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Apache JMeter review

#7 in API Testing ToolsScore 8.8/10Checked Nov 15, 2026By BestSoftwareGuides Editorial Team

Apache JMeter is an open-source Java application for load and functional testing of web apps, APIs and other protocols. It ranks #7 of 11 in our API testing tools list (8.8/10). Best for teams that need free load testing of HTTP, REST, SOAP and GraphQL endpoints.

Price: Free plan.

Visit Apache JMeterFull pricingAlternatives

What Apache JMeter is

Apache JMeter is an Apache Software Foundation project for load testing and measuring the performance of servers, including HTTP/HTTPS, SOAP/REST web services, JDBC, JMS and FTP. It includes a GraphQL HTTP Request sampler and runs in CI through third-party Maven, Gradle and Jenkins plugins.

Pros and cons

Where it wins
  • Free and open source under the Apache license
  • Covers load testing across many protocols, not just HTTP
  • Includes a dedicated GraphQL HTTP Request sampler
Where it falls short
  • CI integration relies on third-party Maven, Gradle and Jenkins plugins
  • Requires a Java runtime (Java 8+)
  • No built-in API mocking or hosted cloud service from the project

Apache JMeter pricing

Apache JMeter pricing plans
PlanBilled annuallyBilled monthlyAnnual savingNotes
Open sourceFreeFree—Free download; latest listed version 5.6.3

USD, per user per month unless noted. "—" means the price is not published or we could not confirm it. Last checked Nov 15, 2026. Status: verified on Apache JMeter's pricing page.

Key facts

Free planYes. Open source (Apache License 2.0), free download
Free trialNot advertised
Paid fromSee vendor
Minimum seats1
PlatformsDesktop/CLI (Java 8+, any OS)
SupportCommunity, Docs
REST API testingYes
GraphQL testingYes
Load testingYes
API mockingNot confirmed
CI/CD integrationYes
Facts checkedNov 15, 2026 · verified on the vendor's own site (source)

Also ranked in

Apache JMeter is ranked in 2 of our lists: #7 of 11 in API Testing Tools, and:

#4 of 5 in API Testing Tools with Load Testing

Apache JMeter alternatives

Apidog 9.8/10
Teams that want API design, mocks, tests and docs in one tool at a low per-user price
Karate 9.8/10
Engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee
Postman 9.8/10
Teams of any size that want one shared tool for API requests, tests and mocks
Bruno 9.4/10
Developers who want API collections versioned in Git with no cloud account
Insomnia 9.4/10
Developers who want a local-first or Git-synced API client with CLI test runs
Hoppscotch 8.9/10
Teams that want a free, self-hostable API client with low per-user cloud pricing
Katalon Studio 8.7/10
QA teams that want API tests alongside web and mobile UI tests in one tool
ReadyAPI 8.1/10
Enterprise QA teams testing many API protocols, including SOAP and messaging
iceDQ 7.8/10
Enterprise QA and data teams testing ETL pipelines, migrations and BI reports
REST Assured 7.5/10
Java teams writing API tests as code alongside JUnit or TestNG

Frequently asked questions

How much does Apache JMeter cost?

Apache JMeter has a free plan. Prices last checked Nov 15, 2026.

Is Apache JMeter free?

Yes. Open source (Apache License 2.0), free download

What are the best Apache JMeter alternatives?

Apidog (9.8/10), Karate (9.8/10), Postman (9.8/10) are the highest-scoring alternatives in our API testing tools ranking.

Sources