Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenAPI Generator VS swagger.io

Compare OpenAPI Generator VS swagger.io and see what are their differences

OpenAPI Generator logo OpenAPI Generator

OpenAPI Generator enables you to generate documentation, clients, and servers from OpenAPI 2.0/3.x documents without hassle.

swagger.io logo swagger.io

Swagger is an open source RESTapi Documentation Tool.
  • OpenAPI Generator Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-01
  • swagger.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-11

OpenAPI Generator features and specs

  • Wide Language Support
    OpenAPI Generator supports a broad range of programming languages, which allows developers to generate client libraries, server stubs, API documentation, and other code artifacts across various languages with ease.
  • Customizability
    The tool provides diverse customization options, including custom templates, configuration options, and overrides, enabling developers to tailor the generated code to meet specific project requirements.
  • Active Community
    OpenAPI Generator benefits from an active and engaged community that contributes to continuous improvements, bug fixes, and enhancements, ensuring the tool stays updated with evolving needs and standards.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    It comes with extensive documentation and a rich set of resources that help users understand how to leverage the tool effectively for their projects.
  • Time-Efficiency
    Automating the generation of API-related code significantly reduces development time and effort, allowing teams to focus on implementing business logic rather than boilerplate code.

Possible disadvantages of OpenAPI Generator

  • Complexity
    Although powerful, OpenAPI Generator can be complex to configure and use effectively, especially for newcomers unfamiliar with OpenAPI specifications and generation nuances.
  • Generated Code Quality
    While the tool generates a significant amount of code, the quality of the generated code might not always match hand-crafted solutions, potentially requiring manual refinements and adjustments.
  • Heavy Dependency
    Relying on a code generator creates a dependency on the tool, which may complicate upgrades over time, especially if custom templates or configurations are heavily used.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with understanding the OpenAPI specification and how to effectively use the generator, particularly for complex APIs and integrations.
  • Maintenance Overhead
    Keeping up with new releases and ensuring compatibility with updated OpenAPI standards can introduce additional maintenance overhead for teams using the tool extensively.

swagger.io features and specs

  • Comprehensive Documentation
    Swagger.io offers extensive documentation that is easy to understand, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users to document and visualize APIs.
  • Interactive API Exploration
    Swagger UI allows developers to test endpoints directly from the browser, which significantly enhances the API development and debugging process.
  • Automated Code Generation
    Swagger can generate client and server code in multiple languages, reducing the time and effort needed to develop APIs.
  • Standardization
    Swagger adheres to the OpenAPI Specification, which is widely recognized and helps in maintaining a standard format across different APIs.
  • Wide Adoption
    Being one of the most popular tools for API documentation, Swagger has a large community and wide industry adoption, which facilitates better support and resources.
  • Third-Party Integrations
    Swagger supports numerous third-party integrations, enabling seamless integration into CI/CD pipelines and other development workflows.

Possible disadvantages of swagger.io

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its comprehensive documentation, there can be a steep learning curve for beginners who are not familiar with API documentation and the OpenAPI Specification.
  • Complexity with Large APIs
    For very large APIs with numerous endpoints, the Swagger UI can become unwieldy and less performant, making it difficult to manage and visualize.
  • Customization Limitations
    While Swagger offers a lot of out-of-the-box features, there are limitations in terms of customizing the UI and some other aspects without delving into code.
  • Dependency on Additional Tools
    To fully utilize Swagger's capabilities, especially in code generation and testing, developers often need to rely on additional tools and libraries, which can add to the complexity.
  • Performance Overhead
    Running the Swagger documentation server can introduce some performance overhead, which might be noticeable in environments with limited resources.

