The best Postman alternative inside your code editor: fast and light, with collections stored locally, but the free plan is capped and Git Sync is paid.
What it is
Thunder Client is a REST API client that lives inside your editor as an extension for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, and also works in Cursor and other VS Code-based editors. It supports WebSocket, SSE and gRPC, environments, a collection runner, a CLI for CI/CD and an MCP server for AI assistants. Collections and environments are stored locally on your machine; the account only manages the subscription. The Free plan is allowed for personal and commercial use but caps you at 10 collections, 50 requests per collection and 50 local collection runs a month. Starter is $3 a month billed yearly for one user and adds Git Sync and unlimited collections; Business is $7 per user a month with user management and invoicing; Enterprise is $16 per user a month with offline activation, secrets-manager integration and SSO at extra cost. Checked on thunderclient.com November 12, 2026.
Best for
- Developers who want to test APIs without leaving VS Code
- Solo developers on a small budget
- Keeping requests next to the code they test
What we like
- Runs inside VS Code, Cursor and JetBrains: no separate app
- Paid plans from $3 a month billed yearly
- Collections stored locally, with Git Sync on paid plans
What to watch
- Free plan capped at 10 collections, 50 requests per collection and 50 local runs a month
- Git Sync needs a paid plan
- No standalone desktop app or shared cloud workspace
- Enterprise SSO costs extra on top of the $16 seat price
Where Thunder Client ranks
Alternatives and head-to-heads
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