Karate vs Postman
Verdict: Karate scores 9.8/10 against 9.8/10 for Postman on our data score for API testing tools.
Karate is cheaper to start: paid plans from $8.33 vs $9 per user/month on annual billing.
Both have a free plan.
Karate and Postman lead on 1 check each; 8 are even, out of 10 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Choose Karate for engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee. Choose Postman for teams of any size that want one shared tool for API requests, tests and mocks.
Scoreboard: 10 checks
| Check | Karate | Postman |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Even | Even |
| Free trial | Even | Even |
| Lower entry price (annual) | Leads | |
| Lower entry price (monthly) | Leads | |
| Smaller seat minimum | Even | Even |
| REST API testing | Even | Even |
| GraphQL testing | Even | Even |
| Load testing | Even | Even |
| API mocking | Even | Even |
| CI/CD integration | Even | Even |
| Total | 1 | 1 |
At a glance
| Karate | Postman | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.8/10 (#2) | 9.8/10 (#3) |
| Best for | Engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee | Teams of any size that want one shared tool for API requests, tests and mocks |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from (annual) | $8.33/user/mo | $9/user/mo |
| Paid from (monthly) | $64/user/mo | $12/user/mo |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Minimum seats | 1 | 1 |
| Platforms | Open-source framework (JVM), IntelliJ and VS Code plugins, Xplorer desktop app | Cloud (SaaS), Desktop app |
Features
| Tool | Score | REST API testing | GraphQL testing | Load testing | API mocking | CI/CD integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karate | 9.8/10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Postman | 9.8/10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pros and cons
Karate
Pros- Core framework is free and MIT-licensed, including mocks, Gatling performance tests and CI/CD use
- One framework covers API, UI and performance tests
- Paid tiers are listed per user with public prices
- Async protocols (Kafka, gRPC, WebSocket) in CI/CD need an Enterprise runtime license
- Tests are written in Karate's own DSL, so non-coders need the IDE or Xplorer tooling
- Enterprise trials require a vetted, scoped request rather than self-serve sign-up
Postman
Pros- Free plan includes the API client, mock servers, Collection Runner and local performance testing runs
- Postman CLI runs collections from a terminal or CI/CD pipeline and is available on all plans
- Supports GraphQL requests in addition to REST
- Free plan is limited to 1 user; team collaboration starts at the Team plan ($19 per user/month billed annually)
- Cloud performance testing is billed separately at $0.04 per virtual-user hour and is not on the Free plan
- SSO/SAML is an add-on on Team and only included on Enterprise
Frequently asked questions
How do Karate and Postman compare on features and price?
Karate and Postman lead on 1 check each; 8 are even, out of 10 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Is Karate better than Postman?
Karate scores 9.8/10 against 9.8/10 for Postman on our data score for API testing tools. Karate is best for engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee; Postman is best for teams of any size that want one shared tool for API requests, tests and mocks.
Which is cheaper, Karate or Postman?
Karate is cheaper, starting at $8.33 vs $9 per user/month on annual billing.
Do Karate and Postman have free plans?
Karate: yes. Postman: yes.
See the full API Testing Tools ranking for other options.