REST Client VSCodevs
Thunder Client


Thunder Client: Lightweight REST API client extension for VSCode with scriptless GUI-based testing

VSCode extension for making HTTP requests and testing REST APIs
As of 30 August 2026, REST Client VSCode is free to use. REST Client is a VSCode extension that allows developers to make HTTP requests directly from their editor. Softwr lists it under APIs. REST Client VSCode is made by VSCode REST Client Community, launched in 2016, available on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Overview
REST Client is a VSCode extension that allows developers to make HTTP requests directly from their editor. It supports environment variables, request history, and provides a lightweight alternative to desktop REST clients.
The honest half
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about REST Client VSCode.
Cross-shopped
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Thunder Client: Lightweight REST API client extension for VSCode with scriptless GUI-based testing


Insomnia: Feature-rich desktop API client supporting REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC protocols with advanced testing capabilities


Bruno: Open-source API client with git integration and offline-first workflows for collaborative development
Capabilities
REST Client
HTTP requests
Response viewing
VSCode
Integration with VSCode
Environment variables
Integration with Environment variables
Custom headers
Integration with Custom headers
VSCode extension support
Available on VSCode extension
Answered, with sources
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
REST Client VSCode is completely free and open source. It is available on the Visual Studio Code Marketplace with no subscription or licensing fees.
SourceREST Client supports Basic Auth, Digest Auth, SSL certificates, Azure AD, and AWS Signature v4 authentication for API requests.
SourceYes. 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.
SourceREST 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.
SourceREST Client primarily supports HTTP/HTTPS and GraphQL. It does not support WebSocket, gRPC, or other advanced protocols available in desktop clients like Insomnia.
SourceNo. REST Client has no built-in cloud sync or team server features. All collaboration and sharing relies on Git repository management.
SourceBehind it
Keep looking
Open-source IDE for API exploration with git-friendly collections
Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI
Full-featured REST client for macOS with powerful scripting and testing
Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support
Open-source API development ecosystem with web-based REST client
Open-source Backend as a Service platform with REST and GraphQL APIs
Pay-by-bank payments network, majority-owned by private equity firm Nordic Capital
Modular core banking platform from Estonia, formerly branded Modularbank
Banking as a service platform for embedding deposit accounts, cards and payments, with a sponsor bank behind it
Banking-as-a-service platform running on a partner bank licence, backing NatWest's UK BaaS venture
Packaged embedded finance for B2B SaaS, with an in-house EU e-money licence
GraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for REST Client VSCode, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
What people switch to, and what they give up
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
European bank API aggregation with a free restricted production tier for your own accounts
Per connected account per monthDigital and AI-native engagement banking platform for customer-facing banking experiences
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