For request builders, the strongest matches are usebruno/bruno (Bruno is a local-first API client that lets you), reqable/reqable-app (Reqable is a cross-platform API testing and network debugging) and mountain-loop/yaak (Yaak is a cross-platform desktop client and command-line utility). jakubroztocil/httpie and postcatlab/postcat round out the shortlist. Each is ranked by relevance to your query, popularity and recent activity.
Hand-picked open-source HTTP request builders for developers, ranked by GitHub stars and activity. Compare the top tools and find the best fit.
Bruno is a local-first API client designed for building, testing, and managing network requests across a wide range of protocols. By storing all collections and configurations as plain-text files directly on the local filesystem, it enables native version control and offline access, ensuring that project data remains under user control without requiring cloud synchronization. The platform distinguishes itself through a declarative approach to API management, utilizing a domain-specific language to define request parameters and metadata. This architecture supports a robust testing environment
Bruno is a local-first API client that lets you build, test, and manage REST, GraphQL, and gRPC requests with plain-text file storage and Git-friendly version control.
Reqable is a cross-platform network debugging tool that functions as an HTTP/HTTPS debugging proxy, a REST API client, and a traffic replay tool. It captures, inspects, and modifies live traffic using a local MITM proxy engine, supports VPN tunnel capture for mobile devices, and provides a Python scripting sandbox for custom traffic processing. The application is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The tool distinguishes itself by combining traffic interception with breakpoint-based request modification, allowing users to pause live HTTP traffic for manual inspection and alt
Reqable is a cross-platform API testing and network debugging application that functions as a robust alternative to Postman with traffic capture, scriptable processing, and multi-protocol support.
Yaak is a cross-platform desktop client and command-line utility designed for developing, testing, and debugging API endpoints. It supports multi-protocol request execution for REST, GraphQL, and gRPC services, providing a unified environment for managing network interactions, authentication credentials, and automated testing workflows. The tool distinguishes itself through a local-first architecture that stores all workspace configurations and request definitions directly on the filesystem. This design enables native integration with version control systems like Git, allowing teams to track
Yaak is a cross-platform desktop client and command-line utility for testing and debugging REST, GraphQL, and gRPC endpoints, fitting the requested API client category with local-first file storage and scripting capabilities.
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client and REST API debugger used for sending requests to web services. It functions as a network tool for managing headers, authentication sessions, and file uploads, with a specific focus on the transmission and reception of JSON data. The tool utilizes a custom parsing layer to translate simplified command-line input into structured HTTP parameters. It provides ANSI-based terminal formatting to apply color and structural indentation to raw responses, improving human readability for web debugging. The project covers request construction and previewing, multipa
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client and API debugger designed for constructing, testing, and troubleshooting requests, fitting the core request builder category well.
Postcat is an integrated platform for API design and documentation, serving as a REST API client and a mock server. It provides a workspace to define technical requirements and data schemas, allowing development teams to align on interface behavior. The platform features a plugin architecture that enables the integration of third-party tools and custom capabilities. It decouples frontend and backend development cycles by generating simulated server responses based on predefined data structures. The toolset includes an environment management system for switching between development, staging,
Postcat is an open-source API client and testing platform that provides workspace management, request testing, and mock servers as an alternative to tools like Postman, though it lacks some advanced features like a native command-line interface or gRPC support from the listed requirements.
This project is a terminal-based HTTP client designed for interacting with web services, debugging APIs, and automating network requests. It provides a specialized command-line interface that simplifies the construction of complex HTTP exchanges, allowing users to test and inspect web services directly from the shell. The tool distinguishes itself through a declarative syntax engine that translates shorthand command-line tokens into fully formed HTTP requests, including headers, parameters, and body payloads. It features a modular, plugin-based architecture that enables users to extend core f
This project is a terminal-based command-line HTTP client designed for constructing and debugging API requests, serving as an efficient alternative to curl or Postman from the shell.
Curlie is a terminal-based HTTP client and debugging tool used for executing network requests and interacting with REST APIs. It provides a command line interface for sending requests using simplified syntax, with a specific focus on interacting with JSON services. The tool distinguishes itself by converting simplified interactive requests into standard curl commands for external reproduction and sharing. It also features unbuffered data streaming to monitor server responses in real time as they arrive. The project covers a broad range of API testing capabilities, including request prototypi
Curlie is a terminal-based HTTP client and request builder that wraps curl with a simplified syntax and real-time streaming, though it lacks some advanced features like GraphQL or gRPC support.
Posting is a terminal-based HTTP request manager designed for developing, testing, and documenting API endpoints. It functions as a keyboard-driven interface that allows users to execute requests, manage collections, and inspect server responses directly within the command line environment. By storing request configurations as plain text files on the local filesystem, the tool ensures that API definitions remain compatible with standard version control systems. The project distinguishes itself by treating API collections as version-controlled assets, enabling users to migrate existing workflo
Posting is a terminal-based HTTP request client that lets you test REST endpoints and manage collections from the command line, serving as an interactive, keyboard-driven alternative to Postman.
