APIs

Free Postman alternatives

Postman (API platform for designing, testing and documenting APIs) is a commercial product. These 3 tools do the same job and are free to use or to self-host.
Short answer: the best free alternatives to Postman are Bruno, Hoppscotch and Insomnia. Postman starts at $9/user/mo (Solo). Self-hosting is free; you pay only for the server (a small VPS is about $4–6/mo). Licenses and prices checked 2026-10-01.
  1. 1
    Bruno

    Offline-first, Git-friendly open-source API client

    Offline API client; collections live as files in your git repo.

    Open source (MIT) ·details

  2. 2
    Hoppscotch

    Open source API development ecosystem.

    API client in the browser, desktop or self-hosted.

    Open source (MIT) ·▲ 4 upvotes on DevHunt · details

  3. 3
    Insomnia

    Open-source API client for REST, GraphQL and gRPC

    Open-source API client by Kong; local storage is free.

    Open source (Apache-2.0) ·details

Want paid options too? See all Postman alternatives or the full free alternatives list.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Postman?+

Yes. Bruno, Hoppscotch and Insomnia do the same job for free; Bruno, Hoppscotch and Insomnia are open source.

What is the best open-source alternative to Postman?+

Hoppscotch is the most upvoted open-source option on DevHunt (4 upvotes). API client in the browser, desktop or self-hosted.

Open source: OSI-approved license. Free to self-host: the code is public and free to run yourself, with limits in the license.