Postman

postman.com
DevOps
Weekend Project

API development platform for building, testing, and managing APIs

How to Replace Postman

Overview

Postman is a comprehensive API development environment that enables developers to design, build, test, and iterate APIs faster. It provides tools for API testing, documentation, monitoring, and collaboration across teams.

Features

45 features across 16 categories

API Support(3)

Form Data Support

Send form-encoded data, multipart form data, and file uploads in API requests.

GraphQL Support

Full support for testing and documenting GraphQL APIs with query builder and response validation.

SOAP/XML Support

Send and test SOAP requests with XML body support and response validation.

Analytics(2)

Postman InsightsAIPremium

AI-driven recommendations for improving API design, documentation, and testing practices.

Reports and AnalyticsPremium

Generate detailed reports on API performance, test coverage, and team activity.

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Smartsheet

Collaboration(3)

Request Comments

Add inline comments to requests and test scripts for better collaboration and documentation.

Team Invitations

Invite team members with customizable permission levels and role-based access control.

Workspace Collaboration

Collaborate with team members in shared workspaces with role-based permissions and real-time syncing.

Also in: Notion, Airtable, Obsidian

Configuration(4)

Custom Headers

Define custom headers globally or per-request with variable substitution support.

Environments

Switch between different environment configurations to manage variables for development, staging, and production.

Request Timeout Configuration

Set custom timeout values for API requests to handle slow endpoints.

Variable Scoping

Define variables at global, collection, environment, and local scopes for flexible configuration.

Core(1)

API Request Builder

Create and send HTTP requests with support for all methods, headers, authentication, and request body types.

Development(2)

AI-Powered Code GenerationAIPremium

Generate code snippets in multiple programming languages from API requests automatically.

Mock Servers

Create mock endpoints to simulate API behavior for frontend development before backend completion.

Also in: Kissflow, Lattice, WordPress.com

Documentation(3)

API Documentation

Auto-generate interactive API documentation from collections with examples and descriptions.

API ElementsPremium

Build modular API documentation with reusable elements and common sections.

Custom DomainsPremium

Publish API documentation on custom domains for branded documentation experience.

Governance(1)

API GovernancePremium

Define and enforce API standards, naming conventions, and compliance rules across teams.

Also in: MuleSoft, Looker, Okta

Integration(5)

Newman CLI

Command-line tool to run Postman collections in CI/CD pipelines for automated testing.

OpenAPI Import/Export

Import and export API definitions in OpenAPI/Swagger format for seamless integration.

Postman AgentPremium

Lightweight agent to run monitors and connect to private APIs behind firewalls.

Postman APIPremium

RESTful API to programmatically manage collections, environments, and other Postman resources.

Postman Collection Format

Industry-standard format for sharing and importing API specifications across different platforms.

Monitoring(3)

API MonitoringPremium

Schedule and run API tests at regular intervals to monitor performance and uptime.

Request Execution HistoryPremium

Track all executed requests with timestamps, results, and performance metrics.

Response Time AnalysisPremium

Analyze API response times and performance metrics to identify bottlenecks.

Organization(6)

API Search

Search across collections, requests, documentation, and team APIs in a unified interface.

Bulk Edit CollectionsPremium

Edit multiple collection items simultaneously to update endpoints, headers, or authentication.

Collections

Organize requests and workflows into logical groups for better API management and collaboration.

Request DeduplicationPremium

Automatically identify and remove duplicate requests from collections.

Request History

Access previously sent requests with full request and response details for quick reference.

Request Templates

Save and reuse request templates with placeholder variables for common API patterns.

Scripting(1)

Pre-request Scripts

Execute JavaScript code before sending requests to set variables, authentication, or data generation.

Security(4)

Audit LogsPremium

Track all user activities and changes in workspaces for compliance and security purposes.

Certificate ManagementPremium

Manage SSL/TLS certificates for secure API communication with support for mutual TLS.

IP WhitelistingPremium

Restrict Postman usage to specific IP addresses for enhanced security.

Single Sign-OnPremium

Enterprise SSO integration with SAML 2.0 and OAuth 2.0 for secure team access.

Testing(4)

Automated Testing

Write test scripts using JavaScript to validate API responses and functionality automatically.

Data Generators

Generate realistic test data including names, emails, numbers, and custom data sets.

Request LintingAIPremium

Automatic validation of requests against API standards and best practices.

Response Assertions

Validate response status codes, headers, body content, and response time automatically.

Version Control(2)

API VersioningPremium

Track and manage different versions of APIs with proper documentation and changelog.

API Versioning ControlPremium

Maintain and document multiple versions of APIs with version-specific documentation.

Workflow(1)

Flow BuilderPremium

Visual workflow builder to create sequences of API requests with conditional logic.

Pricing

Free

Free
  • Personal API development

Basic

$9/mo
  • Team collaboration essentials

Professional

Popular
$19/mo
  • Advanced team capabilities

Business

$39/mo
  • Enterprise-ready features

Enterprise

Contact Sales
  • Custom solutions

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Postman

Monthly$9/mo
Yearly$108/yr
5-Year Total$540

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~3 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 Year
SaaS
$108
DIY
$240
3 Years
SaaS
$324
DIY
$720
5 Years
SaaS
$540
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 45 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Postman alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 45 features.

Buy Postman

Better Value
Monthly cost$90/mo
3-year total$3,240
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$24,000
Maintenance$360/mo
3-year total$36,960
Dev time~2 months

Buying Postman saves ~$33,720 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 45 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

28 known integrations