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Software · head to head

HTTPie vs Swagger

HTTPie logo

HTTPie

Software

Command-line HTTP client with intuitive interface and syntax

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Swagger

Software

API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing APIs

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; Swagger swaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: HTTPie covers REST Client, Swagger covers API Specification.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HTTPie and Swagger actually diverge.

Attributes where HTTPie and Swagger differ
AttributeHTTPieSwagger
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, MacOS, Windows, WebWeb, CLI, Desktop
Founded20122011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 HTTPie

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

Only in Swagger

  • API Specification
  • Interactive Documentation
  • Code Generation
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Azure DevOps
  • Jira
  • CLI support

Both cover

  • Web 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 Swagger
  • A readable alternative to curl for API debuggingnot Swagger
  • Testing APIs through a graphical clientnot Swagger
  • Installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environmentnot Swagger

Swagger

  • 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

Swagger

  • SwaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

HTTPie

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

Swagger

Free
  • FreeFree
    • OpenAPI specification
    • Swagger UI
    • API documentation
  • Professional$20/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Team collaboration
    • API testing
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated 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 Swagger if

  • You need api specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
  • You also want interactive documentation.
Swagger review

Questions people ask

Is HTTPie or Swagger better?
Neither clearly leads. HTTPie starts at Free and Swagger at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HTTPie or Swagger?
HTTPie starts at Free and Swagger at Free.
Does HTTPie or Swagger run on more platforms?
HTTPie runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web. Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop.
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 Swagger is typically brought in for.
What can HTTPie do that Swagger cannot?
HTTPie covers REST Client, JSON support, Colored output, CI/CD. Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub. Both handle Web support.
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