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Introduction
How many of you like cooking?
Or maybe at least tried a hand at making a new dish?
If you have, you know that there are a lot of steps involved in cooking, like gathering ingredients, getting them ready, making the final dish, and, finally, garnishing. But then, once the dish is prepared, what if it doesn’t have enough salt or tastes bland?
To avoid this problem, we have a step called tasting. We ask a few other people who’ll be having the meal to taste the food. This ensures that all the spices have been added in the right amount.
Similarly, many steps must be carried out while developing an application. Out of these, an important one is testing which checks the overall performance of an application.
As food taste can vary due to different factors, testing can be of various types. API testing is one such type.
Next, we come to who will be tasting the dish for us. Analogous to this, there are different testing tools.
Here, just as one person may like their food spicy while another may not mind less salty dishes, different factors are used to determine which testing tool to use.
Based on such factors, there are two different API testing tools - JMeter and postman.
In this article, we’ll learn the difference between JMeter and postman.
Overview of JMeter
Before we learn the difference between JMeter and postman, we should have a quick recap of what JMeter and postman are.
To begin with, JMeter is a Java application developed by Stefano Mazzocchi. It is open source and was first introduced to test web applications. Later on, its use expanded to other functions.
At present, it is used to load test functional behavior, measure performance on static and dynamic resources, and for database server tests.
Now that we have a clear idea of JMeter let’s brush up on postman.
Overview of Postman
Just like JMeter, postman is also an API testing tool, with a slight difference. Postman is not only used for testing but also for building and using APIs. It simplifies the steps in the API lifecycle and streamlines collaboration. This facilitates the faster creation of better APIs.
Postman can make HTTP requests like GET, POST, PUT, and PATCH. It can save environments for later use. Furthermore, postman can convert API code to different languages like JavaScript and Python.
For more information on postman, you may go through an article on the introduction to postman.
Now that we know what JMeter and postman are, let’s see their differences.
Difference Between JMeter and Postman
To understand the difference between Jmeter and postman, let us divide it into different points.
The different points have been elaborated on in the following sections.
Platforms Supported
JMeter
Postman
Windows
Windows
Mac
SaaS
Ease of Deployment
Both JMeter and postman are easy to deploy when it comes to ease of deployment. Their initial setup is straightforward.
Features
JMeter and postman provide different features providing stability and flexibility.
To summarize, some valuable features of JMeter and postman are:
JMeter
Postman
Excellent performance
Recording and playback
Scripting
Report generation
Integration with CI/CD
Customization
ThreadGroup
Analysis tools
Good automation facilities
Easy to use and manage
Good reporting features
Lightweight
Fast
Good scalability
Features to create and share collections in a team
Good UI
Availability of different workspaces
Utility scripts
Drawbacks
Besides valuable features, both JMeter and postman can improve in certain areas. Some suggestions for improvements are
JMeter
Postman
Better Graphic User Interface (GUI)
Generation of less heavy reports
Simplifying automation
Improved authentication for API testing
Enhanced scalability
User-friendly features
Automating username and password entries
Integrating with the database
Providing a graphic interface for performance testing and better request encryption
Pricing
Since both Apache JMeter and postman are open sources, they are free. However, a paid plan in postman costs $12 per month for a single user. There is a free trial available for this paid version.
With this, we have finished learning the difference between JMeter and postman.
From this analysis, we can see that postman will be a better choice of application. It provides good features, flexibility, and stability ratings, with fewer shortcomings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is JMeter?
JMeter is an open-source Java application used for testing purposes.
What is Postman?
Postman is a tool used to create, use and test APIs. It builds better APIs faster.
Which is a better choice, JMeter or postman?
Postman is a better choice since it provides good features, flexibility, and stability ratings, with fewer shortcomings.
What are some alternatives to postman?
Some alternatives to postman are Apiary, Apigee, Assertible, Xano, and DreamFactory.
What are some features of JMeter?
Some features of JMeter are good performance, recording and playback, scripting, report generation, integration with CI/CD, customization, ThreadGroup, and analysis tools.
Conclusion
In this article, we saw the difference between JMeter and postman. From that, we got an idea of which is a better choice. Apart from that, all the different features and properties of both JMeter and postman make them great applications, so they can be used for various purposes, as and when required. But, this article only focused on two specific API testing tools.
Apart from JMeter and postman, there are other API tools too. To name some,
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