Softwr

API Management · head to head

Swagger vs HTTPie

S

Swagger

API Management

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HTTPie logo

HTTPie

API Management

Command-line HTTP client with intuitive interface and syntax

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; HTTPie the desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release
  • They diverge on capability: Swagger covers API Specification, HTTPie covers REST Client.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Swagger and HTTPie actually diverge.

Attributes where Swagger and HTTPie differ
AttributeSwaggerHTTPie
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWeb, CLI, DesktopLinux, MacOS, Windows, Web
Founded20112012

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

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 Swagger

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

Only in HTTPie

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Swagger

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

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

HTTPie

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

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Swagger or HTTPie better?
Neither clearly leads. Swagger starts at Free and HTTPie at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Swagger or HTTPie?
Swagger starts at Free and HTTPie at Free.
Does Swagger or HTTPie run on more platforms?
Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop. HTTPie runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web.
Can I use Swagger for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Swagger best used for?
Swagger is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what HTTPie is typically brought in for.
What can Swagger do that HTTPie cannot?
Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub. HTTPie covers REST Client, JSON support, Colored output, CI/CD. Both handle Web support.
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