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Which API debugging tool should you use?
Developers use different tools depending on what they're trying to understand. This page helps you quickly choose the right class of tool based on where the request runs and what you need to see.
toran
A read-only outbound API inspection endpoint. Swap in a toran URL to see real requests and responses as they happen.
Setup
Swap base URL
Scope
Real outbound requests
Team visibility
Shared live view
Server/CI/Agent
Yes
| Tool | Category | Setup | Scope | Team visibility | Server/CI/Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Proxy | Desktop proxy | Install + cert | Local machine | Export files | No |
| Proxyman | Desktop proxy | Install + cert | Local machine | Export files | No |
| mitmproxy | Desktop proxy | Install + cert | Local machine | Export files | No |
| Fiddler | Desktop proxy | Install + cert | Local machine | Export files | No |
| ngrok | Tunneling | Install CLI | Inbound to localhost | Dashboard | Inbound |
| Stripe CLI | Tunneling | Install CLI | Stripe webhooks | Local only | Inbound |
| RequestBin | Request capture | None | Inbound only | Share URL | Inbound |
| Webhook.site | Request capture | None | Inbound only | Share URL | Inbound |
| Beeceptor | Request capture | None | Inbound only | Share URL | Inbound |
| Hookdeck | Webhook infra | Configure | Inbound only | Dashboard | Inbound |
| Postman | API client | Install app | Manual requests | Workspaces | No |
| Insomnia | API client | Install app | Manual requests | Sync | No |
| curl | API client | Pre-installed | Manual requests | Copy command | No |
| Kong | API gateway | Deploy + configure | APIs you serve | Dashboard | Inbound |
| Apigee | API gateway | Enterprise setup | APIs you serve | Console | Inbound |
| Zuplo | API gateway | Configure | APIs you serve | Dashboard | Inbound |
| AWS API Gateway | API gateway | Configure + deploy | APIs you serve | CloudWatch | Inbound |
| Cloudflare Workers | DIY proxy | Build + deploy | Custom | Custom | Yes (DIY) |
| nginx / Envoy | DIY proxy | Configure + deploy | Custom | Custom | Yes (DIY) |
| Datadog APM | Observability | SDK + agent | Traces/metrics | Dashboards | Yes |
| OpenTelemetry | Observability | SDK + collector | Traces/metrics | Backend-dependent | Yes |
| New Relic | Observability | SDK + agent | Traces/metrics | Dashboards | Yes |
How to choose
- •For debugging without modifying your local application, a desktop proxy is often sufficient.
- •If you need to expose localhost to the internet, use a tunneling tool like ngrok.
- •If you need a temporary endpoint to receive requests, use a request capture tool.
- •If you want to manually reproduce or explore an API, use an API client.
- •If you need to manage APIs you expose to others, use an API gateway.
- •If you need metrics, traces, and alerts over time, use observability tooling.
- •If you want to see real outbound API calls from servers, CI, or agents without code changes, use toran.
These comparisons are intentionally high-level and updated as tools evolve.