Top Reasons Developers Are Choosing an Alternative to the Postman in 2025

Brief Overview

API testing is crucial in modern development. Postman has been a top choice, but many teams now prefer an alternative to the Postman for better speed and flexibility. This blog explains Postman’s role, its drawbacks, why developers seek alternatives, and introduces a rising tool in API testing.

The Changing Face of API Testing

Postman began as a simple request-sending tool and grew into a platform with over 25 million users. It offers features for building and testing APIs. But times are changing. Developers are now seeking an alternative to the Postman to keep up with modern demands. A recent industry report shows that nearly 40% of testers prefer other solutions over Postman. Why is this happening? The reasons range from speed concerns to strict usage limits. Teams want flexibility, automation, and better integration without heavy resource loads. Let’s decode the main reasons behind this change.

Postman: A Quick Refresher Before the Debate

Postman is a popular platform for building and testing APIs. It allows developers to send requests and validate responses. Users can create collections and organize their APIs for quick access. Postman also supports collaboration between team members. While it remains a strong player, there are areas where developers feel restricted.

Why Developers Are Moving to Alternatives

1. Heavy Resource Usage

Postman can take up large system resources. Running the desktop app on lower-end systems often slows down performance. Teams working on heavy projects face delays during test execution.

2. Open Source Constraints

Many developers prefer open-source solutions for control and cost reasons. Postman has limited open-source flexibility, which makes some teams look for free and community-driven options.

3. Performance Testing Gaps

Postman does not offer advanced performance testing out of the box. Developers often need separate tools to handle load testing and stress testing. This adds extra steps to the workflow.

4. Integration Challenges

Postman does support integrations. But setting up certain pipelines for CI/CD can become complex. Some tools allow easier integration with existing workflows.

5. Browser-Based Flexibility

Developers want tools that work fully in the browser without installing heavy apps. Postman does have a web version but with certain limitations that impact usage.

6. Strict API Creation Limits

Free plans in Postman have strict limits for API creation and team collaboration. This makes scaling hard for small teams that do not want paid plans.

7. Constrained Collection Runs

Running large collections often hits restrictions in Postman. Teams with high testing needs find this frustrating.

8. Tight Usage Caps

Usage caps on API calls and monitoring make it tough for teams with heavy workloads.

9. Restricted Automation Flows

Postman supports scripting through JavaScript. However, building complex automation flows takes extra effort. Some alternatives make automation much easier.

How Postman Stacks Up Against Open-Source Tools

Feature	Postman	Other Open-Source Tools
Resource Usage	Heavy memory and CPU load	Lightweight and fast
Open Source Availability	Limited control	Fully open-source and customizable
Performance Testing	Requires separate tools	Built-in load testing
Browser-Based Access	Restricted web version	Full browser based usage
Automation Capabilities	Complex JavaScript scripting	Simple and code-light automation

Karate Labs: A Strong Player in the API Testing Space

Karate API testing is making waves by offering advanced features with simplicity. It supports open-source flexibility and smooth workflows.

How Karate Makes API Testing Smarter

●     Simplified Test Scripting: Karate uses a simple DSL that makes writing test cases easy, saving time for new testers. It also adds productivity for experts.

●     Built-In Features: Karate has features like data-driven testing, parallel execution and detailed reports. These allow testers to handle various scenarios without extra plugins.

●     Integration-Friendly: Karate works well with Jenkins and Git for CI/CD. This makes it easy to include API tests in continuous testing processes.

●     Reusable Code: Karate supports modular code. Developers can update one central location instead of multiple scripts, reducing effort.

●     Active Community: Karate has an active community that shares resources and answers questions. In this way problem solving becomes easy.

Final Thoughts

Developers today want speed, simplicity and open-source freedom. This is why they are looking for an alternative to the Postman. Postman still has value, but its resource usage, restrictions, and lack of built-in performance testing make some developers turn away. API testing offered by Karate Labs brings flexibility, automation, and strong community support. If you want better testing without heavy limits, now is the time to try new options.

Commonly Asked Queries Regarding API Testing:

Ways to test an API without Postman

You can use command-line tools like cURL or open-source API testing tools.

Is Postman similar to Docker on purpose?

No, Postman is for API testing while Docker is for containerizing applications.

Testing an API directly in the browser

You can call REST APIs using browser extensions or simple JavaScript fetch requests.

Code-level API testing without Postman

You can write automated tests using frameworks like Karate, RestAssured, or HTTP libraries.