What is Hoppscotch?
Hoppscotch is a free, web-based tool that lets you send requests to APIs and see the responses. It’s like a browser for talking to other software services without writing any code.
Let's break it down
- Hoppscotch: the name of the tool (pronounced “hop-scotch”).
- Free: you don’t have to pay to use it.
- Web-based: it runs in your internet browser, so you don’t install anything.
- Tool: a piece of software that helps you do a specific job.
- Send requests to APIs: you ask another program (an API) for data or to do something.
- See the responses: the tool shows you what the other program sends back, like a reply.
- Without writing code: you just fill in forms and click buttons instead of programming.
Why does it matter?
Because developers and testers need a quick way to check if an API works correctly. Hoppscotch makes that easy, saves time, and costs nothing, so even beginners can start experimenting with APIs right away.
Where is it used?
- Testing REST endpoints while building a web or mobile app.
- Trying out GraphQL queries during development.
- Monitoring micro-service health in a small team.
- Teaching students how APIs work in a classroom or tutorial.
Good things about it
- No installation required; just open a browser.
- Simple, clean interface that’s easy for beginners.
- Supports many request types (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, GraphQL, WebSocket, etc.).
- Free and open-source, so the community can improve it.
- Allows sharing of request collections for teamwork.
Not-so-good things
- Lacks some advanced features found in paid tools like automated testing scripts.
- Can become slow or unwieldy with very large payloads or complex collections.
- Offline use is limited; you need an internet connection for full functionality.
- UI customization options are modest compared to some competitors.