GraphiQL vs Postman: What are the differences?

Introduction

GraphiQL and Postman are both popular tools used by developers to interact with APIs. Although they serve a similar purpose, there are several key differences between the two that set them apart. In this article, we will explore these differences and understand when and where each tool is best suited for API development and testing.

1. Interactivity and Usability: GraphiQL provides a highly interactive interface for making GraphQL queries and exploring the schema of the API. It offers autocompletion and syntax highlighting, making it easy to write and execute complex queries. On the other hand, Postman focuses more on REST APIs and provides a user-friendly interface for sending HTTP requests, with support for various features like authentication, headers, and variables.

2. Response Visualization: GraphiQL excels in visualizing the response data of GraphQL queries. It displays the result in a tree-like structure, making it easier to navigate and understand the returned data. Postman, on the other hand, supports a wider range of response visualization formats, including JSON, HTML, XML, and more. It allows developers to choose the format that best suits their needs.

3. API Documentation and Collaboration: GraphiQL automatically generates documentation for the GraphQL schema, making it easy to understand the available queries, mutations, and types. It also allows collaborative editing and sharing of queries with other team members. Postman, on the other hand, provides extensive documentation features for REST APIs, including the ability to create detailed API documentation, share collections of requests, and collaborate with team members.

4. Request Composition and Testing: GraphiQL offers a simple and intuitive interface for composing GraphQL queries and mutations with its built-in editor. However, it lacks some advanced features like request history, test scripts, and the ability to save and organize requests. Postman, on the other hand, provides a powerful request composer that allows users to create complex requests, organize them into collections, and write test scripts to automate API testing.

5. Extensibility and Integrations: GraphiQL is primarily focused on GraphQL and has limited support for integrating with other tools and services. Postman, on the other hand, offers a wide range of integrations with popular services like GitHub, Jenkins, Slack, and more. It also allows developers to write custom scripts and use variables to create dynamic workflows and automate API testing.

6. Security and Authorization: GraphiQL does not provide built-in support for authentication and authorization mechanisms. It mainly relies on the underlying GraphQL server's security configuration. Postman, on the other hand, offers various options for handling authentication, including Basic Auth, OAuth, and JWT. It also provides a convenient way to manage and save authentication details for multiple APIs.

In summary, GraphiQL is a powerful tool for working with GraphQL APIs, offering a highly interactive and visual experience. On the other hand, Postman is a versatile tool that supports a wider range of API types, especially REST APIs, and provides advanced features for request composition, testing, documentation, and integration. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of the API being developed or tested.