API testing is crucial for building reliable applications, but why pay when you can use powerful free tools?
Whether you're a developer, tester, or DevOps engineer, these free API testing tools will streamline your workflow and boost productivity.
β 1. Postman (Free Plan)
π Website: https://www.postman.com/
πΉ A user-friendly API platform that supports REST, SOAP, and GraphQL.
πΉ Free tier includes API testing, automation, and monitoring.
πΉ New in 2025: AI-powered test generation for faster scripting.
β 2. Hoppscotch
π Website: https://hoppscotch.io/
πΉ A lightweight, web-based alternative to Postman.
πΉ Supports REST, GraphQL, and WebSockets.
πΉ Open-source and completely free.
β 3. Insomnia (Community Edition)
π Website: https://insomnia.rest/
πΉ A clean, minimal API testing tool with great UI.
πΉ Supports REST, GraphQL, and gRPC.
πΉ Free version includes environment variables and automated requests.
β 4. Karate DSL
π GitHub Repo: https://github.com/karatelabs/karate
πΉ Open-source API testing framework with built-in performance testing.
πΉ Supports REST, SOAP, and GraphQL.
πΉ Ideal for automation & CI/CD integration.
πΉ Example Test Case in Karate:
Feature: Test API with Karate Scenario: Verify GET request Given url 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1' When method GET Then status 200 And match response.id == 1
β 5. REST Assured (Java-based)
π Website: https://rest-assured.io/
πΉ Java library for testing REST APIs.
πΉ Works well with JUnit, TestNG, and Spring Boot.
πΉ Ideal for backend developers.
πΉ Example API Test with REST Assured:
import static io.restassured.RestAssured.*; import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*; public class APITest { public static void main(String[] args) { given() .when().get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1") .then().statusCode(200) .body("id", equalTo(1)); } }
β 6. Tavern (For Python Testers)
π Website: https://taverntesting.github.io/
πΉ API testing tool for Python developers.
πΉ Integrates with Pytest for powerful automation.
πΉ Supports REST and MQTT.
β 7. Swagger Inspector
π Website: https://swagger.io/tools/swagger-inspector/
πΉ Free online API testing tool from Swagger.
πΉ Helps generate OpenAPI documentation.
πΉ No installation required β works directly in the browser.
β 8. Katalon Studio (Free API Testing)
π Website: https://www.katalon.com/api-testing/
πΉ GUI-based API testing tool with built-in automation.
πΉ Free for individuals and small teams.
πΉ Supports REST, SOAP, and GraphQL.
β 9. PyRestTest
π GitHub Repo: https://github.com/svanoort/pyresttest
πΉ A lightweight, command-line API testing tool for Python.
πΉ Ideal for performance testing.
πΉ Supports JSON validation and automation.
β 10. SoapUI (Free Version)
π Website: https://www.soapui.org/
πΉ Open-source tool for SOAP and REST API testing.
πΉ Supports functional, security, and performance testing.
πΉ Free version includes most features except API mocking & advanced reporting.
π‘ Which One Should You Use?
πΉ Postman & Hoppscotch β Best for everyday API testing.
_ πΉ Karate & REST Assured_ β Great for automated & performance testing.
_ πΉ Insomnia & Swagger Inspector_ β Lightweight and easy-to-use tools.
πΉ Tavern & PyRestTest β Perfect for Python-based API testing.
π¬ Which free API testing tool do you use?
Drop your recommendations in the comments!
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