APIxs (API Client with extra scripting)

REST & HTTP client built directly into VS Code. Designed for local-first workflows and seamless automation.

APIxs is a robust REST & HTTP client built directly into VS Code. It provides the power of professional tools like Postman, Bruno, and Thunder Client while remaining lightweight and strictly local-first. With a built-in collection runner and full pm-scripting compatibility, APIxs is the perfect tool for developers who value privacy, speed, and version control.

Why I Built This

I was tired of the direction API clients were heading. Postman pushed everyone to the cloud, added mandatory logins, and started gating features behind paid tiers. My team's collections had hundreds of requests with complex pre-request scripts, chained auth flows, and environment-specific configs. One day, Postman's sync broke mid-sprint and we lost 2 hours debugging whether the bug was in our API or in stale cached requests.

I tried alternatives. Thunder Client was fast but couldn't run my pm.sendRequest chains or setNextRequest flows. Bruno was promising but didn't fit our scripting patterns. I needed something that:

• Import my Postman collections and just go — the format is public, the workflow should feel identical
• Runs my existing Postman scripts without rewriting anything
• Lives in my editor so I stop context-switching
• Stores everything as plain files so my collections go through PR review like any other code
• Works offline, forever with no account, no cloud, no telemetry
• No collection run limits — run locally as much as you want, no artificial caps

So I built APIxs. It started as a weekend hack and turned into the tool my team actually ships with.

Why APIxs?

• Universal Compatibility: Fully compatible with VSCodium and other VS Code-based IDEs like Cursor, Windsurf, and Antigravity. Published to the Open VSX Registry for the broadest accessibility.
• Intuitive Familiarity: If you've used Postman or Bruno, you'll feel right at home. APIxs follows industry-standard UX patterns and scripting conventions, making the transition seamless.
• 100% Local: Your data never leaves your machine unless you push it to your own git repository.
• Git-Friendly Storage: Collections are stored as individual JSON files. No binary blobs, no proprietary databases — just clean files that are easy to diff and merge.
• No Cloud Bloat: Fast startup, zero-latency UI, and no account required.

Key Features

🚀 Advanced Scripting & Test Automation

Migrate your complex workflows without rewriting your scripts. APIxs supports the industry-standard pm.* API for pre-request and test scripts.

• Postman-Compatible: Supports pm.environment, pm.test, pm.expect, and more.
• Async Execution: Use pm.sendRequest() for multi-step auth or data fetching.
• Pre-loaded Libraries: Access lodash, moment, crypto, yaml, and uuid out of the box.

🏃 Power Tools: Collection Runner

Automate your API testing with the high-performance Folder Runner—a feature often missing from other VS Code clients.

• Bulk Execution: Run entire folders or collections sequentially.
• Customizable Logic: Configure iterations, delays, and "Stop on Error" behavior.
• Integrated Reports: View real-time success/failure metrics directly in the runner dashboard.

🧪 Smart Variable Engine

Powerful template resolution across URLs, headers, and bodies with a clear resolution hierarchy:

1. Local Variables: Specific to the current execution scope.
2. Collection Variables: Shared across all requests in a collection.
3. Environment Profiles: Switch between Dev, Staging, and Prod with one click.
4. .env Support: Automatically picks up variables from your workspace .env files.
5. OS Environment: Injects system variables using the {{$env.VAR}} syntax.
6. Dynamic Generators: 100+ faker-powered variables like {{$guid}}, {{$timestamp}}, and {{$randomEmail}}.

🔍 Deep Inspection & cURL

Understand exactly what's happening under the hood.

• Request/Response Dump: View the raw HTTP payload exactly as it travels over the wire.
• Instant cURL: Copy any request as a standard cURL command with one click.
• Performance Metrics: Detailed timing breakdown (DNS, TCP, TLS, First Byte) for every call.

Installation

For Open VSX-native IDEs (VSCodium, Windsurf, etc.)

Search for APIxs in the Extensions view and click Install.

For VS Code

Since APIxs is hosted on Open VSX, VS Code users can install it by downloading the package:

1. Visit the APIxs page on Open VSX.
2. Click the Download button to get the .vsix file.
3. In VS Code, open the Extensions view, click the ... (More Actions) menu, and select Install from VSIX...

Getting Started

1. Click the APIxs icon in the Activity Bar.
2. Create a New Collection or Import an existing collection.
3. Configure your Environments in the sidebar.
4. Start sending requests!

📥 Seamless Migration

Import your existing collection. APIxs automatically supports formats from other popular tools:

• Import .json collections files.
• Automatically migrate request metadata, headers, and body.
• Support for Bearer, Basic, and API Key authentication.
• Preserve pre-request and test scripts.
• Retain variables and folder structures.

Command Palette

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and type Apixs to access:

SSE Streaming

APIxs includes a built-in Server-Sent Events (SSE) viewer for real-time streaming endpoints. Launch it from the Command Palette with Apixs: SSE Viewer.

• Connect to any SSE endpoint and watch events stream in real-time
• Auth support: Bearer token, Basic auth, and API Key (header or query param)
• Auto-scroll to follow incoming events as they arrive
• Pretty-print JSON event payloads automatically
• Variable substitution in URL and auth fields using {{variables}}

Keybindings

Settings

License: Proprietary | Created by abridge