HTTPie

HTTPie started as a CLI (http get example.com) and now includes a beautiful Desktop app (2025). It is famous for its human-friendly syntax.

When to Use

• CLI: http POST api.com name=John is faster than curl -X POST -d '{"name":"John"}' ....
• Desktop: Cleanest UI in the business. AI-assisted request building.
• Quick Testing: Zero config needed.

Core Concepts

Simplified Syntax

: for headers (User-Agent:Chrome), = for string data (name=John), := for raw JSON (age:=25).

Sessions

Persistent sessions (cookies/headers) in CLI. http --session=logged-in API.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use the Desktop App: It syncs with the CLI.
• Use --offline: To inspect how the request would look without sending it.

Don't:

• Don't use curl for JSON: Unless you are pasting to a colleague who doesn't have HTTPie. HTTPie is superior for JSON.

References

• HTTPie Documentation