Softwr

APIs · head to head

REST Client VSCode vs Selenium

REST Client VSCode logo

REST Client VSCode

APIs

VSCode extension for making HTTP requests and testing REST APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Selenium logo

Selenium

Testing

Browser automation framework and the W3C WebDriver standard

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: REST Client VSCode limited to Visual Studio Code; not available as a standalone application; Selenium flaky tests are the standing complaint: explicit waits and synchronisation are the tester’s job, where newer tools handle it automatically
  • They diverge on capability: REST Client VSCode covers REST Client, Selenium covers W3C WebDriver.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which REST Client VSCode and Selenium actually diverge.

Attributes where REST Client VSCode and Selenium differ
AttributeREST Client VSCodeSelenium
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxLinux, macOS, Windows, Web
CategoryAPIsTesting
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 REST Client VSCode

  • REST Client
  • HTTP requests
  • Response viewing
  • VSCode
  • Environment variables
  • Custom headers
  • VSCode extension support

Only in Selenium

  • W3C WebDriver
  • Many language bindings
  • Selenium Grid
  • Broad browser support

What people use each for

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

REST Client VSCode

  • API Developmentnot Selenium
  • API Gatewaynot Selenium
  • API Testingnot Selenium
  • API Documentationnot Selenium
  • Microservicesnot Selenium

Selenium

  • Cross-browser testing where Safari and legacy browsers must be coverednot REST Client VSCode
  • Teams whose test suites are written in Java or C# rather than JavaScriptnot REST Client VSCode
  • Distributing a large suite across a grid of machinesnot REST Client VSCode

Where each one falls short

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

REST Client VSCode

  • Limited to Visual Studio Code; not available as a standalone application
  • No support for WebSocket, gRPC, or other advanced protocols
  • No cloud sync or team server features; requires Git-based workflow

Selenium

  • Flaky tests are the standing complaint: explicit waits and synchronisation are the tester’s job, where newer tools handle it automatically
  • Setup involves drivers, versions and grid infrastructure that Playwright and Cypress bundle away
  • Slower to run than tools that talk to browsers over a debugging protocol rather than WebDriver

Pricing, plan by plan

REST Client VSCode

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the REST Client VSCode review.

Selenium

Free
  • SeleniumFree
    • Full functionality
    • Unlimited tests
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose REST Client VSCode if

  • You need rest client.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want http requests.
REST Client VSCode review

Choose Selenium if

  • You need w3c webdriver.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
  • You also want many language bindings.
Selenium review

Questions people ask

Is REST Client VSCode or Selenium better?
Neither clearly leads. REST Client VSCode starts at Free and Selenium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, REST Client VSCode or Selenium?
REST Client VSCode starts at Free and Selenium at Free.
Does REST Client VSCode or Selenium run on more platforms?
REST Client VSCode runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Selenium runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
Can I use REST Client VSCode for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is REST Client VSCode best used for?
REST Client VSCode is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Selenium is typically brought in for.
What can REST Client VSCode do that Selenium cannot?
REST Client VSCode covers REST Client, HTTP requests, Response viewing, VSCode. Selenium covers W3C WebDriver, Many language bindings, Selenium Grid, Broad browser support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

REST Client VSCode: How much does REST Client VSCode cost?

REST Client VSCode is completely free and open source. It is available on the Visual Studio Code Marketplace with no subscription or licensing fees.

Source
Selenium: Is Selenium free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee. Paid costs come from grid infrastructure or services like BrowserStack.

REST Client VSCode: What authentication methods does REST Client support?

REST Client supports Basic Auth, Digest Auth, SSL certificates, Azure AD, and AWS Signature v4 authentication for API requests.

Source
Selenium: Selenium or Playwright?

Playwright handles waiting automatically and is faster to set up, which removes most flakiness complaints. Selenium wins on language breadth, browser coverage including Safari, and existing suites you already have.

REST Client VSCode: Can I save and manage multiple requests?

Yes. REST Client supports multiple requests per file using ### delimiters, request history with auto-save, environment variables for different configurations, and code snippet generation for multiple programming languages.

Source
Selenium: Is Selenium still relevant?

Yes. Its WebDriver protocol is a W3C standard implemented by every major browser, and very large existing suites are not rewritten cheaply.

REST Client VSCode: How do teams collaborate with REST Client?

REST Client requests are stored as text files that can be version-controlled in Git repositories. Teams collaborate by sharing requests through Git, making the API specs part of the codebase.

Source
REST Client VSCode: What protocols does REST Client support?

REST Client primarily supports HTTP/HTTPS and GraphQL. It does not support WebSocket, gRPC, or other advanced protocols available in desktop clients like Insomnia.

Source
REST Client VSCode: Is there cloud sync for REST Client requests?

No. REST Client has no built-in cloud sync or team server features. All collaboration and sharing relies on Git repository management.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on REST Client VSCode

More on Selenium

Keep looking

Other head to heads