Hoppscotch vs Restfox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Hoppscotch
Open-source API development ecosystem
VS
Restfox
Offline-first browser and desktop REST API client
| Feature | Hoppscotch | Restfox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 77 · Good |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 80,488 | ★ 2,761 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Postman, Insomnia | Postman, Insomnia |
What are Hoppscotch and Restfox?
Hoppscotch
Hoppscotch is a lightweight, fast API client for testing REST, GraphQL, and WebSocket endpoints. The self-hosted edition adds team workspaces and collection sharing.
- REST, GraphQL, and WebSocket testing
- Team collections
- Environment variables
- Fast lightweight UI
Restfox
Restfox is a lightweight REST API client that runs in the browser or as a desktop app, storing all data locally. It supports collections, environments, and scripting for API workflows.
- Browser and desktop client
- Local-first storage
- Environments and collections
- Request scripting
Hoppscotch vs Restfox: key differences
Hoppscotch is written in TypeScript, while Restfox is built with Vue. Restfox is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Hoppscotch. Hoppscotch is the more established project (first released 2019), while Restfox arrived in 2022. Hoppscotch has the considerably larger community, at 80,488 GitHub stars versus 2,761.
Why pick each one
Choose Hoppscotch if…
- Fast lightweight interface
- REST GraphQL WebSocket support
- Team workspaces built in
Watch out for
- Multi-container backend stack
- Some features enterprise-only
Choose Restfox if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Hoppscotch or Restfox better?
Neither is universally better. Hoppscotch has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hoppscotch and Restfox free and open-source?
Yes. Hoppscotch is licensed under MIT and Restfox under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hoppscotch and Restfox with Docker?
Hoppscotch: yes. Restfox: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Hoppscotch or Restfox?
Restfox has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Hoppscotch. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.