| What does it do? |
API testing & documentation |
Complete backend testing: Test APIs, database calls, message queues & inter-service contracts |
| What will it not do? |
Will not test database calls, async flows or message queues |
Front-end testing: It will not test UI or cross browser testing |
| Who are its users? |
Developers, SDETs, test engineers and QAs |
Only Developers |
| Implementation |
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| How does it work? |
Write API tests manually on Postman to test HTTP requests and responses |
Record and Replay: Generates APIs tests automatically from real user traffic. 100% autonomous. |
| Where are the tests run? |
Using Postman runners and Newman (CLI) on Postman cloud |
No dedicated or isolated environments needed. These tests can be run locally 100% on-prem |
| How does one start? |
Create API request in Postman and write validations on responses. Build collections by stacking API tests manually |
10-line SDK in the source code of repo. Records traffic and builds tests which can be replayed later using CLI |
| Key Differences |
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| Scope |
Limited. Just testing APIs |
Comprehensive. APIs, database calls, queue producers & consumers |
| Maintenance |
Manual. Tests scripts need to be written and updated manually. Requires regular maintenance of test cases as APIs change |
100% autonomous or no-code. Automatically generates API tests by recording actual user flows. Auto updates all test cases and assertions as APIs change |
| Quality of Tests |
Poor. Depends on quality of assertions which are manually written |
High. Quality programmatically generated assertions that cover schema & data to never miss errors |
| Test Data Management |
Yes. set pre-request scripts to seed and update test data before Postman tests are run |
No. HyperTest uses data from traffic for tests and keeps it reusable. Handles both read & write requests |
| Test databases? |
No |
Yes |
| Test message queues? |
No |
Yes |
| Test Coverage |
Unknown. No way to measure test coverage |
Measurable. Reports code coverage i.e. actual lines of code that are tested |
| Test Execution Speed |
High. Depends on response time of API and environment (db etc) |
Very Less. Runs as fast as unit tests. Does not need dedicated environments |
| Other Features |
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| CI/CD Integration |
Integrates well with CI/CD tools but requires manual setup and maintenance. |
Seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines, simplifying setup. |
| Community and Support |
Large community with extensive documentation and support resources. |
Growing community with focused support for integration testing. |
| User Interface |
Developer-centric interface with robust tools for creating and managing API tests. |
User-friendly interface focused on backend and API testing. |
| Cost |
Offers paid plans, with pricing based on features and usage. |
Pricing varies based on usage and features, available both free and paid. |