OpenAPI Generator videos

Introducing OpenAPI Generator

More videos:

  • Review - Scaling the Test Coverage of OpenAPI Generator for 30+ Programming Languages - William Cheng

swagger.io videos

No swagger.io videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenAPI Generator and swagger.io)
Development
100 100%
0% 0
API Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Tool
100 100%
0% 0
Documentation
24 24%
76% 76

User comments

Share your experience with using OpenAPI Generator and swagger.io. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenAPI Generator and swagger.io

OpenAPI Generator Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenAPI Generator yet.
Be the first one to post

swagger.io Reviews

Introduction to Doxygen Alternatives In 2021
Swagger io is a software application In the Documentation as a Service & Tools department of a technology stack. It is an open-source tool. Swagger io is an independent set of Javascript, CSS, and HTML tools from a Swagger-compliant API that dynamically produces paperwork and sandbox.
Source: www.webku.net
Doxygen Alternatives
Swagger io is a software In the Documentation as a Service & Tools division of a technology stack. It is an open-source tool. Swagger io is an independent set of Javascript, CSS, and HTML tools from a Swagger-compliant API that dynamically creates documentation and sandbox.
Source: www.educba.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, swagger.io should be more popular than OpenAPI Generator. It has been mentiond 95 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.

OpenAPI Generator mentions (42)

  • Using OpenAPI to Automate API Integration With Rapyd's Payment Gateway
    Manually writing API clients can be time-consuming and result in errors. This is where the OpenAPI specification and tools like OpenAPI Generator are helpful. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Define, Generate, and Implement: An API-First Approach with OpenAPI Generator and FlightPHP
    With your API defined, use the OpenAPI Generator to generate your code automatically. The PHP Flight generator — documented here — was provided by the author and, although its status is still marked as "experimental", it has been my production workhorse for over a year. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Next-generation web framework Teo, supports Node.js, Python and Rust
    You would use OpenAPI (formerly Swagger) [1] for that, which includes JSONSchema for data types but also adds specs for defining REST apis. There are plenty of generators and other tools that work with OpenAPI [2] [1] https://www.openapis.org/ [2] https://openapi-generator.tech/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • FastAPI Got Me an OpenAPI Spec Really... Fast
    As a result, the following specification can be used to generate clients in a number of different languages via OpenAPI Generator. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How to Automatically Consume RESTful APIs in Your Frontend
    As an alternative, you can also use the official OpenAPI Generator, which is a more generic tool supporting a wide range of languages and frameworks. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

swagger.io mentions (95)

  • How API Schema Validation Boosts Effective Contract Testing
    OpenAPI (Swagger): A comprehensive approach to API design that includes built-in schema validation capabilities. - Source: dev.to / 7 days ago
  • 🚀 The Ultimate Guide to REST API Design: Best Practices & Patterns You Can’t Ignore
    Not documenting your API (use tools like Swagger). - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Squido: A Beginner’s Guide to the HTML Website Generator
    Swagger API doc: It enables swagger and generates your super fast static API documentation. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • API Lifecycle Management: Key Strategies for Success
    Comprehensive documentation is vital for the success of an API. Providing clear, developer-friendly documentation helps users understand how to use the API effectively. Tools like Swagger and Postman offer powerful documentation capabilities. Swagger allows developers to create interactive API documentation, while Postman provides detailed guides and examples. For instance, a survey by Postman revealed that 95% of... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • API Titans Collide: OpenAPI vs. Swagger vs. Postman – The 2025 Developer’s Guide
    Imagine standing at the crossroads of innovation where three API titans—OpenAPI, Swagger, and Postman—are not just tools, but partners in your journey toward building robust, user-friendly APIs. In 2025, as the API landscape evolves faster than ever, choosing the right tool isn’t just about convenience—it’s about empowering your development process and giving your projects a competitive edge. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenAPI Generator and swagger.io, you can also consider the following products

API Transformer - API Transformer is a powerful solution that enables you to Transform API specifications to any format.

Doxygen - Generate documentation from source code

Swagger Codegen - Swagger Codegen can reduce the complexities that arise in your build process by providing client SDKs and server stubs for any API you want.

Swagger UI - Swagger UI is a dependency-free collection of HTML, Javascript, and CSS assets that dynamically generate beautiful documentation from a Swag

Apigee - Intelligent and complete API platform

AutoRestCodeGenerator - AutoRestCodeGenerator is an open-source OpenAPI (f.k.a Swagger) Specification code generator released under the MIT License that supports Python, C#, TypeScript, PowerShell, Go, Node.js, and Java.