Overview

Postman brings API design, testing, distribution, documentation, and monitoring into one platform. It suits developers and teams that need more than a request client, especially when API work spans testing and collaboration. Its breadth is a strength, but new customers should compare the current Free, Solo, Team, and Enterprise plans rather than expect the retired Basic or Professional options.

The API client supports multiple protocols, built-in authentication, response inspection, variables, environments, and request history. Postman also supports GraphQL and SOAP. Founded in 2014, the company identifies Bangalore as its founding location and is headquartered in San Francisco.

Key features

Client, design, and testing

Postman covers a broad API workflow: teams can work with specifications, import definitions in multiple formats, and create mock servers alongside requests. Collection runs and automated testing support repeatable checks, while integration, performance, regression, and end-to-end testing address more specialized needs. The CLI, scheduled runs, CI/CD integration, and contract testing make the platform relevant beyond interactive API development. This range is useful for teams consolidating tools, though users who only need a lightweight request client may not need the wider platform.

Integrations and security

Integrations include Jira, Slack, GitHub, GitLab, Microsoft Teams, VS Code, Amazon API Gateway, AWS Secrets Manager, and 1Password Vault, helping connect API work to development and team workflows. Postman describes local secret protection, cloud secret detection, and runtime secret resolution, with integrations for HashiCorp, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, and 1Password. Its compliance credentials include SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, CSA STAR, TX-RAMP, ISO 27001, and ISO 42001. Postman says customer data does not train its models; Enterprise teams control AI access and usage.

Pricing

Postman uses a freemium model, with a free plan and paid plans from $9.00 USD per month billed annually. Basic and Professional are no longer offered to new customers; existing Professional customers continue on their current plan and pricing.

Free: 0.00 USD per free. It includes 50 AI credits, the API client and core tools, specs and mock servers, Native Git, Collection Runner and performance testing runs, and Manual Flows. It is a useful starting point, but the stated AI-credit allowance is limited.
Solo: 9.00 USD per month, billed annually. Its 400 AI credits per month, data-driven testing with exports, unlimited private NPM packages and library, custom-branded documentation, unlimited custom domains, and expanded API monitoring suit an individual who needs more testing and publishing capacity.
Team: 19.00 USD per month per user, billed annually. It adds 400 AI credits per user each month, team collaboration, unlimited workspace and collection viewers, basic RBAC, SDK generation and distribution, and the Simple Security add-on. Per-user billing makes the total rise with the team, but this is the plan with explicit collaboration and access controls.
Enterprise: custom pricing. It includes an API Catalog, Private API Network, advanced RBAC and organization controls, governance, audit logs and reporting, and private test and Flows runners. Teams can trial Enterprise features to evaluate advanced collaboration, security, and governance before upgrading. Premium Support is an Enterprise-only add-on, with contractual SLAs, 24/7 global coverage, a priority queue, and premium phone, screen-sharing, and chat channels.

Platforms

Postman is available as an extension and on Linux, macOS, the web, and Windows. That range gives teams options across desktop and browser-based work.

Who it's for

Postman is best suited to API developers and teams that want client, design, testing, documentation, monitoring, and integrations in a shared platform. Free is a sensible entry point for individuals exploring the core workflow; Solo fits an individual needing expanded testing and monitoring, while Team is the clearer choice when collaboration and access controls matter. Organizations needing advanced governance, auditability, or private runners should consider Enterprise. Those who need only basic request-and-response work may find the wider platform unnecessary.

Pros and cons

Pro: API client, design tools, mock servers, and varied testing workflows sit within one platform, reducing the need to split API work across separate tools.
Pro: Free includes Native Git, mock servers, and Collection Runner and performance testing runs, giving new users meaningful tools before a paid upgrade.
Pro: Team and Enterprise add progressively stronger collaboration, access control, governance, and audit features for organizational needs.
Con: Free includes 50 AI credits, while Solo and Team provide 400 monthly credits; users who depend on AI features may need a paid plan.
Con: Team pricing is per user and billed annually, so costs grow with the team and require an annual billing commitment.
Con: Enterprise pricing is custom, and Premium Support is an add-on restricted to that plan.

Alternatives

For a different fit, compare Apidog, Insomnia, Bruno, Testfully, Kreya, SoapUI, Hoppscotch, and Thunder Client.

Apidog is worth considering if a time-unlimited free plan capped at four users fits your needs. Insomnia's free Essentials plan may suit a small Git Sync project, with three users and 1,000 mock-server requests per month. Bruno offers an open-source plan with two workspaces and five OpenAPI syncs per month, making it an alternative for teams comfortable with those limits. Testfully's Developer Edition includes one offline and one cloud workspace and allows up to five users per workspace. Kreya's free plan is aimed at individuals and limits request history to the latest request. SoapUI Open Source is a free option for REST, SOAP, and GraphQL testing, including functional and regression testing, mocking, and command-line automation. Hoppscotch has a free plan for REST, GraphQL, and realtime API testing with a personal workspace. Thunder Client's free plan is for VS Code users.

Readers comparing a broader set of products can browse API clients, API Governance Software, API Marketplace Software, API Testing Tools, API Design Tools, and API Monitoring Tools.

Verdict

Choose Postman if you want one platform to carry API work from design and requests through testing, documentation, and monitoring, with plans that extend into team collaboration and enterprise governance. Its strongest case is that lifecycle breadth; look elsewhere if you need only a lightweight client or want to avoid annual billing on the stated paid plans.

	Apistaq	Postman
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$149/mo	$9/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web	extension, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Governed API formats	OpenAPI 3.1	—
Lifecycle controls	Yes	—
Access control level	enterprise	—
Paid from	—	9 /mo
CI/CD integration	—	Yes

Apistaq vs Postman

Apistaq

Postman