When I first started testing APIs, Postman was one of the first tools I reached for.
It was convenient.
I could open a workspace, create a request, add some headers, hit Send, and immediately see what the API returned.
For learning an API or debugging a few endpoints, that workflow worked perfectly well.
But as I started spending more time in the terminal, I began to notice something.
I was constantly switching between my code editor, terminal, containers, Git, and an API client.
I'd make a change in the code, switch to Postman, run a request, switch back to the terminal to check something else, and repeat the process.
It wasn't that Postman was bad.
The problem was that my development workflow was becoming increasingly command-line driven.
Once I started automating API tests and running applications inside containers and CI/CD pipelines, I wanted my API testing tools to work the same way.
I wanted commands I could put into scripts, tests I could run automatically, and workflows that didn't depend on opening a graphical application.
That's when I started paying more attention to CLI-based API testing.
There are now quite a few options, ranging from extremely simple HTTP clients like to dedicated API testing tools with support for automated test scenarios, CI/CD, and API lifecycle management.
So if you're looking for a CLI alternative to Postman, where should you start?
In this article, I'll look at ten command-line tools that can replace some or all of a typical Postman workflow, depending on what you're trying to accomplish.
Why Look for a CLI Alternative to Postman?
Postman is still useful, especially when you want a graphical interface for building requests, organizing collections, or collaborating with a team.
But a GUI isn't always the best fit for every workflow.
For me, the biggest advantage of moving API testing into the terminal is automation.
A command that tests an API can be added to a shell script.
That script can run locally, inside Docker, or as part of a CI/CD pipeline.
The same test can then be executed repeatedly without someone manually opening an application and clicking through a collection.
There are a few other reasons developers might look for a Postman CLI alternative:
1.
CI/CD Automation API tests become much more useful when they run automatically.
Instead of discovering a broken endpoint after deployment, you can run API tests during a pull request or deployment pipeline.
2.
Developer Workflows If most of your development already happens in VS Code, a terminal, Git, and containers, adding API testing to that workflow feels natural.
3.
Remote Development When you're working on a remote server or cloud development environment, a terminal-based API client can be much more convenient than relying on a desktop application.
4.
Reproducibility CLI commands and test files can be committed to Git.
That means your API tests become part of the project instead of something that exists only inside someone's local workspace.
5.
AI-Assisted Development This is becoming increasingly interesting.
AI coding agents such as Claude Code and other terminal-based development agents can execute CLI commands directly.
If API testing is available from the terminal, an agent can potentially run a test, inspect the response, make a code change, and run the test again without requiring a GUI.
That's a very different workflow from manually switching between applications.
What Should You Look for in a Postman CLI Alternative?
Not every command-line HTTP client is a direct replacement for Postman.
Some tools are designed simply to send HTTP requests.
Others provide automated testing, collections, environments, reporting, and CI/CD capabilities.
Before choosing one, I'd consider: API Request Support Can it handle GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, headers, authentication, request bodies, and file uploads?
Automated Testing Can you define assertions and run repeatable API tests?
Environment Management Can you separate development, staging, and production variables?
CI/CD Integration Can the tool run reliably inside GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or another pipeline?
Reporting Can test results be exported in formats that CI systems understand?
Version Control Can API tests and configurations live alongside application code?
Protocol Support Does it support only REST, or can it handle things such as GraphQL and gRPC?
1.
HTTPie What it is HTTPie is one of the easiest command-line HTTP clients to pick up.
Its main goal isn't to reproduce every feature of Postman.
Instead, it makes sending HTTP requests from the terminal much more pleasant.
Compared with traditional curl commands, HTTPie's syntax is generally easier to read, particularly when you're working with JSON APIs.
When to use it HTTPie is great for quick API development and debugging.
Suppose you're building a REST API locally and want to check whether a login endpoint is returning the expected response.
Instead of opening an API client, you can send the request directly: You can immediately inspect the response and continue working in the same terminal.
It's also useful when you're experimenting with an unfamiliar API and don't necessarily need a complete automated testing framework.
Key capabilities HTTP requests JSON APIs Authentication Custom headers File uploads Sessions Form data Readable terminal output Scriptable workflows Why it stands out HTTPie's biggest strength is simplicity.
If your definition of a Postman alternative is simply "I want to make API requests without opening Postman," HTTPie may be all you need.
2.
Apidog CLI Apidog CLI brings much of Apidog's API development workflow into the terminal.
Unlike simple command-line HTTP clients that primarily send requests, Apidog CLI can be used to manage API resources, execute automated tests, validate schemas, work with environments and variables, manage branches, and integrate API workflows into CI/CD pipelines.
That makes it closer to a complete command-line API workflow than simply a replacement for the "Send" button in Postman.
When to use it I'd consider Apidog CLI when a team wants to move beyond manually executing API requests and start automating its API lifecycle.
For example, imagine a team developing a SaaS application with dozens of endpoints.
A developer can manage API definitions while QA engineers create test scenarios.
Before a resource is created or updated, JSON data can be validated against the appropriate schema.
Automated test scenarios can then run from the terminal, and the same workflow can be integrated into CI/CD.
You can also manage environments and variables from the CLI, which becomes useful when the same test suite needs to run against development, staging, and production environments.
What it can do Run automated test scenarios and test suites Create and manage API endpoints Manage schemas and API resources Validate JSON data before writing resources Manage environments and variables Import and export API data Manage branches and collaboration workflows Publish API documentation Generate CLI, HTML, JSON, and JUnit test reports Integrate with CI/CD platforms For example, authentication can be handled through a saved login or an access token: And a test scenario can be executed directly from the terminal: That makes it possible to keep credentials in CI/CD environment variables rather than hard-coding them into scripts.
Why it stands out The biggest difference is scope.
If all you need is to send an HTTP request, there are much smaller tools on this list.
But if you're looking for a CLI alternative to Postman that covers testing plus API lifecycle management, Apidog CLI offers a much broader workflow.
It's also interesting for teams using AI coding agents because API resources and testing workflows are exposed through commands rather than being locked inside a GUI.
- curl What it is is probably the most universally available tool on this list.
It's been around for years and is commonly installed on Linux, ma