Top 10 Tools for REST API Development and Testing to Learn in 2024

Hello guys, it's been a long time since I have shared useful tools. Last, I have shared the best tools for Java developers to learn and then the best data visualization tools for Data Scientists to learn. So, today, I am going to write about 10 essential tools for REST API development and Testing. These are the tools that will help you in every stage of your REST-based project like design, development, testing, and documentation. If you are creating REST APIs in Java or any other programming language, most of the tools like Postman which are HTTP based are equally useful but a couple of tools are most suitable for Java developers.Without wasting any more of your time, here is my list of 10 useful tools every REST developer should learn

10 Best API Testing Tools to Learn in 2024

Here is a list of the best tools you can learn for REST And SOAP API testing in 2024. There is a good chance that you already know some of these tools but if you don't, you can choose the one which is most suitable to your case and start learning with the resources, I have mentioned along with the tools.

1. Postman

Postman is the most essential tool for API development and testing. It allows you to interact with any REST API by sending different kinds of HTTP requests like GET, POST, DELETE, etc. You can then see the response and also view response headers and codes. It also allows you to send query parameters, customize request headers, and much more.

You can also use different Authentication methods like BASIC authentication to interact with secure REST API.

Postman is available both as a desktop application (Postman App) as well as a Chrome extension. If your work involves interacting with REST API, it makes sense to learn Postman. It's very useful to test REST API as well.

If you want to learn Post, I recommend Postman: The Complete Guide - REST API Testing course by Valentin Despa on Udemy.

2. cURL

This is a Linux utility or command which can also be used as a great tool to interact with REST APIs from the command line. The cURL command allows you to send both GET and POST requests and also populate different request headers.

You can also send authentication credentials to interact with secure API. If you love to work in the Linux command line then this is a great tool to learn. If you want to learn cURL, you can join one of these best Linux course on Udemy.

3. RESTAssured

If you don't know, REST Assured is a Java library that provides a domain-specific language (DSL) for writing powerful, maintainable tests for RESTful APIs. It's built on top of HTTP Builder. It supports POST, gets, PUT, DELETE, HEAD, PATCH, and OPTIONS requests and verifies the response of these requests. RESTAssured is very popular for automation testing of RESTful web services in the Java world.

It also supports a Given/When/Then test notation, which makes your tests human readable. Since REST Assured is a Java library, you can also easily integrate it into your CI/CD setup and combine Java testing frameworks like JUnit or TestNG.

If you are in REST API development and testing then learning RESTAssured can be a good decision. If you need a resource, check out this Rest API Testing (Automation) from Scratch -RestAssured Java course by Rahul Shetty on Udemy.

best java tool for API testing automation

4. Swagger

Swagger is another useful tool and framework REST developers should know. Precisely, Swagger is a collection of a set of open-source tools built around the OpenAPI Specification that can help you design, build, document, and consume REST. Some people call it a library while others call it a framework, but that's not important. What is more important is that you can use Swagger to document your REST API.

Swagger provides a standard specification or set of rules for describing REST APIs. Because of that, you can use Swagger to document REST APIS and share documentation among product managers, testers, and developers, and various tools to automate API-related processes.

If you are in REST API design and development, you should learn Swagger and if you need a resource, check out Learn Swagger and the Open API Specification course on Udemy.

5. Burp

Burp or Burp Suite is a penetration testing framework and tool for Java-based web applications. It is developed by a company called Portswigger and its founder is Dafydd Stuttard. BurpSuite aims to be an all-in-one set of tools and its capabilities can be enhanced by installing add-ons that are called BApps. The framework consists of different tools, such as a proxy server, a web spider, an intruder, and a repeater.

6. WireShark

Wireshark needs no introduction. It's one of the most popular packet sniffers and can trace any kind of traffic, You can use Wireshark to monitor the request and response and all kinds of outgoing and incoming traffic data.

And, if you want to learn Wireshark in depth, you can also check out these best online courses to learn Wireshark for programmers and developers.

8. JMeter

This is another popular Java tool for performance testing. You can use JMeter to perform load tests, performance-oriented tests, regression tests, etc., on different protocols including HTTP. It's commonly used for load and stress testing. You can use JMeter for analyzing and measuring the performance of a variety of services, with a focus on web applications.

9. SoapUI

SoapUI is another popular tool for automated testing for SOAP and REST APIs. You can use SoapUI to test web services like SOAP Web Services as well RESTful Web Services or HTTP-based services.

SoapUI is an Open Source and completely free tool with a commercial companion -SoapUI Pro- that has extra functionality for companies with mission-critical Web Services. You can use SoapUI for web service inspection, invoking, development, simulation and mocking, functional testing, load, and compliance testing

And, if you want to learn more, you can also check out this list of best online courses to learn SoapUI for beginners and experienced developers.

10. Apiary

This is another useful tool for API designers and developers. You can use Apiary for designing, documenting, and stubbing out your API

That's all about some of the useful tools for REST API developers. Good knowledge of these tools is essential for building real-world REST API. These tools will help you in designing, testing, and even documentation of your REST API and RESTful Web Services.

Other Java and Programming Tutorials you may like to explore

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these REST API tools then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback then please drop a note.

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Saturday, February 25, 2023