Hurl vs Posting
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hurl | Posting |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,214 | ★ 12,443 |
| First released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Postman, Insomnia | Postman, Insomnia |
What are Hurl and Posting?
Hurl
Hurl is an open-source command-line tool that runs HTTP requests defined in a simple plain text format. It is used for API testing and can be integrated into self-hosted CI pipelines.
- Plain text request files
- Built-in assertions
- CI friendly
- Chained requests
Posting
Posting is an open-source terminal-based HTTP client for building and sending API requests. It stores collections as YAML files for easy version control and integrates with command-line workflows.
- Terminal HTTP client
- YAML collections
- Keyboard driven
- Scriptable requests
Hurl vs Posting: key differences
Hurl is written in Rust, while Posting is built with Python. Hurl is the more established project (first released 2020), while Posting arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Hurl if…
- Plain text request files
- CI-friendly and fast
- Built-in assertions
Watch out for
- No graphical interface
- Curl-style learning curve
Choose Posting if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 12.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Hurl or Posting better?
Neither is universally better. Hurl has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hurl and Posting free and open-source?
Yes. Hurl is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Posting under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hurl and Posting with Docker?
Hurl: check the project docs for container support. Posting: check the project docs for container support.