No Need Postman, Your VSCode is Enough for Testing Your API 😎⚡

Publish Date: May 8 '21

hey you all👋

A couple week ago I've found Lightweight ⚡ and simple 😋 tools for testing my API. That's Thunder Client.

Thunder Client

Thunder Client is Rest API Client Extension for Visual Studio Code, with simple and clean design. The extension makes api testing very easy with Scriptless GUI based testing. and created by Ranga Vadhineni.

Thunder Client has many Main Features such as :

List item
Lightweight API Client
Simple & Clean UI
Collection & Environment Variables
Scriptless Testing

💻 How to install it ?

It'a easy, just go to Extension menu in sidebar VSCode, and install it:
And you'll see the thunder client icon in sidebar

Let's try test Thunder Client

For testing API, I use a dummy api that's SWAPI(The Star Wars API).

https://swapi.dev/

Get request
Set Environment

Now you can try more by your self 🙌🙌, have nice try.

Conclusion

NB: It does'nt means Thunder Client is better then postman, not. Postman still has more feature than Thunder client. Thunder Client made for own use and simple API testing

Comments 15 total

Chad AdamsMay 9, 2021
This is awesome. I’ll have to try it out. 🙂
- Dzun NMay 9, 2021
  have nice trying
Jane JeonMay 9, 2021
This looks BASICALLY the same as Insomnia (down to the UI), just in VSC?
- Dzun NMay 9, 2021
  I think so, in daily I use insomnia, now it has more clean UI
DavidMay 9, 2021
This is really cool, I used insomnia for a while now. This will make it one less step to take to quickly check a response during building or t-shooting. One feature that would be super sweet though is to have the ability to right click in an api sdk and make new request with it. Also swagger scraping would be pretty sweet too.

Anyways, thanks for the tip.
Samuel MunozMay 10, 2021
It has its flaws. When you use a Basic or Bearer token for authentication and change tabs, the token suddenly disappears. I'm sticking with Insomnia.
- Dzun NMay 10, 2021
  it seem has bug. you may give feedback and report it.
- Ranga VadhineniMay 11, 2021
  Hi Samuel, I am creator of Thunder Client. In Auth what ever tab is active it will take values from that tab, so if you want basic auth set the values leave that as active.
  
  Let me know if you have any further questions.
  - Andre SoaresMay 12, 2021
    If I may suggest, we should be able to save the requests as files and then each workspace could have its own set of collections
    - Ranga VadhineniMay 13, 2021
      Hi Andre, the request is saved in json files. And you can also save collections per workspace, see Team Features on our GitHub page.
Miftah RahmanMay 11, 2021
Nice post dude
- Dzun NMay 17, 2021
  thanks
Adam ParkinMay 12, 2021
Thunder Client does look cool, but just an FYI: it is not open source (which is of course also true of Postman). This matters around API testing tools as if (for example) you're hitting API endpoints which require auth, then any credentials you supply will go through that tool, so you have to trust that the authors/maintainers of that tool don't do anything questionable with those credentials. If the source is open, then you have the ability to examine the code to help alleviate this concern.

A similar extension is REST Client: marketplace.visualstudio.com/items... which is open source (github.com/Huachao/vscode-restclient).

Note that I'm not saying that Thunder Client is bad, or that REST Client is better, just that for my use cases REST Client is more aligned with my values (I personally don't use VS Code extensions unless they are open source), so sharing for others who would like similar options.
- Lynn MikamiAug 13, 2024
  Thank you for sharing your insights on API testing tools! Your comment raises an important point about the significance of open-source software, especially when dealing with sensitive data like API credentials. It's commendable that you're considering the security implications of these tools.
  
  While Thunder Client and Postman are indeed popular choices, it's great that you've highlighted REST Client as an open-source alternative. This information can be valuable for developers who prioritize transparency and code auditability in their toolset.
  
  Speaking of API testing tools, I'd like to add another option to the mix: APIDog. This versatile tool offers a user-friendly interface for API development, testing, and documentation. Some key features of APIDog include:
  
  Intuitive request builder
  
  Automated testing capabilities
  
  Real-time collaboration features
  
  Comprehensive API documentation generation
  
  APIDog strikes a balance between functionality and ease of use, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. While it's always important to consider the open-source aspect, APIDog's robust security measures and regular updates make it a reliable choice for many teams.
  
  Ultimately, the choice of API testing tool depends on individual needs and preferences. It's great to see developers like yourself encouraging thoughtful consideration of these factors. Keep up the excellent work in promoting informed decision-making in our developer community!
Kiril LukiyanOct 5, 2022
Nice, but doesn't have postman's "export code" (php-curl for example)

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