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APIs · head to head

REST Client VSCode vs Strapi

REST Client VSCode logo

REST Client VSCode

APIs

VSCode extension for making HTTP requests and testing REST APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strapi logo

Strapi

APIs

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only REST Client VSCode has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: REST Client VSCode limited to Visual Studio Code; not available as a standalone application; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: REST Client VSCode covers REST Client, Strapi covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where REST Client VSCode and Strapi differ
AttributeREST Client VSCodeStrapi
Starting priceFree$35/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20162015

Identical on both: 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 REST Client VSCode

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

Only in Strapi

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Content management
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
  • AWS
  • Webhooks

What people use each for

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

REST Client VSCode

  • API Developmentnot Strapi
  • API Gatewaynot Strapi
  • API Testingnot Strapi
  • API Documentationnot Strapi
  • Microservicesnot Strapi

Strapi

  • Running a self hosted headless CMS with a REST or GraphQL APInot REST Client VSCode
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot 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

Strapi

  • Cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • Starter at $35 a month allows 100,000 API requests, and overage is $1.50 per 25,000
  • Extra bandwidth is $30 per 100 GB and extra asset storage $0.60 per GB
  • Backups start at the Pro plan, weekly, and only become daily at Business
  • An uptime SLA is Business only, at $450 a month per project
  • Additional environments cost $60 a month on Pro and $300 a month on Business

Pricing, plan by plan

REST Client VSCode

Free

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

Strapi

$35/month
  • Starter$35/month
    • 100k API requests
    • 50 GB asset storage
    • 50 GB asset bandwidth
  • Pro$90/month
    • 1M API requests
    • 250 GB asset storage
    • 500 GB asset bandwidth
  • Business$450/month
    • 10M API requests
    • 1000 GB asset storage
    • 1000 GB asset bandwidth

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 Strapi if

  • You need rest api.
  • You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
Strapi review

Questions people ask

Is REST Client VSCode or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. REST Client VSCode starts at Free and Strapi at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, REST Client VSCode or Strapi?
REST Client VSCode has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for REST Client VSCode and $35/month for Strapi.
Does REST Client VSCode or Strapi run on more platforms?
REST Client VSCode runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use REST Client VSCode for free?
Yes. REST Client VSCode has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
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 Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can REST Client VSCode do that Strapi cannot?
REST Client VSCode covers REST Client, HTTP requests, Response viewing, VSCode. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.

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
Strapi: How much do API request overages cost?

Additional API requests beyond the plan limit cost $1.50 per 25000 requests. Extra asset storage costs $0.60 per GB, and additional bandwidth costs $30 per 100 GB.

Source
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
Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

Yes, yearly billing saves up to 17% compared to monthly billing on Strapi Cloud plans.

Source
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
Strapi: What is included with the Pro plan?

The Pro plan costs $90 per month per project and includes 1M API requests, 250 GB asset storage, 500 GB bandwidth, multi-environment support, weekly backups, and manual backups.

Source
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
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