Why Developers are Switching from Postman to HyperTest?

If you’re a developer, software tester or a QA engineer, you’re familiar with the G.O.A.T there—Postman. When you hear it, you automatically start relating it to API development, API testing, API documentation and API monitoring—basically all things API.

So, how is Postman doing now? Like any tool, Postman has changed over time, and not everyone is thrilled about it. A big shift was Postman’s decision to retire the ScratchPad feature and push users toward a cloud-only model. This change has raised concerns, especially among those who prefer keeping their work local.

Enough about Postman, let’s talk about YOU!

Although I don’t know you personally, but one thing for sure—you’re here because you’re looking for an alternative to Postman for one reason or another.

Why developers like you are looking for a POSTMAN alternative?

Clearly, everyone has their own reason of switching from Postman. Some are looking for a cheaper solution, some for a better testing approach but majorly people are looking for a faster solution, making them move in-sync with this agile world.

Based on facts from real people, I’m going to put forward a few of many reasons that might have pushed you to look for a postman-alternative.

➡️The Manual Effort is Real

Now, are you up for a challenge?

Try creating a test case in Postman without writing any code.

Can you do it?

No, you can’t.

Why not? Because Postman is fundamentally a code-first tool, requiring you to write code to create even the simplest test case. Before you think, "I can code, so it’s not a problem," consider this:

• Can you ensure that your test code is free of bugs?

• Does your QA colleague or software tester know JavaScript well enough to write or understand test code?

• What about your product manager or business analyst?

These questions highlight the limitations of a code-first approach and the challenges it can pose in collaborative environments where not everyone is proficient in coding.

➡️Testing is not directly the forte of Postman

While Postman allows you to write test scripts, it’s primarily designed for manual testing and doesn’t have the depth or flexibility of dedicated testing frameworks like JUnit, Mocha, or RestAssured. Complex test scenarios, especially those requiring advanced assertions, data-driven testing, or extensive mocking, can be cumbersome to implement.

• lack of dynamic assertions

• preparation of test data for every complex scenario

• lack of built-in libraries

• and really basic mocking that just allows you to create mock servers that return predefined responses for your requests

➡️Complete coverage is a distant dream

It all boils down to manual writing of test cases. So again, when you’re writing your test cases manually, there are high chances of missing out on some crucial business flow of your application and even the edge cases are also often missed.

➡️Endless loop of continuous maintenance

In agile environments where code changes frequently, it is a major problem. Every update to the codebase requires manual revisions to numerous test cases, which is time-consuming and error prone.

This can lead to outdated or inconsistent tests, reducing the reliability of the testing process and potentially allowing bugs to slip through.

➡️The learning-curve complimented with its time-consuming setup

Postman often involves manually creating and maintaining collections, configuring environment variables, and scripting tests.

It demands significant effort upfront and continuous maintenance, which can slow down the testing process, reduce productivity, and lead to delays in project timelines.

➡️Ah, the pain of setting up the right environment to run tests

// Environment: Development
{
  "base_url": "http://localhost:3000",
  "api_key": "dev-12345"
}

// Environment: Production
{
  "base_url": "https://api.example.com",
  "api_key": "prod-67890"
}

Example API Request in Postman

GET {{base_url}}/users
Authorization: Bearer {{api_key}}

Let’s say you’ve been working in the development environment, where base_url is set to http://localhost:3000 and api_key is dev-12345. You’re making test requests all day long, everything’s fine.

But then, you switch to the production environment for a quick check. The base_url is now https://api.example.com, and the api_key is prod-67890. If you forget to switch back to the development environment, the next time you run a test, it might hit the production server with the wrong API key, possibly creating or modifying real user data.

Or, worse yet, you accidentally push sensitive production data into your test database. These mistakes can have real consequences, and Postman’s environment management, while powerful, doesn’t always protect against human error. It’s easy to see how this could become a nightmare in a complex project.

Better alternatives, but what exactly devs are looking for in “Postman alternatives”?

By constantly consuming content on this topic, I can definitely list out a few common end-goals devs are after. So, let’s quickly point them out here:

• Automation, that’s the biggest thing people are interested to invest in these days. Manual writing and maintaining of test suites are a thing of past and devs are looking forward to moving beyond that, allowing them to focus on more critical aspects of their business model

  
  

• Auto-updation of test cases when any change is introduced in any of the service in a microservice based architecture.

  
  

• Developers want tools that support a wide range of API types (REST, GraphQL, gRPC etc.) and provide extensive customization options.

  
  

• An approach that tests all their flows in an E2E manner, without actually needing the system to be live in test environment.

• A no-code API testing approach that saves them time and effort that goes in adapting any code-first tool. Tools with quick setup times and easy environment management are sought after to reduce the overhead of initial configuration.

  
  

• and the list goes on…

HyperTest: The Right Reason to Switch from Postman

Developers in the fast-paced, modern agile world often struggle to release bug-free code quickly and with minimal risk due to the lack of effective automation.

HyperTest offers a solution by autonomously testing new code changes along with all their dependencies—external services, third-party APIs, databases, and message queues—right at the source. This approach allows developers to concentrate on innovation and development, rather than dealing with sudden production issues, making HyperTest a compelling alternative to Postman.

Let’s roll out some pointers to justify why we’ve chosen this title:

➡️Auto-generates E2E API Tests

HyperTest generates automatic E2E style integration tests, so you’re not stuck with writing them manually. This feature is a game-changer for devs who are often occupied by the time-consuming task of writing comprehensive tests for every service and endpoint.

Since HyperTest records all the requests hitting your network, the automation ensures thorough coverage of all possible interactions within the application. It drastically reduces the chances of missing critical bugs that could surface in production.

➡️No test data management

One of the most challenging aspects of E2E style testing is managing test data, which often involves seeding databases, managing environments, and ensuring consistency across different test runs. HyperTest simplifies this by enabling E2E workflow testing without the need to seed and manage test data manually.

This feature allows developers to focus on the logic and flow of their applications rather than getting entangled in the complexities of data setup and management, which can be error-prone and time-consuming.

➡️Code Coverage

HyperTest generates a code coverage report after every run. This highlights clearly how it tests code paths for both the data and integration layer along with the core logic.

➡️ Auto validates both schema and data

In Postman, validating responses often requires developers to manually write assertions for both schema and data validation, which can be tedious and prone to human error. HyperTest, on the other hand, automatically generates both schema and data assertions programmatically.

This ensures that every API response is thoroughly checked for correctness, reducing the risk of subtle bugs slipping through due to missed validations. The automated validation process in HyperTest is not only more reliable but also more efficient, saving developers significant time and effort.

➡️Run E2E API tests on local environment

Unlike Postman, which typically requires external systems to be operational and often necessitates the use of additional tools like Postman Runners or the Newman CLI for comprehensive testing, HyperTest allows you to run E2E API tests without any need for a specific/dedicated environment.

This capability is particularly beneficial for developers who want to test in isolated or controlled environments without the overhead of managing multiple external dependencies.

Postman Vs HyperTest: A heads-on Comparison

Make Your Call NOW

Companies like Porter, Paysense, Nykaa, Mobisy, Skuad and Fyers leverage HyperTest to accelerate time to market, reduce delays and improve code quality without needing to write or maintain automation.

Book a demo now.

Or if you want to see HyperTest Vs Postman in action, try exploring our YouTube channel and you are free to come back to us after that. 😉