Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Thunder Client VS Hurl.dev

Compare Thunder Client VS Hurl.dev and see what are their differences

Thunder Client logo Thunder Client

Rest API client for VS Code, lightweight Postman alternative

Hurl.dev logo Hurl.dev

Hurl is a command line tool that runs HTTP requests defined in a simple plain text format.
  • Thunder Client Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05
  • Hurl.dev Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

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.

Hurl.dev features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Hurl.dev provides a simple and intuitive interface to work with, making it easy for users to compose and test HTTP requests without dealing with the complexity of more advanced tools.
  • Scripting Capabilities
    It offers powerful scripting capabilities using a straightforward syntax, allowing users to automate HTTP requests efficiently.
  • Open Source
    Hurl.dev being open-source allows users to contribute to the development and improvement of the tool, as well as ensuring transparency and reliability.
  • Flexibility
    The tool supports a wide range of HTTP methods and features, accommodating various testing needs and workflows.
  • Integration
    Hurl.dev can easily integrate into existing CI/CD pipelines, streamlining automated testing processes.

Possible disadvantages of Hurl.dev

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to more complex tools, Hurl.dev might lack some advanced features required for extensive API testing and analysis.
  • Learning Curve for Scripting
    While Hurl.dev provides scripting capabilities, users unfamiliar with the syntax may face an initial learning curve.
  • Community Support
    As a newer tool, it might have a smaller community, which can affect the availability of resources and support.
  • Performance Limitations
    Hurl.dev may not handle very large or complex load testing scenarios as efficiently as dedicated load testing tools.
  • Interface Limitations
    The command-line nature of the tool might not appeal to users who prefer graphical user interfaces for managing HTTP requests.

Analysis of Thunder Client

Overall verdict

  • Thunder Client is a good option for developers who want a minimalistic and efficient tool for testing APIs without the need for a standalone application. It is particularly beneficial for those who use Visual Studio Code as their primary development environment.

Why this product is good

  • Thunder Client is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a popular choice for developers who require a lightweight API testing solution. It is integrated directly into Visual Studio Code, allowing users to manage API requests without switching between applications. It supports RESTful services and offers features like collections, environment variables, and authentication support, comparable to other tools but within a more streamlined interface.

Recommended for

  • Developers who prefer working within Visual Studio Code
  • Those who need a simple and fast tool for testing REST APIs
  • Developers looking for an alternative to more complex API testing tools
  • Teams or individuals with straightforward API testing needs and require easy sharing of request collections

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

Hurl.dev videos

No Hurl.dev videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Thunder Client and Hurl.dev)
Developer Tools
67 67%
33% 33
Command Line Tools
0 0%
100% 100
API Tools
65 65%
35% 35
APIs
70 70%
30% 30

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Thunder Client and Hurl.dev

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

Hurl.dev Reviews

We have no reviews of Hurl.dev yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hurl.dev seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 60 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.

Thunder Client mentions (0)

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

Hurl.dev mentions (60)

  • Show HN: APIs as First-Class Citizen
    }; ``` I've carefully studied tools like gRPC/TypeSpec, but I'm not entirely satisfied. Since I have prior experience writing parsers and code generation tools, I finally decided to create my ownโ€”[XIDL](https://github.com/xidl/xidl). I made the following improvements: First, I generated the trait and OpenAPI documentation using `xidl-build`, thus resolving the inconsistency in OpenAPI generation time. Second, I... - Source: Hacker News / 21 days ago
  • Hurl vs Postman: Git-Friendly API Testing With Proxy-Aware Egress (2026)
    If any of that sounds familiar, Iโ€™d recommend finally taking the big step and replacing your Postman collection with Hurl โ€” a command-line HTTP test runner where tests are plain **.hurl** text files that live in Git. For this tutorial, Iโ€™ll also walk you through multi-region testing โ€” how to run those tests using a proxy to get a German egress IP, and see what the API actually returns from there. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Show HN: Yapi โ€“ Terminal API Client for Power Users
    Hurl's another great option for this https://hurl.dev/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Postman which I thought worked locally on my computer, is down
    Allow me to introduce you to Hurl: https://hurl.dev/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Just Use Curl
    There's also hurl: https://hurl.dev You define all your requests in a plaintext format and can inject variables etc... Plus the name is kinda funny. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Thunder Client and Hurl.dev, you can also consider the following products

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

Productivity Power Tools - Extension for Visual Studio - A set of extensions to Visual Studio 2012 Professional (and above) which improves developer productivity.

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

Hoppscotch - Open source API development ecosystem

Kreya - GUI Client - Kreya is a GUI client for gRPC and REST APIs with innovative features for environments, authorizations and more.

Requestly - A Powerfulย API Mockingย andย Testingย Tool