Imposter vs Smocker
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Imposter
Scriptable, lightweight mock server for REST and SOAP APIs
VS
Smocker
Simple and efficient HTTP mock server
| Feature | Imposter | Smocker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Kotlin | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 1,284 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | WireMock | WireMock, Mockoon |
Why pick each one
Choose Imposter if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Kotlin
Choose Smocker if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Imposter or Smocker better?
Neither is universally better. Smocker has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Imposter and Smocker free and open-source?
Yes. Imposter is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Smocker under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Imposter and Smocker with Docker?
Imposter: yes. Smocker: yes.