” is simple and straightforward.
You can use the multi-step (chained) request capability of TestMace to create complex automated tests.
TestMace supports export and import.
You can test your API through CLI (Command-Line) tool in TastMace.
TestMace supports GraphQL.
TestMace Cons
The documentation is not complete. For example, there is no information about making requests using GraphQL in TastMace.
TestMace doesn’t support SOAP APIs.
You cannot use TestMace for API monitoring. If you’re looking for a Postman alternative for API monitoring, please check our API monitoring tools list.
Nightingale
Website: nightingale.rest – Pricing: Free
The Nightingale REST client makes it easy to test your APIs without writing a single line of code. This interactive Windows application allows you to call any API, make requests and observe responses. It’s easy to install and has a simple UI. Moreover, It presents some facilities like workspaces, collections, and more.
TestMace, a Postman alternative
Nightingale Pros
Nightingale is free.
Nightingale supports multi-step (chained) requests.
You can use collections to have more organised workspaces.
You can embed and reuse customised values in your requests using environment variables.
Nightingale supports importing from other clients such as Postman, Insomnia, etc.
You can execute all requests on one run.
You can add the mock servers to generate random data in Nightingale for your front-end development team or anything that uses your API to continue their development. At the same time, you are working on your APIs.
Nightingale Cons
Nightingale is a REST client only.
Nightingale doesn’t support assertions.
Nightingale doesn’t offer user management. Thus, the team cant collaborate.
Nightingale doesn’t support GraphQL.
It is only avaialble for Windows platform
Comparison table
To help you make better decisions faster, We have put a list of features and their availability. You can use this table to decide what matters for you most and pick your Postman alternative.
Feature Postman Testfully Insomnia Hoppscotch Thunder Client Paw Firecamp TestMace Nightingale
Platform Web & Desktop Web Desktop Web VS Code Extension Web & Desktop Desktop Desktop Desktop (Windows)
Free Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Premium Plan Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
Coding Skills Required Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Restful API support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GraphQL API support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Soap API support Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
Request chaining No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes
Environments Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Random Data Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
API Testing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
API Monitoring Yes Yes No No No No No No No
CLI Yes Yes Yes No No No Coming Soon Yes No
Team Collaboration Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No
Conclusion
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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