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REST Client for VS Code vs Postman: catalog facts
REST Client for VS Code	Postman
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Freemium A free tier covers individual use with limits on collaborators, collection runs and…
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, Browser extension
Requests stored as plain text .http files Responses shown directly in the editor	The most widely used API client, so collections and tutorials for it are everywhere Collections with environments, pre-request and test scripts, and a built-in runner
Requires Visual Studio Code Focused on HTTP requests rather than full API test suites	Built around a cloud workspace, and an account is effectively required Offline and local-only use has become harder over successive versions
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application, Browser extension
Open source	Closed source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.