Files, not collections
Requests live as .http files next to your code. Version them with Git and share them in pull requests. The same files work in JetBrains IDEs and the VS Code REST Client.
Your API requests are just files.
Crab is a free, open-source desktop API client for plain .http and .rest files. Keep requests in your repos, review them in pull requests and run them with one keystroke. No account and no cloud.
macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel) · Windows · MIT OR Apache-2.0
Everything you need, nothing you don't
One workspace, many repos
Group folders from any number of repositories into virtual folders. The sidebar shows every file and follows the request you're editing.
Run at the cursor
Press ⌘ Enter (Ctrl Enter on Windows) or click ▶ to send the request you're editing, unsaved changes included. Esc cancels it.
A response viewer that tells the truth
Pretty, foldable JSON that never rounds big IDs, plus raw output, headers, timing, inline images and the exact request that was sent.
Variables
Use @host = … file variables, nested {{references}}, {{$guid}}, {{$timestamp}} and {{$randomInt}}. Missing or circular variables show a clear error.
Never lose work
Tabs, cursors, layout and unsaved drafts come back after a restart. Line endings and BOMs are kept, so Windows files stay unchanged.
Plain text you already know
Crab uses the widely supported .http format. If you've used the JetBrains HTTP Client or VS Code REST Client, you already know it.
@host = httpbin.org ### Get something GET https://{{host}}/get Accept: application/json ### Send a file as the body POST https://{{host}}/post Content-Type: application/json < ./payload.json
Install
macOS
Download the .dmg. It runs on Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 11 or later. Drag Crab to Applications.
Crab isn't signed with a paid Apple certificate yet, so macOS asks once. Open Crab, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. Or run:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Crab.app
Windows
Download the -setup.exe installer (stable releases also include an .msi).
SmartScreen may warn about an unsigned app. Choose More info → Run anyway.