Best API Testing Tools with Features and Pricing Plans

Which is the Best API Testing Tool in 2024?

Katalon Studio leads the chart with 4.5 ratings by Gartner and as per the State of Quality Report 2024. Postman is the second best. 

Both are versatile, easy to use, and support different types of API testing to gain the top positions. 

Top 5 Automated API Testing Tools You Must Try

1. Katalon Studio

Katalon is a comprehensive testing platform designed to test various types of APIs, including SOAP, REST, and GraphQL. Gartner has recognized it as the best automation testing tool. Not just Gartner, Capterra, G2, and GetApp have recognized Katalon as the best. 

Here’s why?

• With Katalon, you can do more than just API testing. You can automate tests for your web, mobile, or desktop applications. 
• Whether you are a beginner or a professional tester, using Katalon is easy with its record-and-play feature and built-in keywords. You can write test cases with much coding experience. 
• Katalon reduces your dependency on others to write and understand test code. Thanks to its AI feature. 
• It seamlessly integrates within your CI/CD pipeline helping you test code during the project progress. 
• Lastly, you can easily switch between different modes of testing in Katalon. Test without writing any code or test with pre-written code snippets or in-depth scripting.  

Price of Katalon Studio

2. Postman

Postman is the second best and most popular automation tools for API testing. It gives a complete platform for developers to do all the API-related work. From building, publishing, and monitoring, to testing, you can manage the entire lifecycle of APIs with Postman. 

Here are more things you can do with this testing tool:

• Test different types of APIs with pre-written code snippets. 
• Build test collections for different scenarios through Collection Runner. 
• Build and document your APIs to make them discoverable and easy to use for other developers. 
• Schedule test executions and get notifications if they fail. 
• Integrate tests within CI/CD pipelines to avoid any breaking changes. 
• Check what went wrong with your APIs by using the Postman Console for debugging. You can inspect headers, certifications, requests, and every other aspect through it. 
• Integrate with third-party tools such as New Relic to easily debug errors in API and troubleshoot the issues. 

Price of Postman

3. SoapUI

It is an open-source free API testing tool known for its wondering testing capabilities. From functional, performance to regression, you can perform any testing with SoapUI. But it is best for testing RESTful, SOAP, and web services.

Here’s what you can do with SoapUI:

• Create tests without scripts using its drag-and-drop feature. 
• Test your APIs under stress with load testing.  
• Test in real scenarios without relying on external servers. 
• Get detailed test reports of results. 
• Secure your tests, do regular scans, and more with its security testing feature. 

Price of SoapUI

Although its free version is enough for all testing needs, the pro version lets you do more. It costs $749 for a year. 

Also Read: Functional Testing Vs Non-Functional Testing

4. Google Apigee

Powered by Google, Apigee is a cloud-based API management platform that works on JavaScript. However, it has built-in functionalities to test APIs of any architecture style. 

Here’s how Apigee helps you in API testing:

• Set various request parameters and payloads to see how your API will work under load. 
• Use Apigee policies to enforce security, rate limiting, and other functionalities on your APIs. 
• Verify the functionality of your APIs with basic test scripts. 
• Take the help of other best API testing tools to ensure your APIs are tested under the best possible conditions. 

Price of Google Apigee

5. Assertible

Assertible may be the last in our list of best API automation testing tools but it's worth using. This automated platform has everything you need to keep your APIs healthy and functional. 

Moreover, you don't have to spend hours on writing test cases or monitoring APIs. Thanks to its codeless API monitoring feature. 

Here’s what Assertible lets you do:

• Automatically sync the latest changes in your API tests 
• Integrate with other tools like GitHub and Slack to get alerts for test failures or directly push the code from Assertible. 
• Automate the QA process to help you find bugs faster. 
• Set up a monitoring environment to validate your APIs faster.
• Collaborate to test and track APIs. 

Price of Assertible

A Few More API Testing Tools to Try

Apart from the above tools for API testing, you can try the given below tools. They have almost similar functionalities however prices will vary.  

• Selenium WebDriver
• Karate
• Cypress
• REST Console
• API Fortress

Conclusion 

As per the State of Quality Report 2024, less skillful resources and time are still the main challenges in the testing world. 

The latest API testing tools can solve them with their automation and AI features. They let you write test cases faster even with less or no coding. 

The best ones go beyond basic testing and improve the overall quality of your apps by giving you the control of API lifecycle. 

With integration and collaboration with other tools and team members, they make API testing easier, faster, and secure.