Hoppscotch is a free, open-source API client designed for developers who need a fast, lightweight, and privacy-focused alternative to proprietary tools like Postman. It supports HTTP, GraphQL, WebSocket, MQTT, and Server-Sent Events with real-time response viewing, code generation, and collaborative features—all without requiring cloud dependency. Built with Vue.js and TypeScript, it runs as a Progressive Web App (PWA), desktop app, or CLI tool, and offers full offline functionality with local and cloud sync.
The platform integrates with GitHub, Google, and Microsoft for authentication, supports SSO and team collaboration with role-based access, and includes built-in proxying to bypass CORS and IP restrictions. Its modular architecture includes official add-ons like a browser extension, CLI tool, and proxy server, making it extensible for enterprise and individual use cases alike.
What You Get
- HTTP Method Support - Full support for GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, CONNECT, OPTIONS, TRACE, and custom methods like LIST with direct request sending and response viewing.
- GraphQL Client - Query GraphQL endpoints with schema introspection, multi-column documentation, custom headers, and real-time response parsing in JSON format.
- WebSocket Client - Establish full-duplex connections to WebSocket servers with live message streaming and connection status indicators.
- Server-Sent Events (SSE) & Socket.IO - Subscribe to real-time server streams via SSE and Socket.IO protocols without polling, with automatic reconnection and event logging.
- MQTT Client - Publish and subscribe to MQTT topics with broker connection configuration and message payload visualization.
- Request Code Generation - Auto-generate code snippets in 10+ languages including cURL, JavaScript, Python, Node.js, Go, Java, and more for direct integration into projects.
- Pre-Request & Post-Request Scripts - Execute JavaScript code before sending requests to set variables or modify headers, and after receiving responses to validate status codes or parse data.
- Environments & Variables - Define unlimited environment variables (e.g., API keys, base URLs) that auto-populate in requests and scripts, reducing manual errors.
- Collections & Folders - Organize requests into unlimited nested collections and folders with export/import via file or GitHub Gist.
- Team Collaboration - Create teams with role-based access control, share collections, and sync workspaces across multiple users and devices.
- Workspaces - Isolate personal and team projects into separate workspaces with independent environments, history, and settings.
- Proxy Mode - Bypass CORS restrictions and access non-HTTPS APIs via Hoppscotch’s official proxy server (proxyscotch) with IP masking and secure tunneling.
- PWA & Offline Support - Install as a Progressive Web App with Service Workers for instant loading, offline request history, and home screen installation on mobile and desktop.
- Keyboard Shortcuts - Optimized keybindings for rapid request sending, tab switching, and navigation to accelerate API testing workflows.
- Browser Extensions - Chrome and Firefox extensions that intercept and send requests directly from the browser with automatic CORS handling.
- CLI Tool - Command-line interface for running API requests in scripts, CI/CD pipelines, or terminal-based workflows.
- Admin Dashboard - Manage team members, view usage insights, and configure SSO and access policies for enterprise deployments.
- i18n Support - Full localization in multiple languages with community-driven translations and contribution workflow.
- Cloud & Local Sync - Synchronize collections, history, environments, and settings across devices via GitHub, Google, Microsoft, or email authentication.
Common Use Cases
- Testing REST APIs during development - A frontend developer uses Hoppscotch to test endpoint responses, validate headers, and generate cURL snippets for integration into React components.
- Debugging WebSocket real-time feeds - A backend engineer connects to a live WebSocket API to monitor real-time stock price updates and debug message payloads without writing custom clients.
- Running API tests in CI/CD pipelines - A DevOps engineer uses the Hoppscotch CLI to automate HTTP and GraphQL API health checks as part of a GitHub Actions workflow.
- Collaborating on API documentation with a team - A product team shares a collection of authenticated API endpoints with developers and QA via shared workspaces and role-based access controls.
- Bypassing CORS restrictions in browser environments - A developer uses the Hoppscotch browser extension to test APIs blocked by CORS policies directly from the browser’s dev tools.
- Offline API prototyping on a plane or low-connectivity environment - A consultant uses the PWA version of Hoppscotch to design and test API flows without internet access, syncing later when reconnected.
Under The Hood
Architecture
- Monorepo structure with cleanly separated frontend, backend, and admin dashboard modules, enabling independent development and deployment
- Backend follows clean architecture with distinct layers for controllers, services, and data access, using dependency injection and modular modules to enforce separation of concerns
- Frontend leverages composable Vue 3 components and a centralized state system, unified by a shared UI library for consistency across applications
- Docker Compose profiles support flexible deployment scenarios, from single-container setups to distributed microservice architectures
- Strategic use of GraphQL for admin interfaces alongside REST for core APIs reflects consumer-driven API design rather than uniformity
Tech Stack
- Node.js backend powered by NestJS with Hono routing and Prisma ORM, connected to PostgreSQL via environment-configured connections
- Multi-package monorepo managed with pnpm, featuring Vue 3, TypeScript, and Vite for a type-safe, high-performance frontend
- Docker-based deployment with layered images and health checks, orchestrated via profile-based service grouping
- Infrastructure-as-code using Nix for deterministic builds, complemented by Firebase and Netlify for hosting and routing
- Testing and tooling stack includes Jest, Vitest, Husky, and Commitlint, with Rollup and SWC for optimized builds
- Cross-platform support via Tauri for desktop apps, with GraphQL schema generation and Firestore for real-time synchronization
Code Quality
- Extensive test coverage across all layers with unit, integration, and end-to-end tests that validate complex state and async flows
- Robust error handling with domain-specific codes and consistent HTTP responses, ensuring predictable behavior in failure scenarios
- Strong TypeScript enforcement throughout the codebase, with well-defined interfaces for APIs, auth, and environment configurations
- Modular, well-organized code with clear boundaries between services, utilities, and UI components, supported by dependency injection and test isolation
- Consistent naming, descriptive test titles, and deliberate mocking strategies that ensure deterministic, fast, and reliable test execution
What Makes It Unique
- Native Tauri-based desktop agent with real-time OTP registration that bridges CLI tools and web interfaces without external dependencies
- Built-in GraphQL AST parser with dynamic default value rendering, eliminating the need for external schema viewers
- Modular kernel interceptor architecture enabling pluggable middleware for proxy, auth, and request handling without monolithic changes
- Privacy-first first-party proxy service that routes requests through official endpoints while preserving user data sovereignty
- Deep Vue 3 composition API integration with reactive streams and auto-resetting UI elements, creating fluid interfaces without heavy state libraries
- Unified event-driven communication layer that seamlessly connects web, desktop, and CLI components into a cohesive ecosystem