The proliferation of APIs in modern software development demands rigorous testing methodologies. Testing the APIs is paramount to achieving the right quality and ensuring their functionality and market readiness. This process involves verifying and validating various parameters, including functionality, performance, security, and user experience.
Fortunately, numerous API testing tools are available in the market to streamline this crucial process. Among these, Postman and Rest Assured have emerged as leading contenders. While Postman offers a user-friendly, standalone application ideal for exploratory testing, Rest Assured serves as a Java library designed for robust, code-driven automation.
The State of API report 2022 by Postman reveals a staggering statistic: 89% of respondents utilize Postman for managing their APIs. This underscores its widespread adoption for its intuitive approach. However, for those seeking a more programmatic solution, Rest Assured offers significant advantages, particularly in the context of CI/CD integration and large-scale testing projects.
What is the Postman Tool?
Postman tool is an API platform for building and using APIs. It helps in simplifying each step of the API lifecycle and streamlines collaboration which further helps in creating better APIs at a faster rate.
Advantages of the Postman Tool
- Postman tool can be used without any licensing cost.
- It is easy to use tool with a Graphical user interface and can be accessed easily after logging into your Postman account.
- With the help of the Newman tool or Collection Runner Postman can be used to execute tests in iteration.
- Using collection, Test maintenance becomes easy in Postman.
- Postman can be used directly for testing different API Formats like REST, SOAP, and GraphQL.
- Postman tool can be integrated with the CI/CD pipeline.
How Does Postman Works?
Postman simplifies API testing by letting you build requests (choose method, URL, headers, and body), send them to the server with a click, and then analyze the response (status code, headers, and content) – all within a user-friendly interface. It’s great for exploratory testing and interacting with APIs manually.
Challenges while using the Postman Tool
- In the Postman tool, we do not have the option of reusing pre-written scripts.
- Advanced features like multiple integrations, advanced reporting, and analytics are covered under the pricing model.
How Postman Works for API testing?
Postman simplifies API testing by letting you build requests (choose method, URL, headers, and body), send them to the server with a click, and then analyze the response (status code, headers, and content) – all within a user-friendly interface. It’s great for exploratory testing and interacting with APIs manually.
What is the REST Assured Tool?
REST Assured is a Java library that helps in testing and validating REST services.
How Does REST Assured works?
REST Assured tool scripts use the familiar Given/When/Then syntax from behavior-driven development (BDD) that makes understanding the script easy. Now we need to build Test Automation Script by creating a Testing Class and a new XML file. In REST Assured you need to generate a RequestSpecification using the RestAssured class. You need to then specify the HTTP Method type (GET method) to be tested. The Request is then sent to the server to get a response back. You can print the response to know the status of the test.
As it is a Java library and uses the BDD framework it is required that the tester has knowledge of Java and the BDD framework
Advantages of the REST Assured Tool:
- It is an open-source tool.
- It supports the BDD format, which makes it easy to read the tests.
- Code can be scaled and re-used in REST Assured.
- Easy CI/CD integration.
Challenges with REST Assured Tool
- The Test team needs to have knowledge of the Java programming language and BDD framework.
- Setting up the project can be difficult.
Conclusion:
In the above blog Postman Vs Rest Assured, we saw the advantages and challenges of Postman API testing and the REST Assured API testingtool. We also saw how REST Assured has the advantage of code re-usability, while the Postman tool is an easy-to-use tool for API testing needs.
While choosing a suitable tool for your API testing needs, you need to analyze your project requirements and decide which tool will be the best fit for your project.
A Testing partner like Testrig Technologies can help you assure that you meet your API testing goals.
Testrig’s API Testing Services involves Functional, Performance, Security, and other API testing process to ensure high-quality APIs.
Connect with our API testing experts and share your API testing requirements and our team will be glad to assist in solving your issues.
