Software Alternatives & Startups

Kurlo.dev VS Postman

Compare Kurlo.dev VS Postman and see what are their differences

Kurlo.dev

A free, open-source desktop API client with Agent mode: the Kurlo agent with any model, Claude Code or Codex runs your requests, explains failures and writes tests, asking before every change. No account, no cloud, no telemetry.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Free
Postman

The Collaboration Platform for API Development

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Postman seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 30 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 30
APIs popularity
1% vs 99%
alternatives listed
8 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Kurlo.dev
Postman
Website kurlo.dev postman.com
Pricing
Open source Free Official pricing
Open source
Platforms
Windows Linux MacOS
Windows Mac OSX Linux
Company — Startup from India
Listed in

About Kurlo.dev and Postman

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Kurlo.dev
Postman

Kurlo is a desktop API client for macOS, Windows and Linux. It is free for a team of any size: there is no paid plan and no account. Agent mode Ask in plain words and the agent runs your requests and collections, explains why a call failed, and writes requests and tests. Use the Kurlo agent with...

Read more about Kurlo.dev

No description of Postman yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Kurlo.dev 13 features
Postman 6 features
  • Agent mode
    Ask in plain words: the agent runs requests, explains failures and writes tests, with any model or your Claude Code / Codex subscription.
  • Approval before changes
    Every change and every call other than GET, HEAD or OPTIONS waits for your OK, shown as a readable diff.
  • Secrets stay hidden
    Secrets are sent to the API, but the model only sees [secret].
  • Collections in Git
    Every request is a YAML file in your repo; commit, push and pull from the app.
  • Postman compatible
    Import Postman, Insomnia, Bruno, OpenAPI and HAR; pm.test, pm.expect and pm.sendRequest run as written.
  • Browser CORS/CSP emulation
    Run requests the way a browser would and see the CORS or CSP error before you ship.
  • Many protocols
    HTTP, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, Socket.IO, SSE and MCP requests.
  • Collection Runner
    Run collections with CSV data, tags and JSON or JUnit reports.
  • Local mock server
    Serve saved examples as a mock API on your machine, with no request cap.
  • Load testing
    Build k6 load tests with ramp-up profiles and thresholds.
  • CLI and MCP server
    npx -y @kurlo/cli runs collections in CI and gives Claude Code, Cursor and Codex your requests.
  • No Account Needed
    No sign-up, no paid plan, no telemetry; free for a team of any size.
  • Native and small
    Go and the system WebView instead of Electron, about 25 MB on macOS.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Postman features an intuitive and user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of constructing API requests and visualizing responses. This makes it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Collaboration
    Postman offers robust collaboration features, such as shared workspaces, collections, and real-time editing, enabling teams to work together more efficiently on API development.
  • Comprehensive Testing Tools
    Postman provides a suite of testing tools to create, automate, and manage test cases. It supports automated testing through its scripting environments, which ensure APIs perform as expected.
  • Extensive API Documentation
    Postman can automatically generate comprehensive API documentation, making it easier to maintain and share API specifications with stakeholders and other developers.
  • Mock Servers
    Postman allows users to create mock servers to simulate API responses. This is particularly useful for testing and development purposes when the actual API is not yet available.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Postman offers integrations with various CI/CD tools, version control systems, and other services like Jenkins, GitHub, and Slack, facilitating seamless integration into development workflows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Resource Intensive
    Postman can sometimes be resource-intensive, consuming substantial memory and CPU, which can impact the performance of your system, especially when dealing with large collections.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While Postman is generally user-friendly, some of its advanced features, like scripting and automation, can have a steep learning curve and might require additional effort to master.
  • Pricing
    Although Postman offers a free tier, many of its advanced features, such as enhanced collaboration tools and extended integrations, are locked behind paid plans, which may not be cost-effective for smaller teams or individual developers.
  • Dependency on Internet
    Some of Postman's features, particularly those related to collaboration and synchronization, require a stable internet connection, which can be a limitation in environments with poor connectivity.
  • Limited Native Support for Certain Protocols
    Postman primarily focuses on HTTP/HTTPS protocols and may offer limited or no native support for other protocols, which can be restricting for developers working with diverse sets of technologies.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Kurlo.dev
Postman

No analysis of Kurlo.dev yet.

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Postman is widely regarded as a good tool for API development and testing. Its combination of powerful features and ease of use makes it a popular choice among developers.

