The Best API Testing Tools in 2026
We researched these API testing tools through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings reflect each product’s core job, value for money, and verified features for API teams.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Postman#1 of 339.3/10A mature API test platform with broad protocol support and a wide feature set.
Free plan
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Runner-up
Apidog#2 of 339.2/10A broad API toolkit for teams that need design, testing, automation, and documentation together.
Free plan · 14-day trial
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Top-ranked free plan
SoapUI#3 of 339.0/10A broad, free API testing desktop tool for functional, contract, performance, and load work.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 33 tools, best first
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Best forTeams wanting the broadest mature API test platform
A mature API test platform with broad protocol support and a wide feature set.
- Scheduled runs
- SOAP support
- Mock server
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Postman -
Best forTeams needing broad API design and testing coverage
A broad API toolkit for teams that need design, testing, automation, and documentation together.
- Scheduled runs
- SOAP support
- Mock server
Free plan · 14-day trial Our Apidog verdict → Visit ApidogFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #2 · $99/mo →9.2/10★★★★★Visit Apidog -
Best forTeams testing SOAP, REST, and service performance
A broad, free API testing desktop tool for functional, contract, performance, and load work.
- Scheduled runs
- SOAP support
- Mock server
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit SmartBear -
Best forEngineering teams building automated API test suites
A broad, automation-focused API framework with a valuable free tier and paid tooling add-ons.
- Scheduled runs
- SOAP support
- Mock server
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Karate -
Best forEnterprises needing premium all-in-one API testing
A broad API testing suite for enterprises that need security, performance, and virtualization.
- Scheduled runs
- SOAP support
- Mock server
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit ReadyAPI -
Best forDevelopers needing a flexible open-source API client
A flexible, open-source API client with broad protocol support and CLI automation.
- SOAP support
- Mock server
- GraphQL support
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Insomnia -
Best forOpen-source teams wanting a modern API client
A capable open-source API client for Git-based testing and CI workflows.
- Scheduled runs
- Mock server
- Contract testing
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Bruno -
Best forSchema-driven teams needing property-based testing
A schema-driven API testing tool for property-based and stateful coverage.
- Scheduled runs
- Contract testing
- GraphQL support
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Schemathesis -
Best forCI-focused teams needing broad pipeline support
A flexible, CI-ready API testing framework for teams that manage their own infrastructure.
- SOAP support
- Contract testing
- GraphQL support
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Step CI -
Best forTeams wanting AI-generated tests from recorded traffic
A broad API testing toolkit for turning specifications and traffic into editable test suites.
- Mock server
- Contract testing
- GraphQL support
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Keploy -
Best forOpenAPI teams needing validation proxies and mocks
A focused open-source choice for specification-driven mocks, validation, and contract testing.
- Mock server
- Contract testing
- CI/CD integration
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Stoplight -
Best forTeams focused specifically on contract testing
A focused open-source choice for consumer-driven contract testing.
- Mock server
- Contract testing
- GraphQL support
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Pact -
Best forOrganizations managing contract testing at scale
A feature-rich contract-testing platform for teams that need centralized control.
- Mock server
- Contract testing
- CI/CD integration
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit PactFlow -
Best forJava teams testing service ecosystems and integrations
A broad, Java-centered framework for testing APIs, messages, contracts, and service integrations.
- SOAP support
- Mock server
- Contract testing
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Citrus -
Best forTeams needing hosted scheduled API monitoring
A focused hosted option for scheduled API checks, deployment tests, and team alerts.
- Scheduled runs
- CI/CD integration
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Assertible -
Best forCLI-first teams testing HTTP APIs in CI
A focused open-source CLI for plain-text API tests and CI/CD execution.
- SOAP support
- GraphQL support
- CI/CD integration
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Hurl -
Best forBudget-conscious developers working inside desktop tooling
A low-cost API testing extension for developers who prefer working in their IDE.
- CI/CD integration
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Thunder Client -
Best forPython teams writing YAML API tests
A focused YAML API testing toolkit for Python teams using pytest and CI.
- Scheduled runs
- GraphQL support
- CI/CD integration
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Tavern -
Best forJava developers embedding API tests in code
A focused, open-source Java library for code-based REST API testing.
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit REST Assured -
Best forResearchers testing REST APIs with advanced strategies
Advanced REST API testing for researchers who can manage a self-hosted framework.
