Postman: A Complete Tool for API Development

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Postman is a robust tool for developing and testing APIs (Application Programming Interface). It has become an integral part of the workflow of many developers around the world. In this article we want to focus on its main advantages and shortcomings, how you can use it yourself, pricing plans and competing tools on the market.

So let us get started!

Main Advantages of Postman

  1. Intuitive user interface: The tool offers a user-friendly environment that makes it easy to create and test API requests. Even less experienced users can quickly understand how to work with it.
  2. Support for multiple formats: Postman supports various data formats, such as JSON, XML or form-data, which allows flexible work with different types of APIs.
  3. Test automation: With features such as test scripts and environments for test automation, Postman enables efficient API testing. Developers can write tests in JavaScript, which makes it possible to verify API responses against various criteria.
  4. Collections and sharing: Users can create and manage collections of API requests, which makes it easier to share and reuse test scenarios between teams.
  5. CI/CD integration: Postman can easily be integrated into a CI/CD pipeline thanks to support for Newman, a command-line tool for running Postman collections in automated environments.

Shortcomings

  1. Performance limits: When working with large volumes of data or complex scripts, the application can slow down, which can be limiting for some users.
  2. Price: Postman offers a free version, but advanced features and integration options are available only in paid plans, which can be a financial burden for smaller teams.
  3. Dependence on the internet: Although Postman can be used offline, some features, such as synchronising collections or accessing API documentation, require an internet connection.

Ways to Use Postman

Postman is used at various stages of API development, including:

  • Development and testing: Developers can quickly create requests and verify how the API responds.
  • Documentation: Postman can generate API documentation that is easy to share with other developers or clients.
  • Test automation: Using scripts and test environments, teams can test APIs regularly, ensuring the quality and reliability of the service.

Testing Server-Side Measurement

When building server-side measurement, we use Postman to send requests manually and check that the server works. This requires a combination of server GTM and Postman: create a sample request, for example for the "purchase" event, send it to the relevant server and check in SGTM whether it "got through" and in what state.

In this way you can trace whether the server works correctly and receives hits in the form we need. SGTM can then show whether the events connected to the purchase hit were sent, and with what parameters and values. All of this can be tested even before connecting to the web GTM.

Monthly Subscription

Postman offers several plans:

  • Free Plan: Basic features, limited to individual users.
  • Basic Plan: From $12 per month, offers extended options such as higher limits for collections and collaboration.
  • Professional Plan: From $29 per month, includes advanced tools for teamwork and integrations.
  • Enterprise Plan: Price on request, intended for large organisations that need robust features and security.

Competing Tools

  1. Insomnia: Like Postman, Insomnia offers an intuitive environment for creating and testing APIs. It is popular for its modern UI and GraphQL support.
  2. Paw: This tool is popular among macOS users and offers an elegant interface and advanced features for managing APIs.
  3. Swagger UI: An open-source tool focused on visualising and interacting with APIs specified in the OpenAPI format.
  4. SoapUI: Suitable for testing both SOAP and REST APIs, it offers broad options for automated testing and is often used in enterprise environments.

Postman has become the standard in API development and testing thanks to its wide range of features, its intuitive interface and its ability to support collaboration between teams. Despite some shortcomings, such as performance limits and the dependence on paid plans for advanced features, Postman remains a popular tool for developers around the world. With the choice between free and paid plans, it offers flexibility for teams of different sizes and needs.