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Home/Categories/APIs & Integration/Hoppscotch
icon of Hoppscotch

Hoppscotch

Open source alternative to Postman and Insomnia

Hoppscotch is an open source Postman alternative for API testing across REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and MQTT, replacing paid clients with a MIT-licensed, Docker-based self-hosted workflow on your own infrastructure.

79.2K starsTypeScriptMIT
Active this month
Visit websiteGitHub repo
image of Hoppscotch
Contents
  1. 01Who Hoppscotch is for
  2. 02The problem it solves
  3. 03How it solves it
  4. 04Strengths and trade-offs
  5. 05Hoppscotch vs alternatives
  6. 06Install and self-host
  7. 07Tech stack
  8. 08FAQ
  9. 09Similar open-source tools
TL;DR

Hoppscotch is an open source Postman alternative for API testing across REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and MQTT, replacing paid clients with a MIT-licensed Docker-based self-hosted workflow on your own infrastructure.MIT · TypeScript · 79.2K stars · Active this month

who it's for

Who Hoppscotch is for#

API QA engineer

Use Hoppscotch for fast regression calls across REST and GraphQL endpoints when validating feature changes before deployment.

Skip if:

Skip if your team already requires built-in SSO and deep governance templates from a hosted platform.

Backend team for real-time APIs

Use the WebSocket and MQTT clients to test live channels and event payload formats during integration work.

Skip if:

Skip if your stack only uses request-response HTTP and has no event streams.

Independent contractor building microservices

Use Hoppscotch as a lightweight, browser-accessible toolkit for testing client and service APIs while moving between projects.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScriptRustTypeScript
Frameworks
ExpressNestJSVue
Databases
PostgreSQL
Tooling
Rollup
frequently asked

FAQ#

Can I self-host Hoppscotch?
How does Hoppscotch compare to Postman?
Can I test event and streaming APIs with Hoppscotch?
also worth a look

Similar open-source tools#

Echolon

Echolon

Local-first API client for HTTP, REST, and GraphQL

49TypeScriptMIT

Repository

Stars
79.2K
Forks
5.9K
License
MIT
Latest
2026.4.1
Last commit
18 days ago
Last verified
May 18, 2026
Repo
hoppscotch/hoppscotch ↗

Additional details

Language
TypeScript
Open issues
729
Contributors
340
First release
2019

Categories

APIs & IntegrationDeveloper ToolsWeb Development

Tags

API ClientAPI Development ToolsTestingSelf HostedWebSocket ServersDeveloper ToolsOpen Core

Skip if:

Skip if you need native desktop-only integrations that are outside browser-based workflows.

Small dev team lead

Use self-hosted workspaces to keep API collections, auth settings, and request history in one repository-sized workflow for your whole team.

Skip if:

Skip if your team already uses another enterprise API portal as the single source of truth for API contracts.

the problem

The problem it solves#

API teams using Postman or similar paid clients often pay for the full package, not just core request testing, once they add collection sharing, workspace history, and team sync. The result is recurring cost, hidden portability risk, and workflow lock-in. Hoppscotch targets teams that need fast request debugging and reusable API collections without giving up control of test data and history. It also helps solo developers who want an API client that can keep pace across REST and WebSocket-style tools in one place without adding new subscriptions.

how Hoppscotch solves it

How it solves it#

Protocol coverage

Supports HTTP/REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, MQTT, Socket.IO, and Server-Sent Events from one request composer. This avoids context switching when debugging mixed backends or event-driven APIs.

Workspace and history model

Stores collections, environments, and response history in self-hosted project state with role-aware workspace sharing. That gives teams the same starting point for collaboration, plus local control over team data.

Code and import flexibility

Exports request examples as curl and language snippets, and imports files or GitHub gists. This helps teams keep API examples close to implementation workflows and documentation pipelines.

Cross-device access

Offers desktop and browser entry points plus browser-based testing that works quickly on lightweight laptops. Teams can use the web app during incident work without installing a native client on every machine.

Self-hosting path

Uses a Docker deployment option with a preset compose profile and migration step, including backend services and a database option. That lets operations teams run it on managed cloud or private infrastructure.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Open source with MIT termsThe core web and desktop tools are MIT, so teams can run the code in their own stack, review behavior, and adjust deployment if needed. This lowers operational risk when compliance requires vendor control.
  • Protocol-first API testingFew API clients bundle REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and event-stream tools together with a single interface. Hoppscotch works where API stacks mix sync and real-time traffic, reducing tool fatigue.
  • Browser-first speedFast startup and a lightweight interface helps engineers run ad-hoc tests during incidents. You get immediate request execution and response inspection without waiting on heavyweight startup flows.

Trade-offs

  • -Feature tradeoff in enterprise controlsAudit logs, advanced access controls, and some governance controls are in the enterprise self-hosted path. If your team needs strict role policies and advanced compliance reporting, those capabilities may require paid extensions.
  • -Operational dependency for full stackA production self-hosted setup is easiest with Docker, Postgres, and basic ops routines for upgrades. Teams wanting zero-maintenance SaaS behavior need to account for patching and service uptime.
  • -Team management maturityBasic sharing is available, but organizations needing enterprise-grade identity federation may need extra provisioning work. In these cases, dedicated enterprise support can reduce setup friction.
versus alternatives

Hoppscotch vs alternatives#

Hoppscotch vs Postman and Insomnia

Postman, Insomnia, and Hoppscotch target the same API testing workflows, so the main decision is deployment control versus managed convenience. Postman delivers a large managed ecosystem with polished enterprise admin features, but much of team collaboration and sync sits in Postman's cloud domain. Insomnia is strong for desktop API development with a clean local client flow, yet many teams still use it in parallel for WebSocket or streaming cases.

ToolHosting modelCollaboration modelBest fit
PostmanManaged SaaS + paid plans for most advanced team controlsStrong managed workspace and governance defaultsTeams that want zero infra operations
InsomniaMixed client focus with commercial tiersDesktop-first workflows with local and cloud blendDevelopers preferring a native app-centric flow
HoppscotchMIT self-hosted option with Docker profileBrowser-first collaboration with self-hosted workspace scope
install · self-host

Install and self-host#

bash
# Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/hoppscotch/hoppscotch.git
cd hoppscotch

# Prepare local environment
cp .env.example .env

# Start Hoppscotch with Docker Compose
docker compose --profile default up

Yes. Hoppscotch includes WebSocket, MQTT, Socket.IO, and Server-Sent Events support in the same request panel so you can validate both sync and streaming APIs without opening a second tool.

Which paid option is closest to Hoppscotch?

Postman remains the most common paid replacement for teams moving from familiar workspace workflows, while Insomnia offers a different desktop-first developer experience. If you want browser-first testing with strict self-hosted control, Hoppscotch is the clearer fit for many teams.

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Yes. Use the official Docker compose profiles from the repository. The default profile starts the all-in-one service plus database and migration handling, while the default-no-db profile supports external database setups.

Postman has a broad ecosystem, but it can route your work through its own collaboration and account flows. Hoppscotch gives you self-hosted ownership for collections and history while covering the same core testing protocols in most workflows.

Teams needing local control and protocol breadth

Choose Hoppscotch when your priority is self-hosted data ownership, faster protocol coverage in one tool, and lower lock-in for request and collection data. Choose Postman or Insomnia if you need managed account orchestration and polished enterprise controls with minimal infrastructure overhead.