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HTTPie for Terminal VS Thunder Client

Compare HTTPie for Terminal VS Thunder Client and see what are their differences

HTTPie for Terminal logo HTTPie for Terminal

Developers all around the world rely on HTTPie for API testing.

Thunder Client logo Thunder Client

Rest API client for VS Code, lightweight Postman alternative
  • HTTPie for Terminal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-30
  • Thunder Client Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05

HTTPie for Terminal features and specs

  • User-Friendly Syntax
    HTTPie's command-line syntax is designed to be more human-readable than traditional command-line tools like curl, making it easier to construct and understand HTTP requests.
  • JSON Support
    HTTPie automatically detects JSON responses and pretty-prints them, enhancing readability and making it easier to work with APIs that return JSON data.
  • Headers and Options Simplification
    HTTPie simplifies the process of setting headers and authentication options, reducing the likelihood of errors and improving efficiency for developers.
  • Built-in Authentication
    The tool offers built-in support for basic and digest authentication without requiring additional steps or configurations.
  • Color-Coded Output
    HTTPie provides color-coded output which helps distinguish between various parts of the HTTP response, such as headers and body, making it easier to interpret.

Possible disadvantages of HTTPie for Terminal

  • Limited by Terminal Environment
    HTTPie's functionality is limited by what can be achieved within a terminal environment, which may not cover all use cases compared to a full-fledged HTTP client with a GUI.
  • Dependency on Python
    Since HTTPie is a Python-based tool, it requires Python to be installed on the system, which could be a barrier on systems without it or where installation is restricted.
  • Less Popular Than curl
    While HTTPie is user-friendly, it is less ubiquitous than curl, meaning that community support, resources, and third-party integrations might be somewhat limited.
  • Performance Overhead
    HTTPie might introduce some performance overhead compared to tools like curl, especially for simple lightweight requests, due to its additional features and output formatting.
  • Learning Curve for curl Users
    Users familiar with curl may experience a learning curve when switching to HTTPie due to its different syntax and command structure.

Thunder Client features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Thunder Client offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create and manage API requests without getting overwhelmed by complex features.
  • VS Code Integration
    Being an extension for Visual Studio Code, it is convenient for developers who already use VS Code, enabling seamless API testing within their development environment.
  • Lightweight
    Compared to other API testing tools, Thunder Client is lightweight, making it ideal for users who need a quick and simple solution for testing APIs without extensive configuration.
  • Environment Variables
    The tool allows the use of environment variables, enabling users to manage different environments effectively and switch between them easily.
  • Support for Collections
    Supports organizing requests into collections, allowing for efficient management and categorization of related requests.

Possible disadvantages of Thunder Client

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Thunder Client lacks some of the advanced features found in more robust API testing tools, such as automation scripts and extensive plugin support.
  • Dependency on VS Code
    As a VS Code extension, it requires Visual Studio Code to run. This dependency can be a drawback for users who prefer other code editors or standalone applications.
  • No Collaboration Features
    Unlike some other API testing tools, Thunder Client does not have built-in collaboration features, which can limit its use in team environments.
  • Platform Specific
    It is primarily designed for use within Visual Studio Code, which may not be ideal for users who work across multiple platforms or require a standalone solution.

HTTPie for Terminal videos

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Thunder Client videos

Thunder Client - API testing right inside VSCode

More videos:

  • Review - Do you really need Postman? | Use Thunder Client - VSCode extension | Easy & Lightweight
  • Review - Thunder client - Vscode extension | Say no to Postman

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to HTTPie for Terminal and Thunder Client)
Developer Tools
39 39%
61% 61
API Tools
36 36%
64% 64
APIs
36 36%
64% 64
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare HTTPie for Terminal and Thunder Client

HTTPie for Terminal Reviews

We have no reviews of HTTPie for Terminal yet.
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Thunder Client Reviews

Best Postman Alternatives To Consider in 2025
This free, feature-rich extension integrates seamlessly with VSCode, making it ideal for developers who prefer a unified environment. Thunder Client offers collection management, environment variables, and basic automation capabilities. It stands out for its tight integration with VSCode's debugging tools.
15 Best Postman Alternatives for Automated API Testing [2022 Updated]
Thunder Client is a Vscode Postman alternative that runs as a Visual Studio Code extension (not open source). Its design focuses on simple and efficient HTTP clients while constructing or connecting with APIs. Thunder Client can handle a wide range of API requests. It effectively processes immense amounts of data simultaneously while not slowing down the VS Code program.
Source: testsigma.com
Top 5 Postman alternatives
Thunder Client is a VS Code extension focusing on being a simple and efficient HTTP client while building or integrating with APIs. It supports collections as a way to group relevant requests. Moreover, ThunderClient supports the concept of Environment and Environment Variables to store and re-use values within multiple requests. Finally, ThunderClinet offers a UI that you...
Source: testfully.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, HTTPie for Terminal seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 10 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

HTTPie for Terminal mentions (10)

  • CLI Tools every Developer should know
    You can follow the installation instructions for HTTPie on the official GitHub repository: HTTPie Installation Guide. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Yq is a portable yq: command-line YAML, JSON, XML, CSV and properties processor
    You might enjoy the httpie cli, which is better than curl for testing APIs for many reasons, one of which is automatic pretty printed and colorized text response output. https://httpie.io/cli. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Writing Telegram bots from command line
    Other tools are available for similar purposes, for example, HTTPie. Technically, you can match curl syntax to HTTPie almost one-to-one. Still, I will be using curl, because it is standard and available by default in the majority and UNIX-based environments and macOS. On Windows, you may need to install it separately. It would be best if you also were careful with double quotes in the command below because cmd or... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Changelog #0014 — 🗄 Spaces, API key auth, UI improvements, and more
    It’s been an eventful few weeks for HTTPie for Terminal. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • A CLI tool written in PHP made for humans to make networks requests
    I have been using a similar one for a while (minus the laravel integration), check it out if you haven't seen it before - httpie. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

Thunder Client mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Thunder Client yet. Tracking of Thunder Client recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing HTTPie for Terminal and Thunder Client, you can also consider the following products

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

Insomnia REST - Design, debug, test, and mock APIs locally, on Git, or cloud. Build better APIs collaboratively for the most popular protocols with a dev‑friendly UI, built-in automation, and an extensible plugin ecosystem.

RapidAPI for Mac - Paw is a REST client for Mac.

Hoppscotch - Open source API development ecosystem

EchoAPI - Next-gen API development collaboration platform. More than just API design, debug, test, load-testing, and mock.

Runscope - Log, monitor and measure your API usage to solve API problems fast.