Technology · head to head
Postman vs Eclipse
Eclipse
Technology
The Eclipse Foundation - home to a global community
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Postman free plan limited to single user as of March 1, 2026, making it unsuitable for teams without paid plans; Eclipse high memory consumption and CPU usage, especially with multiple plugins installed
- They diverge on capability: Postman covers API client, Eclipse covers Java development environment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Postman and Eclipse actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).
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 Postman
- API client
- Automated testing
- Mock servers
- Documentation
- Monitors
- Workspaces
- Version control
- API design
Only in Eclipse
- Java development environment
- Extensible plugin architecture
- Integrated debugger
- Code refactoring
- Version control integration
- Build automation
- Multi-language support
- Rich client platform
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Postman
- API testingnot Eclipse
- API documentationnot Eclipse
- API monitoringnot Eclipse
- Team collaborationnot Eclipse
- API developmentnot Eclipse
Eclipse
- Java application developmentnot Postman
- Enterprise software developmentnot Postman
- Web application developmentnot Postman
- Plugin developmentnot Postman
- Educational programmingnot Postman
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Postman
- Free plan limited to single user as of March 1, 2026, making it unsuitable for teams without paid plans
- Only 25 collection runs per month and 1,000 API calls/month on free tier
- Removed local-only Scratch Pad mode in 2023, forcing cloud account creation and sync
- Requires Postman account and internet connection for most features
- Cloud-first architecture with mandatory syncing to Postman's cloud servers
- No CI/CD integration or advanced security features on free plan
Eclipse
- High memory consumption and CPU usage, especially with multiple plugins installed
- Slow startup times and performance degradation with large projects or many open editors
- Requires configuration of eclipse.ini file to optimize heap sizes for adequate performance
- User interface considered outdated compared to modern IDE alternatives
- User base fell from 39% of Java developers in 2024 to 28% in 2025, indicating market decline
Pricing, plan by plan
Postman
Free- FreeFree
- 1 user
- 25 collection runs/month
- 1,000 API calls/month
- Team$14/month
- Team collaboration
- Shared workspaces
- API mocking
- Professional$29/month
- Team features
- Advanced security
- SSO
- Enterprise$49/month
- Professional features
- Custom integrations
- Priority support
Eclipse
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Eclipse review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Postman if
- You need api client.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want automated testing.
Choose Eclipse if
- You need java development environment.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want extensible plugin architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is Postman or Eclipse better?
- Neither clearly leads. Postman starts at Free and Eclipse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Postman or Eclipse?
- Postman starts at Free and Eclipse at Free.
- Does Postman or Eclipse run on more platforms?
- Postman runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Eclipse runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use Postman for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Postman best used for?
- Postman is most often used for api testing, api documentation, api monitoring, team collaboration. Of those, api testing and api documentation are not what Eclipse is typically brought in for.
- What can Postman do that Eclipse cannot?
- Postman covers API client, Automated testing, Mock servers, Documentation. Eclipse covers Java development environment, Extensible plugin architecture, Integrated debugger, Code refactoring.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Postman: What is the cost of Postman?
Postman has a free plan limited to 1 user, 25 collection runs/month, 1,000 API calls/month. Team plans start at $14/user/month for Basic. Professional at $29/user/month, and Enterprise at $49/user/month.
SourceEclipse: How much does Eclipse IDE cost?
Eclipse IDE is completely free and open-source, released under the Eclipse Public License 2.0.
SourcePostman: Can I use Postman offline?
Postman requires an internet connection to sync collections to the cloud. Since 2023, the Scratch Pad local-only mode was removed. Users must sign in with a Postman account, and collections sync to cloud by default. Offline work is possible but limited without cloud sync features.
SourcePostman: Does Postman have team collaboration?
Team collaboration is not available on the free plan (limited to 1 user). Team plans start at $14/user/month and include shared workspaces, real-time collaboration, and team management features.
SourcePostman: What are the free plan limits?
Free plan allows: 1 user only, 25 collection runs per month, 1,000 API calls/month, and 1,000 mock server calls/month. No CI/CD integration or advanced security features.
SourcePostman: Does Postman work with other development tools?
Postman integrates with Git repositories, offers a Node.js runner (Newman) for automation, and connects with popular CI/CD platforms. Teams using git-native workflows may prefer alternatives like Bruno.
Source