Hoppscotch is a lightweight, open-source API development ecosystem designed as a modern alternative to Postman and Insomnia. Built with Vue.js and TypeScript, it provides a unified interface for testing HTTP, GraphQL, WebSocket, Server-Sent Events, and MQTT APIs across web, desktop, and CLI environments. Unlike proprietary tools, Hoppscotch supports offline use, self-hosting, and full data control via local or cloud sync. It’s ideal for developers who need a fast, customizable API client without vendor lock-in, with features like real-time request/response handling, team collaboration, and proxy support to bypass CORS restrictions.
The platform emphasizes performance and accessibility with PWA capabilities, keyboard shortcuts, theming, and multi-language support. Its extensible architecture includes official add-ons like a CLI tool and browser extensions, making it suitable for both individual developers and teams managing complex API workflows across multiple environments and devices.
What You Get
- HTTP Methods Support - Send GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, CONNECT, OPTIONS, TRACE, and custom methods with real-time response viewing and code snippet generation for 10+ languages.
- GraphQL Client - Set endpoint, auto-fetch schema, write queries in multi-column docs, and view structured responses with headers and raw data.
- WebSocket & SSE Support - Establish full-duplex WebSocket connections and subscribe to Server-Sent Events streams without polling.
- MQTT Integration - Publish and subscribe to topics on an MQTT broker directly from the UI with topic subscription management.
- Authorization Methods - Configure Basic Auth, Bearer Token, OAuth 2.0, and OIDC PKCE for secure API access without manual header injection.
- Request & Response Management - View raw and formatted responses (JSON, XML, HTML), copy to clipboard, download as file, inspect headers, and manage request bodies in JSON or FormData formats.
- Collections & History - Organize requests into unlimited nested folders and collections; all history is synced across devices via cloud or local storage.
- Pre-Request & Post-Request Scripts - Execute JavaScript to set environment variables, add timestamps, generate random values, or validate responses with custom logic.
- Environments - Define and reuse variables across requests; initialize via scripts and export/import from GitHub gists.
- Teams & Workspaces - Collaborate with unlimited team members, shared collections, role-based access control, and switch between personal and team workspaces.
- PWA & Offline Support - Install as a Progressive Web App with Service Workers for instant loading, offline functionality, and Home Screen addition on mobile/desktop.
- Proxy Mode - Bypass CORS restrictions and access non-HTTPS APIs by routing requests through Hoppscotch’s official proxy server (proxyscotch).
- Keyboard Shortcuts - Optimize workflow with efficient keybindings for sending requests, switching tabs, and navigating the UI (see docs for full list).
- CLI Tool - Use
hoppscotch-cli to run API tests from terminal: npx hoppscotch-cli send --method GET --url https://api.example.com
- Browser Extensions - Install Chrome/Firefox extensions to fix CORS issues and enhance API testing directly from the browser.
- Admin Dashboard - Manage team members, teams, and user roles via a centralized admin interface for enterprise use.
- i18n & Theming - Switch between Light, Dark, Black themes; customize accent colors; and use the app in multiple languages with community translations.
Common Use Cases
- Building a multi-tenant SaaS dashboard with real-time analytics - Use Hoppscotch to test REST endpoints for user data, GraphQL queries for dashboards, and WebSocket streams for live updates—all within a single interface.
- Creating a mobile-first e-commerce platform with 10k+ SKUs - Organize product, inventory, and payment APIs into collections; use environments to switch between staging and production endpoints seamlessly.
- Problem: CORS blocks local development → Solution: Use Hoppscotch Proxy Mode - When testing APIs on
http://localhost or non-HTTPS endpoints, enable proxy mode to bypass browser CORS restrictions without modifying server configs.
- DevOps teams managing microservices across multiple cloud providers - Sync collections and environments across team members via cloud sync; use pre-request scripts to inject dynamic auth tokens; automate testing with CLI in CI/CD pipelines.
Under The Hood
Hoppscotch is a self-hosted API testing platform that combines a web-based graphical user interface with a Rust-powered desktop agent, enabling both online collaboration and offline functionality. It supports hybrid development workflows and emphasizes extensibility across web, mobile, and desktop environments.
Architecture
The codebase adopts a monorepo structure with modular organization, separating frontend, backend, and CLI components into distinct workspaces. It follows layered architectural patterns with clear boundaries between presentation, business logic, and data access layers.
- The codebase is organized into multiple workspaces, each representing a distinct functional area such as the web UI, agent application, backend API, and CLI tools
- Key design patterns include dependency injection through NestJS modules, DTO-based data transfer, and service-oriented architecture for backend components
- Component interactions are managed through well-defined APIs and GraphQL endpoints, with clear boundaries between frontend and backend services
Tech Stack
The project leverages a modern, multi-platform tech stack built with TypeScript and Vue.js for the web interface, Rust for performance-critical backend services, and Tauri for cross-platform desktop deployment. It uses a monorepo setup with pnpm and integrates extensive tooling for development and testing.
- Built predominantly in TypeScript with Vue.js for the web interface, and Rust for performance-critical backend components, alongside Tauri for cross-platform desktop applications
- Heavily relies on Vue 3, Tauri, fp-ts for functional programming, axios for HTTP requests, and a suite of utility libraries like lodash-es and @vueuse/core
- Utilizes Vite for frontend builds, Tauri CLI for desktop app compilation, and a comprehensive set of tooling including ESLint, Prettier, and Tailwind CSS for styling and code quality
- Integrates Vitest for unit testing, Jest for backend testing, and a robust linting setup with commitlint and husky for code quality enforcement
Code Quality
The codebase demonstrates a mature approach to testing with extensive use of mocking and comprehensive test suites covering various scenarios. Error handling is consistently implemented across modules using try/catch blocks and structured error responses.
- The codebase features good test coverage and a well-configured linting pipeline that enforces code quality standards
- Error handling is consistently implemented across modules using try/catch blocks and structured error responses
- Code maintains reasonable consistency in style and naming conventions, though some technical debt is evident in the reliance on deep mocks and complex service compositions
- CI/CD pipeline and API documentation are well configured, supporting a robust development lifecycle
What Makes It Unique
Hoppscotch stands out by offering a hybrid architecture that enables both browser-based collaboration and local execution through its Rust-powered Tauri agent. This approach provides unique capabilities for offline API testing and system-level integrations.
- Hybrid web and desktop agent architecture enables offline API testing and local system interaction
- Rust-based Tauri agent provides secure, lightweight desktop integration with native OS capabilities
- Extensive use of monorepo structure with shared components across web, mobile, and desktop platforms
- Custom GraphQL language support through dedicated syntax package enhances developer experience for API work