Alternatives to Altair GraphQL Client
A GraphQL client for writing, sending and debugging queries on desktop, in a browser extension and online. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Altair GraphQL Client
A GraphQL client for writing, sending and debugging queries on desktop, in a browser extension and online.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Altair GraphQL Client.
Apollo Sandbox
A free web-based GraphQL explorer for writing and running queries against any GraphQL endpoint.
Apollo Sandbox runs in the browser with nothing to install and is free, but it is proprietary, tied to Apollo's hosted service and has no desktop app or extensions.
Insomnia
An API client for REST, GraphQL and gRPC that can keep everything local or sync through Git instead of a cloud.
Insomnia covers GraphQL alongside REST, gRPC, WebSockets and Server-Sent Events, adds an OpenAPI editor, but most features expect an account.
Postman
The most widely used API client, for sending HTTP requests, organising them into collections and sharing them with a team.
Postman handles GraphQL within a broader closed-source client built around a cloud workspace, where an account is effectively required and collections live on their infrastructure.
Hoppscotch
A fast API client that runs in a browser tab, with a self-hostable workspace if you want one.
Hoppscotch runs in a browser tab or desktop app with GraphQL plus HTTP, WebSocket and MQTT support, and can be self-hosted under the MIT license.
Bruno
An API client that saves collections as plain files in a folder, so Git handles the sharing instead of a cloud account.
Bruno supports GraphQL, REST, gRPC and WebSocket as a desktop client storing collections as plain files for Git, with no browser extension or web version.
Yaak
An offline-first API client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets and SSE, with requests stored as files you can commit to git.
Yaak is an offline-first MIT-licensed desktop client for GraphQL and other protocols, storing requests as files and needing no cloud account, though it has no browser extension.
Firecamp
An open-source API client for testing REST, GraphQL, WebSocket and Socket.IO requests in the browser.
Firecamp is an open-source browser client for GraphQL, REST, WebSocket and Socket.IO with a guest mode, though saving collections requires an account on its hosted service.
Kreya
Desktop client for gRPC, REST, GraphQL, WebSocket and SSE APIs.
Kreya is a closed-source desktop client covering GraphQL, gRPC, REST, WebSocket and SSE with Git-friendly local project files, and some features need a paid licence.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Schemathesis
An open-source property-based testing tool that generates API tests from OpenAPI and GraphQL schemas.
Step CI
An open-source API test automation framework that runs multi-step workflows written in YAML, JSON or JavaScript.
Beeceptor
A web service for creating mock API servers and inspecting incoming webhook requests in real time.
httpYac
A command-line and VS Code client for sending HTTP, GraphQL, SOAP and gRPC requests from files.
Swagger UI
Renders an OpenAPI description as interactive, testable documentation.
kulala.nvim
A Neovim plugin for sending HTTP, GraphQL, gRPC and WebSocket requests from .http files.
