How to install HTTPie on macOS?

Install via Homebrew with `brew install httpie` or using pip with `pip install httpie`. The README links to detailed installation instructions for different platforms.

HTTPie vs curl: which is better for API testing?

HTTPie excels with its human-friendly syntax and formatted output for interactive debugging, while curl is better for scripting, low-level control, and environments without Python dependencies.

How to save cookies in HTTPie?

Use the `--session` flag to create persistent sessions, e.g., `http --session=my_session POST login.example.com`. This saves cookies for reuse in subsequent requests, as documented in the features.

HTTPie authentication with API tokens?

Add custom headers like `Authorization: Bearer ` or use the `-a` flag for basic auth. The README shows examples with GitHub API authentication.

How to use HTTPie offline mode?

Offline mode lets you build and print requests without sending them. Use the `--offline` flag, e.g., `http --offline pie.dev/post hello=offline`, to debug request structure.

HTTPie file upload example?

Upload files with `http --form POST example.com/upload file@/path/to/file`. The `--form` flag handles multipart data, similar to wget-like downloads mentioned in features.

httpie

BSD-3-ClausePython3.2.4

A modern, user-friendly command-line HTTP client for testing, debugging, and interacting with APIs.

Visit Website GitHub

38.0k stars3.9k forks0 contributors

What is httpie?

HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client designed for the API era. It provides a user-friendly interface for sending HTTP requests, with built-in JSON support, colorized output, and intuitive syntax. It solves the problem of cumbersome CLI interactions with web services by making API testing and debugging straightforward and efficient.

Target Audience

Developers, DevOps engineers, and QA testers who regularly work with APIs and need a fast, readable tool for HTTP requests from the command line.

Value Proposition

Developers choose HTTPie over alternatives like cURL because of its human-friendly syntax, automatic formatting, and JSON support, which reduce the learning curve and improve productivity in API workflows.

Overview

🥧 HTTPie CLI — modern, user-friendly command-line HTTP client for the API era. JSON support, colors, sessions, downloads, plugins & more.

Use Cases

Best For

Testing REST APIs from the terminal
Debugging HTTP requests and responses

Related Projects

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

Found a gem we're missing?

Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.

Submit a project Star on GitHub

Automating API interactions in scripts

Learning HTTP protocols with clear output

Quickly inspecting API endpoints

Integrating HTTP calls into development workflows

Not Ideal For

High-performance, automated HTTP pipelines where raw speed and minimal overhead are critical
Environments with strict dependency controls that disallow Python or third-party packages
Use cases requiring advanced HTTP features like WebSocket support or HTTP/2-specific optimizations
Scripts intended for distribution to users who must rely on shell-native tools like curl

Pros & Cons

Pros

Intuitive Syntax

Uses natural commands like `http GET example.com` instead of complex curl flags, making API testing straightforward as shown in the README examples.

Formatted Output

Provides colorized and well-structured terminal responses, automatically prettifying JSON for easy debugging, which is highlighted in the README's feature list.

Built-in JSON Support

Natively handles JSON data in requests and responses without external tools, simplifying workflows as demonstrated in the GitHub API example.

Session Persistence

Supports persistent sessions with cookies and authentication, streamlining multi-request workflows as mentioned in the features section.

Cons

Python Dependency

Requires Python and pip for installation, which can complicate setup in environments without Python or where minimal dependencies are preferred.

Limited Advanced Features

Lacks support for protocols like HTTP/2 or WebSockets, making it unsuitable for specialized use cases compared to more comprehensive tools like curl.

Performance Overhead

As a Python application, it may have higher memory and CPU usage than native binaries, impacting efficiency in resource-constrained or high-volume scenarios.

Open Source Alternative To

httpie is an open-source alternative to the following products:

Postman CLI

Postman CLI is a command-line interface tool that allows developers to run Postman collections and automate API testing in CI/CD pipelines.

cURL

cURL is a command-line tool and library for transferring data with URLs, supporting various protocols like HTTP, FTP, and SFTP, widely used for API testing and data transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Home

Readme

lobe-chat

The ultimate space for work and life — to find, build, and collaborate with agent teammates that grow with you. We are taking agent harness to the next level — enabling multi-agent collaboration, effortless agent team design, and introducing agents as the unit of work interaction.

Iconic font aggregator, collection, & patcher. 3,600+ icons, 50+ patched fonts: Hack, Source Code Pro, more. Glyph collections: Font Awesome, Material Design Icons, Octicons, & more

Stars62,677

Forks3,903

Last commit1 month ago

sniffnet

Comfortably monitor your Internet traffic 🕵️‍♂️

Stars35,480

Forks1,339

Last commit3 days ago

refine

A React Framework for building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards & B2B apps with unmatched flexibility.

Stars34,536

Forks3,004

Last commit9 days ago