Hurl 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.
| Feature | Hurl | Restfox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 77 · Good |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Rust | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,214 | ★ 2,761 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Postman, Insomnia | Postman, Insomnia |
What are Hurl and Restfox?
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
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
Hurl vs Restfox: key differences
Hurl is written in Rust, while Restfox is built with Vue. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Hurl versus MIT for Restfox. Hurl is the more established project (first released 2020), while Restfox arrived in 2022. Hurl has the considerably larger community, at 19,214 GitHub stars versus 2,761. Restfox lists first-class Docker deployment; Hurl does not.
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 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 Hurl or Restfox 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 Restfox free and open-source?
Yes. Hurl is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Restfox under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hurl and Restfox with Docker?
Hurl: check the project docs for container support. Restfox: yes.