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Hurl alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Hurl: no graphical interface, and text format to learn for complex flows. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Hurl, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Bruno currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Bruno logoBrunoOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux3 of 368.8
2httpYac logohttpYacOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 462.6
3curl logocurlOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 459.6
4Karate logoKarateOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 457.2
5HTTPie logoHTTPieFreeYesWeb, Windows, macOS +12 of 354.0
  1. Bruno logo

    1. BrunoTop pick

    Best for: Developers who want API collections stored in Git, offline

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hurl

    Also keeps requests as plain files, but adds a desktop interface.

    Pros

    • Collections are plain files in Git
    • No cloud account required
    • Imports Postman collections

    Cons

    • No built-in cloud collaboration
    • Younger plugin ecosystem
    Visit Bruno Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Bruno a good Hurl alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline-first
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026usebruno.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Git-friendly
    Collections stored as files
    Checked Oct 24, 2026usebruno.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. httpYac logo

    2. httpYac

    Best for: Developers who keep requests as .http files and want scripting and more protocols

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hurl

    Runs .http files from VS Code or the CLI, with scripting.

    Pros

    • Plain .http files in your repo
    • Many protocols, including gRPC and MQTT
    • Same files run in VS Code and CI
    • Free, MIT licensed

    Cons

    • No form-based interface
    • Single maintainer
    • Docs assume technical comfort
    Visit httpYac Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is httpYac a good Hurl alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocols
    HTTP, gRPC, WebSocket, MQTT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CLI
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CI use
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026httpyac.github.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. curl logo

    3. curl

    Best for: Anyone comfortable in a terminal who needs quick, scriptable HTTP requests

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hurl

    The underlying tool, for one-off requests without test files.

    Pros

    • Preinstalled on most systems
    • Supports a huge range of protocols
    • Free with a permissive licence
    • Universal format for sharing requests

    Cons

    • Terminal only
    • No collections, environments or test assertions
    • Many options to learn
    Visit curl Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is curl a good Hurl alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026curl.se(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    curl licence (MIT-like)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026curl.se(opens source in a new tab)
    Commercial use
    Allowed
    Checked Oct 25, 2026curl.se(opens source in a new tab)
    In development since
    1996
    Checked Oct 25, 2026curl.se(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Karate logo

    4. Karate

    Best for: QA engineers and developers who want readable, automated API tests in CI

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hurl

    A fuller test framework with parallel runs and mocks.

    Pros

    • Readable tests without step definitions
    • API, UI, mocks and performance in one framework
    • Parallel test runs
    • Free, MIT-licensed core

    Cons

    • Not an interactive request client
    • Java toolchain can feel heavy
    • Some tooling only in paid editions
    Visit Karate Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Karate a good Hurl alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Test types
    API, UI, performance, mocks
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.karatelabs.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Parallel runs
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.karatelabs.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise hosting
    Runs on your machines
    Checked Oct 25, 2026karatelabs.io(opens source in a new tab)
  5. HTTPie logo

    5. HTTPie

    Best for: Developers who test APIs from the terminal

    FreeOpen sourceWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

    54.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hurl

    A friendly CLI and desktop app for interactive requests.

    Pros

    • Readable command-line syntax
    • Open-source CLI
    • Desktop and web app available

    Cons

    • Desktop app less full-featured than Postman
    • Team features are limited
    Visit HTTPie Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is HTTPie a good Hurl alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Open source CLI
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Interfaces
    CLI, desktop and web app
    Checked Oct 24, 2026httpie.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free
    Not checked yethttpie.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Hurl alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Bruno logo

Best Hurl alternative for most people

Bruno

Also keeps requests as plain files, but adds a desktop interface.

httpYac logo

Best Hurl alternative for a free option

httpYac

Runs .http files from VS Code or the CLI, with scripting.

curl logo

Best Hurl alternative for open source

curl

The underlying tool, for one-off requests without test files.

Karate logo

Best Hurl alternative for Mac

Karate

A fuller test framework with parallel runs and mocks.

HTTPie logo

Best Hurl alternative for Windows

HTTPie

A friendly CLI and desktop app for interactive requests.

Bruno logo

Best Hurl alternative for Linux

Bruno

Also keeps requests as plain files, but adds a desktop interface.

HTTPie logo

Best Hurl alternative for working in the browser

HTTPie

A friendly CLI and desktop app for interactive requests.

Hurl alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Hurl?

Bruno ranks first right now. Also keeps requests as plain files, but adds a desktop interface. httpYac and curl follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Hurl?

Yes. Bruno (open source), httpYac (open source), curl (open source) and Karate (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Hurl?

Yes: Bruno, httpYac, curl and Karate, plus 1 more in the list above.

Which Hurl alternatives work on Linux?

Bruno, httpYac, curl, Karate and HTTPie run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Hurl?

The complaints we hear most: no graphical interface; text format to learn for complex flows; not suited to exploring APIs interactively.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Hurl, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.