Postman is a comprehensive API platform that streamlines the entire API lifecycle through powerful development and testing tools. Trusted by 35 million developers and 98% of Fortune 500 companies, it provides a centralized repository for storing and managing API artifacts, while enabling seamless team collaboration through shared workspaces. Developers can design, test, document, and mock APIs, with built-in JavaScript scripting capabilities and integration options for existing development pipelines.

Postman clearly dominates the API platform landscape. Its intuitive design and integrated scripting environment make it remarkably accessible, even for complex projects. The robust collaboration features are a genuine asset for teams, enabling seamless workflows. By contrast, developers craving highly customized scripting might find Postman’s reliance on Postman Script limiting compared to Node.js alternatives.

Startups and enterprise teams will like Postman’s streamlined API lifecycle management, from design and testing to governance. If your priority is a simple tool for quick API calls, Postman's comprehensive features might feel overwhelming. Just understand its scripting limitations before fully committing. Is it perfect? No. Is it powerful? Absolutely. Weigh your customization needs against the benefits of a unified platform before diving in.

Use Postman's mocking feature to simulate API endpoints early in the development cycle, even before the actual API is built. By creating mock servers that return predefined responses, frontend developers can begin building and testing their applications against a consistent API interface, accelerating development timelines and identifying potential integration issues early on, ultimately reducing time-to-market for new features and products.