Hurl is a command line HTTP testing tool and REST API test runner that uses a declarative, plain-text format to specify HTTP requests and responses. It functions as a client for continuous integration pipelines, allowing users to describe request sequences without a full programming language. The tool distinguishes itself by sequencing HTTP calls and verifying responses through matchers and variable capture. It maintains a stateful variable store, enabling data extracted from one response to influence subsequent requests within a workflow. The system covers API integration testing and REST w
Hurl is a command-line HTTP testing and API request runner that uses a declarative plain-text format for chaining requests and assertions, fitting the developer tool intent well despite lacking a graphical user interface.
Altair is a graphical GraphQL API client, integrated development environment, and schema explorer. It functions as a debugging tool and collaboration platform for executing queries, mutations, and subscriptions against GraphQL servers. The project distinguishes itself by offering cloud-synced workspaces for organizing and sharing query collections among teams. It provides a flexible extensibility framework that allows the installation and execution of third-party plugins within isolated sandboxes. The platform covers a broad range of capabilities, including AI-assisted query writing, visual
Altair is a graphical GraphQL API client and query testing environment that serves as a specialized alternative for API development, though its focus is strictly on GraphQL rather than general REST requests.
This is a desktop HTTP client application used for constructing, sending, and analyzing HTTP and GraphQL requests. It provides a graphical interface for API development and testing, including a dedicated GraphQL client with schema-driven autocomplete and validation. The project features an integrated AI assistant that generates API requests from natural language prompts. It supports a complex organization system of spaces and collections with hierarchical authentication inheritance and recursive variable resolution for dynamic request values. The tool covers a broad range of capabilities, in
This desktop HTTP client application provides a polished graphical interface for constructing, sending, and testing REST and GraphQL requests, serving as a direct alternative to Postman.
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client designed for sending requests to web services and APIs. It functions as a terminal-based web client and JSON API interface, allowing users to interact with RESTful services and download remote files directly from the console. The tool simplifies the interaction with APIs through a custom syntax for argument parsing and automatic JSON payload serialization. It includes a request debugger to verify the structure of a request before transmission and uses ANSI-based formatting to display server responses with color and indentation for improved readability. Th
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client for interacting with RESTful services and APIs, offering a streamlined terminal alternative to tools like Postman even though it lacks features like a graphical interface or built-in GraphQL support.
Thunder Client is a REST API client extension for VS Code that functions as an HTTP request manager, testing tool, and mocking workspace. It allows users to send requests, organize them into collections, and manage API configurations directly within the editor. The project distinguishes itself through a command-line interface for executing automated test suites in CI/CD pipelines and a Git-based synchronization system for sharing request collections and environment configurations across teams. It also incorporates artificial intelligence to automate the conversion of API scripts during migrat
Thunder Client is an editor-integrated REST API client that supports HTTP request management and testing, though it operates specifically as a VS Code extension rather than a standalone application.
This is a Visual Studio Code extension that lets developers compose, send, and inspect HTTP requests directly from within the editor. It uses .http and .rest files as executable request definitions, parsing each block of text into a complete HTTP request that is dispatched via Node.js built-in HTTP modules without requiring a separate server process. The extension renders full HTTP responses with syntax-highlighted body, status line, and headers in a dedicated editor tab or side panel. The extension supports multiple authentication schemes including Basic, Digest, SSL certificates, Azure
This Visual Studio Code extension lets you compose and test REST and GraphQL requests directly inside your editor using file-based request definitions, functioning as a lightweight alternative to standalone clients.
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client and REST API testing tool designed for sending requests to web services and APIs. It functions as a JSON-native network client and interactive HTTP debugger, providing a terminal interface for constructing and validating API requests and responses. The tool simplifies the process of interacting with APIs by automatically handling JSON payloads and applying colorized formatting to responses for human readability. It supports the simulation of request generation to verify headers and bodies before they are sent over the network. The project covers a broad r
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client and request builder designed for testing and debugging APIs, serving as a terminal-based alternative to Postman even though it lacks a graphical user interface and some advanced protocols like gRPC.
Curl is a command-line tool and portable library for transferring data across a wide range of network protocols. It functions as a unified engine that abstracts diverse communication standards, allowing users and developers to move files and information between servers using a consistent interface. The project provides both a versatile command-line client for terminal-based automation and a stable programmatic interface for integrating complex network operations into applications. The system is distinguished by its protocol-agnostic core and its ability to manage both synchronous and asynchro
This project is the foundational command-line tool for making HTTP requests and transferring data, serving as a terminal-based alternative to Postman or curl-based workflows, though it lacks a graphical interface, GraphQL-specific tooling, and built-in scripting support.
| Repository | Stars | Language | License | Last push |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| usebruno/bruno | 44.9K | JavaScript | MIT | |
| reqable/reqable-app | 5.9K | — | — | |
| mountain-loop/yaak | 18.8K | TypeScript | MIT | |
| jakubroztocil/httpie | 38.2K | Python | BSD-3-Clause | |
| postcatlab/postcat | 5.5K | JavaScript | Apache-2.0 | |
| httpie/cli | 38.2K | Python | BSD-3-Clause | |
| rs/curlie | 3.7K | Go | MIT | |
| darrenburns/posting | 12K | Python | Apache-2.0 | |
| orange-opensource/hurl | 19K | Rust | Apache-2.0 | |
| altair-graphql/altair | 5.4K | TypeScript | MIT |