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit RestTestGen -
Best forSecurity-focused teams fuzzing OpenAPI REST services
A focused choice for fuzzing OpenAPI REST services, with strong stateful testing and CI/CD support.
- CI/CD integration
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit RESTler -
Best forResearchers needing model-driven REST test generation
A specialized REST API test generator for OpenAPI-driven workflows.
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit RESTest -
Best forJavaScript teams needing contract and mock testing
A focused JavaScript library for API, contract, mock, and integration testing.
- Mock server
- Contract testing
- GraphQL support
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit PactumJS -
Best forDevelopers wanting a lightweight HTTP request tool
A lightweight HTTP and GraphQL client with strong request organization and inspection tools.
- GraphQL support
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit HTTPie -
Best forDevelopers testing gRPC and modern API protocols
A broad desktop API client with strong gRPC, testing, scripting, and CI/CD coverage.
- GraphQL support
- CI/CD integration
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Kreya -
Best forJest teams testing JSON-focused REST services
A focused Jest-based toolkit for testing JSON-heavy REST services.
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Frisby.js -
Best forNode.js teams testing application HTTP endpoints
A focused open-source choice for testing HTTP endpoints in Node.js.
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit SuperTest -
Best forWindows users needing structured API projects
A capable free Windows API tester for projects that need chaining, validation, and automation.
- SOAP support
- CI/CD integration
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit HttpMaster -
Best forDevelopers wanting a modern lightweight API client
A focused, open-source API client with broad protocol support and limited team automation.
- GraphQL support
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Yaak -
Best forTeams wanting a collaborative browser-based API client
A broad browser-based API client with collections, runners, mocks, and team collaboration.
- Mock server
- GraphQL support
- CI/CD integration
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Hoppscotch -
Best forTeams combining API documentation and basic testing
A practical fit for API teams that value documentation and collaboration over deep test automation.
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Apiary -
Best forEnterprises needing broad hybrid test coverage
A broad hybrid testing platform for enterprises covering APIs, applications, and delivery pipelines.
- CI/CD integration
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Parasoft -
Best forTeams needing generated and fuzzed API tests
A focused open-source choice for generated, fuzzed, and multi-protocol API testing.
- GraphQL support
- CI/CD integration
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit EvoMaster
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | GraphQL support | CI/CD integration | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postman | Yes | $9/mo | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 2 | Apidog | Yes | $9/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 3 | SoapUI | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 4 | Karate | Yes | $100/user/yr | Yes | Yes | 8.9 |
| 5 | ReadyAPI | No | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 6 | Insomnia | Yes | $12/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 8.7 |
| 7 | Bruno | Yes | $6/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 8.6 |
| 8 | Schemathesis | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 9 | Step CI | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.4 |
| 10 | Keploy | Yes | $19/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 11 | Stoplight Prism | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 12 | Pact | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.0 |
| 13 | PactFlow | Yes | No | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 14 | Citrus | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 15 | Assertible | Yes | $25/mo | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 16 | Hurl | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.6 |
| 17 | Thunder Client | Yes | $3/user/mo | Yes | 7.5 | |
| 18 | Tavern | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.4 |
| 19 | REST Assured | Free | 7.3 | |||
| 20 | RestTestGen | Yes | Free | 7.2 | ||
| 21 | RESTler | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.1 | |
| 22 | RESTest | Free | 7.0 | |||
| 23 | PactumJS | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.9 |
| 24 | HTTPie | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.8 | |
| 25 | Kreya | Yes | $5/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 6.7 |
| 26 | Frisby.js | Free | 6.6 | |||
| 27 | SuperTest | Free | 6.5 | |||
| 28 | HttpMaster | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.4 | |
| 29 | Yaak | Yes | $79/user/yr | Yes | 6.3 | |
| 30 | Hoppscotch | Yes | $6/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 6.2 |
| 31 | Apiary | Yes | Free | 6.1 | ||
| 32 | Parasoft SOAtest | Yes | 6.0 | |||
| 33 | EvoMaster | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 5.6 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Postman vs Apidog
- Postman vs SoapUI
- Postman vs Karate
- Postman vs ReadyAPI
- Postman vs Insomnia
- Postman vs Bruno
- Postman vs Schemathesis
- Apidog vs SoapUI
- Apidog vs Karate
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How we rank API testing tools
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update