Softwr

APIs · head to head

HTTPie vs Spring Cloud Gateway

HTTPie logo

HTTPie

APIs

Command-line HTTP client with intuitive interface and syntax

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spring Cloud Gateway logo

Spring Cloud Gateway

APIs

API gateway built on Project Reactor for building microservices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HTTPie the desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release; Spring Cloud Gateway released under the Apache 2.0 license, free and open source with no commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: HTTPie covers REST Client, Spring Cloud Gateway covers Routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HTTPie and Spring Cloud Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where HTTPie and Spring Cloud Gateway differ
AttributeHTTPieSpring Cloud Gateway
PlatformsLinux, MacOS, Windows, WebJava, Spring Boot
Founded20121998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 HTTPie

  • REST Client
  • JSON support
  • Colored output
  • CI/CD
  • Shell scripting
  • Automation
  • Linux support
  • MacOS support

Only in Spring Cloud Gateway

  • Routing
  • Path Rewriting
  • Circuit Breaker
  • Spring Boot
  • Spring Security
  • Spring Cloud
  • Java support
  • Spring Boot support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HTTPie

  • Sending and inspecting HTTP requests from the terminalnot Spring Cloud Gateway
  • A readable alternative to curl for API debuggingnot Spring Cloud Gateway
  • Testing APIs through a graphical clientnot Spring Cloud Gateway
  • Installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environmentnot Spring Cloud Gateway

Spring Cloud Gateway

  • API Developmentnot HTTPie
  • API Gatewaynot HTTPie
  • API Testingnot HTTPie
  • API Documentationnot HTTPie
  • Microservicesnot HTTPie

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

Spring Cloud Gateway

  • Released under the Apache 2.0 license, free and open source with no commercial tier

Pricing, plan by plan

HTTPie

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full HTTPie CLI
    • Community support
  • HTTPie for Web$10/monthly
    • Web interface
    • Cloud storage
    • Team collaboration

Spring Cloud Gateway

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core Spring Cloud Gateway
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

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.
HTTPie review

Choose Spring Cloud Gateway if

  • You need routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Java, Spring Boot.
  • You also want path rewriting.
Spring Cloud Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is HTTPie or Spring Cloud Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. HTTPie starts at Free and Spring Cloud Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HTTPie or Spring Cloud Gateway?
HTTPie starts at Free and Spring Cloud Gateway at Free.
Does HTTPie or Spring Cloud Gateway run on more platforms?
HTTPie runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web. Spring Cloud Gateway runs on Java, Spring Boot.
Can I use HTTPie for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HTTPie best used for?
HTTPie is most often used for sending and inspecting http requests from the terminal, a readable alternative to curl for api debugging, testing apis through a graphical client, installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environment. Of those, sending and inspecting http requests from the terminal and a readable alternative to curl for api debugging are not what Spring Cloud Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can HTTPie do that Spring Cloud Gateway cannot?
HTTPie covers REST Client, JSON support, Colored output, CI/CD. Spring Cloud Gateway covers Routing, Path Rewriting, Circuit Breaker, Spring Boot.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HTTPie: Is HTTPie free?

HTTPie for Terminal is open source and free. The Desktop and Web versions are in public beta, and their pricing model is not disclosed.

Source
Spring Cloud Gateway: Is Spring Cloud Gateway free?

Yes, Spring Cloud Gateway is free and open-source software. It is part of the Spring ecosystem and available through GitHub repositories with open-source dependencies like spring-cloud-starter-gateway-server-webflux and spring-cloud-starter-gateway-server-webmvc.

Source
HTTPie: Can I use HTTPie for commercial purposes?

HTTPie Terminal is open source, but check the specific license (likely MIT, Apache, or GPL) to confirm commercial use is permitted in your jurisdiction.

Source
Spring Cloud Gateway: What enterprise support is available for Spring Cloud Gateway?

Tanzu Spring provides optional enterprise support including Day 0 access to security patches for organizations requiring guaranteed support, but specific pricing is not published on the Spring Cloud Gateway project page.

Source
HTTPie: What is HTTPie Desktop and how much does it cost?

HTTPie Desktop is an API testing client in public beta. Pricing is not disclosed on the website.

Source
HTTPie: Is there an HTTPie AI version?

Yes, HTTPie AI is mentioned as a product, but details about functionality and pricing are not provided on the main page.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on HTTPie

More on Spring Cloud Gateway

Keep looking

Other head to heads