Why this product is good

  • Postman is considered a top choice for API development due to its user-friendly interface, extensive features for testing, automation, and collaboration, and strong community support. It simplifies the process of creating, managing, and testing APIs, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced developers.

Recommended for

  • Developers working on API integration
  • QA engineers involved in testing APIs
  • Teams in need of collaborative API development
  • Developers looking to automate API testing
  • Individuals looking for a comprehensive API testing tool

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Kurlo.dev 1 video + Add
Postman 3 videos + Add

Kurlo tour

POST/CON 2018 workshop in review: Running Postman Collections

More videos

  • - POST/CON 2018 workshop in review: Postman Collections
  • - How to Share Postman Collections

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Kurlo.dev
Postman
1% 1%
99% 99%
1% 1%
99% 99%
100% 100%
AI
0% 0%
1% 1%
99% 99%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Kurlo.dev and Postman.

What makes your product unique?

Kurlo.dev's answer

Kurlo is an API client with an agent inside that asks first. You can use the Kurlo agent with any model (OpenRouter, your own key, Ollama or LM Studio) or plug in the Claude Code or Codex subscription you already pay for. Every change and every call other than GET, HEAD or OPTIONS waits for your approval, and secrets are sent to the API but never shown to the model.

It is also the only API client we know of that emulates browser CORS and CSP checks, so you see the error your frontend would get before you ship. And it is native: Go and the system WebView instead of Electron, about 25 MB on macOS.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Kurlo.dev's answer

  • Free for a team of any size. There is no paid plan and no account; a team shares a workspace through any Git host, including private ones.
  • Collections are plain YAML files in your repo, so API changes are reviewed in the same pull request as the code.
  • Postman collections keep working: pm.test, pm.expect, pm.sendRequest and require('lodash') run as written instead of being converted.
  • The agent works with the model or subscription you already have, and the same tools are available to Claude Code, Cursor and Codex over MCP.
  • Much smaller and lighter than Electron-based clients like Postman, Insomnia and Bruno.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Kurlo.dev's answer

Backend and frontend developers and QA engineers who test APIs every day, and small teams that are tired of accounts, per-seat pricing and cloud workspaces. Also developers who already work with AI agents like Claude Code, Cursor or Codex and want an API client their agent can run and edit.

What's the story behind your product?

Kurlo.dev's answer

I used Postman for years until it started heating up my laptop and lagging whenever a backend, a database and a few containers were running next to it. At the same time sharing requests with friends meant paying for every seat. Bruno came close, but private Git hosts and commit/push from the app were behind a paid plan, and we use a private GitLab at work.

So I built the client I wanted: collections as YAML in the same repo as the API, Postman scripts that keep working, no account, and a small native app. It went open source under MIT, and in November 2026 version 3.0 added Agent mode, because most of my work now happens alongside coding agents and I wanted them to use my collections the way I do.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Kurlo.dev's answer

Go for the backend, request engine, CLI and MCP server; Wails with the system WebView (WebKit on macOS and Linux, WebView2 on Windows) instead of Electron; Svelte 5 and TypeScript for the interface with CodeMirror editors; k6 for load tests; Astro and Starlight for the website and docs.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Kurlo.dev's answer

  • Individual developers and small teams; Kurlo has no accounts or telemetry, so we don't track who uses it.

User comments

Share your experience with using Kurlo.dev and Postman. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Kurlo.dev no reviews yet
Postman no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Kurlo.dev yet. Be the first one to post

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Kurlo.dev 0 mentions
Postman 30 mentions

Tracking Kurlo.dev since Nov 2026.

  • Best API Mocking Platforms in 2024
    Postman (postman.com) is a comprehensive API platform that goes beyond mocking, offering a full suite for API development, testing, and monitoring. With its mock server feature, Postman enables teams to simulate responses for various... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • 10 Best API Mocking Tools (2024 Review)
    Postman is a widely used tool for API testing and interaction. Its "Mock Servers" feature lets you create a mock version of your API, returning specific responses for testing. While useful, Postman may lack advanced mock server... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • The 3 Best Tools for API Design for Software Architects
    Postman is a widely adopted tool for API design and development, offering an intuitive interface for creating, testing, and documenting APIs. It simplifies the API design process, allowing architects to quickly prototype and refine their... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago

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Alternatives to Kurlo.dev and Postman

When comparing Kurlo.dev and Postman, you can also consider the following products.