I just wanted to give a shout out to the best damn API tool for the mac.

Paw - https://paw.cloud/

It is worth every penny! Simply the hands-down best API exploration tool I have ever used.

No disrespect to Postman or Insomnia but they cannot compare to this glorious tool.

I have now heard of all three of these services.

Arrerrga cant decide

@DeveloperACE download the 30 day trial of Paw. Then run through their docs and learn it’s features.

Especially if you switch back and forth between languages interacting with the same API

I've heard of Paw but never used it. Postman has always worked pretty well for my needs and it was fairly easy to pick up (and free). What do you like about Paw?

@DRBragg There are a few things that I like about it.

First I'll be honest that a dev tool being free means very little simply because of my experience of trying all the free options, then buying a better solution and understanding that I usually get what I pay for. For example, Kalidascope for Git Diff is the bomb and Tower is the best Git tool hands down but both cost.

Some Paw advantages in my mind...

- Native mac app (not electron version of a website) looks and feels better

- The UX is way better and easier to use IMO

- Paw has it's own cloud storage of your endpoints in a git-like manner for tracking changes

- Paw will take you curl API call and export it in any number of languages/frameworks (Go, Swagger, even Postman)

- Extensions exist for many other languages/frameworks that aren't built in

- Setting dynamic values so you can keep your secrets, well, secret

Disadvantage:

- Not cross-platform (Matters not to me)

- Costs ($) monies

So compared to insomnia its only the Mac is native thing? Because the rest is all in Insomnia as well.

@Codex404 I honestly have nothing bad to say about insomnia.

It is made in my home province on British Columbia.

In fact, if the devs of insomnia see this is like to say that you are awesome! Keep up the great work! Reach out and let’s have beer or joint.

The advantage of having an API tool outside of your browser in my eyes is the elimination of strange results because of cashing/cookies/etc.

Will Insomnia take your curl input and output it to different formats these days?

Like if I have a curl command and have a Golang micro-service then will insomnia output golang code I can paste in to use? And other frameworks/languages?

If it can then that is some sweet action!

@leanrob I've used it only for a week, so I'm not sure, but I think it can.

@Codex404 it seems like it can, you are right I think.

Good for them. Insomnia has come a long way. I’m gonna download it again and give it a spin to see how it has improved.

For mac........ Why not windows??????

Maybe the developer loves apple, the fruit.

curl masterrace

As Paw is not free software, I will not use it. Something as easy as a HTTP client can't be not Open Source.

@leanrob thanks for the Insomnia love! (I'm the developer).

I'm not trying to sell anyone on Insomnia but I just wanted to clarify that @Codex404 is correct. Insomnia can do all the things you listed: Code export, cloud storage (end-to-end encrypted though!), dynamic values, etc. Insomnia's plugin system isn't that mature yet but it's coming along.

I love Paw and have talked quite a bit with the devs in the past. I personally think it's still the better product but the fact that it's not cross-platform was the reason I started working on Insomnia in the first place (and I found Postman UX to be confusing). Since Insomnia is much younger, there's still a lot of catching up to do in terms of features and polish, but it'll get there eventually :)

And I can't leave without pointing out that Insomnia is the only one out of the three that's open source (MIT)!

~ Greg

@gschier Hey buddy. Good on you and welcome to devRant!

I have been poking around at Insomnia and it seems to have come a long way! That is awesome!

I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the tool.

I've been in Van for a couple of years but haven't made it to the island yet. Hopefully heading over for a look this summer, I head wonderful things.

Cheers

@gschier nice to see a dev of an product I use here. The main reason I started using Insomnia were the puns on the site.
Like " download insomnia to finally get some rest"