Thunder Client review
A low-cost API testing extension for developers who prefer working in their IDE.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Thunder Client is an API client and testing extension for developers working in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. It supports REST request creation and execution, collections, environment variables, GUI-based assertions, JSON schema validation, scripting, and local API client data storage. Developers can organize requests without switching to a separate desktop application, while teams can use Git synchronization and shared team features. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it suitable for individual developers and teams that keep API work close to their coding environment.
The plan structure is straightforward. The Free plan costs $0 per user per month with monthly billing and includes the extension, VS Code support, and free version limits. Starter costs $3 per user per month with annual billing and adds VS Code and JetBrains support, team features, CLI and CI/CD capabilities, and 250 collection runs per user monthly. Business costs $7 per user per month with annual billing and raises that allowance to 500 collection runs per user monthly. Enterprise costs $16 per user per month with annual billing, unlimited collection runs, Enterprise SSO, Secrets Manager integration, and audit logs. A 14-day free trial is also listed.
For automation, Thunder Client can execute requests and collections through its CLI, including from terminals, build servers, and CI/CD pipelines, with report generation. Its integrations include Git, GitHub Actions, Azure Secrets Manager, and AWS Secrets Manager. Collection runners support sequential and parallel execution, while CSV and JSON enable data-driven runs. Import support covers Postman, Insomnia, Hoppscotch, and OpenAPI. The main tradeoff is scope and plan limits: the Free plan is constrained, while Starter and Business cap collection runs. Choose Thunder Client for affordable REST testing inside an IDE; consider another tool if your workflow requires capabilities outside its documented focus.
Thunder Client pros and cons
- Where it wins
- REST requests, assertions, schema validation, and data-driven runs
- CLI execution, CI/CD integration, and test report generation
- Imports from Postman, Insomnia, Hoppscotch, and OpenAPI
- Where it doesn't
- The Free plan includes version limits
- Starter and Business plans cap monthly collection runs
- Paid plans use annual billing for the listed per-user prices
Thunder Client fact sheet, pricing and score →
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