I've been feeling stuck with API clients lately. Most options, like Postman and Insomnia, focus heavily on cloud syncing and accounts, but sometimes I just need a tool that operates locally without sending data anywhere. So far, I've found a few tools that seem promising:
- **Bruno**: Open source and saves collections as plain files, working great with Git.
- **Hurl**: Fully scriptable and stores everything in text format, making it perfect for local use.
- **Insomnium**: A fork of Insomnia that keeps the open-source vibe before it went proprietary.
- **Apidog**: Offers offline debugging mode for those who prefer more modern alternatives that aren't tied to the cloud.
Do you think offline-first clients are underrated, or is the convenience of cloud sync just too hard to resist?
5 Answers
I've been using **Hoppscotch** for quick testing. It's user-friendly and definitely gives you the ability to import Postman collections easily.
Curl and HTTPie are solid options if you're comfortable scripting. They'll let you set up everything in text files and run them without hassle. Just remember to manage your environment variables smartly to keep things secure.
I really like **Hurl** because it lets me organize requests in folders and label files according to purpose. Scripting is also a breeze with it.
Yeah, Hurl makes it so much easier if you're not a fan of GUIs!
Bruno is what my coworkers and I settled on, and it works fine for our needs without all the cloud nonsense.
I actually just learned about Bruno last week. Funny enough, I have a dog named Bruno, so it feels fitting to use a tool with the same name!
Same here! It's not as polished as Postman, but it gets the job done and hasn't gone corporate like some others.
Honestly, I'm sticking to an older version of Postman that's portable and doesn't require account logins. It just feels nice to keep things simple without the cloud nonsense.
Definitely a good point! Scripts stored in a Git repo work much better than a GUI when your needs get complex.