Software · head to head
3scale vs HTTPie
3scale
Software
API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs
- From
- $300/monthly
- Rated
- -
HTTPie
Software
Command-line HTTP client with intuitive interface and syntax
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only HTTPie has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 3scale red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date; HTTPie the desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release
- They diverge on capability: 3scale covers API Gateway, HTTPie covers REST Client.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3scale and HTTPie actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 3scale
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- API Monetization
- Red Hat OpenShift
- AWS
- Azure
- Kubernetes
- Cloud support
Only in HTTPie
- REST Client
- JSON support
- Colored output
- CI/CD
- Shell scripting
- Automation
- Linux support
- MacOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3scale
- API gateway and lifecycle managementnot HTTPie
- Rate limiting and traffic control across API consumersnot HTTPie
- Developer portal and access key managementnot HTTPie
- Monetising APIs with usage-based plansnot HTTPie
- Hybrid deployment across on-premises and cloudnot HTTPie
HTTPie
- Sending and inspecting HTTP requests from the terminalnot 3scale
- A readable alternative to curl for API debuggingnot 3scale
- Testing APIs through a graphical clientnot 3scale
- Installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environmentnot 3scale
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
3scale
- Red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date
- Sold as part of Red Hat middleware rather than standalone, and 3scale.net redirects into redhat.com
- Pricing is not published and a subscription is required for some services
HTTPie
- The desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release
- Pricing for the desktop and web products is not published, while the terminal client is free and open source
- The graphical versions are newer than the CLI, so parity between them is not guaranteed
Pricing, plan by plan
3scale
$300/monthly- Starter$300/monthly
- API gateway
- Developer portal
- Basic analytics
- Professional$750/monthly
- Advanced features
- API monetization
- Enhanced support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- Dedicated support
- Premium SLA
HTTPie
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full HTTPie CLI
- Community support
- HTTPie for Web$10/monthly
- Web interface
- Cloud storage
- Team collaboration
Which should you pick?
Choose 3scale if
- You need api gateway.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want developer portal.
Choose HTTPie if
- You need rest client.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web.
- You also want json support.
Questions people ask
- Is 3scale or HTTPie better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3scale starts at $300/monthly and HTTPie at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3scale or HTTPie?
- HTTPie has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/monthly for 3scale and Free for HTTPie.
- Does 3scale or HTTPie run on more platforms?
- 3scale runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. HTTPie runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web.
- Can I use HTTPie for free?
- Yes. HTTPie has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3scale starts at $300/monthly.
- What is 3scale best used for?
- 3scale is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers, developer portal and access key management, monetising apis with usage-based plans. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers are not what HTTPie is typically brought in for.
- What can 3scale do that HTTPie cannot?
- 3scale covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Monetization, Red Hat OpenShift. HTTPie covers REST Client, JSON support, Colored output, CI/CD.