Star on GitHubA local‑first Postman alternative
DevTools turns real traffic (HAR) into visual API flows you can export as YAML and run in CI. Download DevTools Studio.
Why developers are switching from Postman
Cloud lock-in and forced accounts
Postman increasingly requires cloud accounts for basic workflows. DevTools is 100% local-first — no login, no sync, no cloud dependency.
Script-heavy collections
Postman collections rely on pre/post-request scripts that are hard to review and maintain. DevTools chains requests visually with auto-mapped variables — no scripts needed.
Slow CI runs
Newman (Postman CLI) runs sequentially with a heavier runtime. DevTools CLI is Go-based with parallel execution by default, producing JUnit/JSON reports with clean exit codes.
No Git-reviewable format
Postman collections are large JSON blobs. DevTools exports clean YAML that works in pull request diffs and is easy for teams to review.
What DevTools does differently
- Record real traffic → auto-generate multi-step API tests
- Automatic variable mapping with JSONPath overrides
- Go‑based runner: parallel by default, JUnit/JSON reports
- Local‑first, open source, no account required
Getting started
- Download DevTools Studio (free, open source)
- Migrate from Postman guide
- End-to-end API testing guide
Deep dive guide
Ready to migrate collections and environments? See the Migrate from Postman guide.
Head‑to‑head
| Capability | DevTools | Postman |
|---|---|---|
| HAR → Flow | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| YAML export (Git‑reviewable) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
| Variable mapping | ✅ Automatic, rule‑based | ⚠️ Often script‑heavy |
| Runner speed | ✅ Go‑based, parallel default | ⚠️ Heavier runtime in CI |
| Local‑first / offline | ✅ 100% local; no account | ⚠️ Cloud‑first defaults |
Want a deeper breakdown? See the DevTools vs Postman comparison.
Migration: Postman → DevTools
- Export your Postman collection and environments.
- Import the HAR of your real workflow (Chrome → Save all as HAR).
- Map secrets via
{{#env:VAR}}and variable rules. - Export YAML and run in CI with JUnit output.
name: API tests on: [push] jobs: test: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 - name: Install DevTools CLI run: curl -fsSL https://sh.dev.tools/install.sh | bash - name: Run flow (JUnit) run: devtools flow run --report junit:test-results.xml api-tests.yamlFAQ
Is DevTools open source?
Yes — desktop and CLI are open source on GitHub.
Does it work offline?
Yes. DevTools is local‑first and does not require an account.
Can I run it in CI?
Yes. The CLI outputs JUnit/JSON with clear exit codes for pipelines.
Can I import Postman collections?
Collections can be migrated; we recommend starting from a HAR to capture real workflows with fewer scripts.