SoapUI
A tool that lets developers and testers check whether an API actually works correctly — sending it test requests and verifying the responses — without writing a full test-automation script from scratch.
🔗 Visit SoapUI
Description
Before an API ships, someone needs to check that every endpoint returns the right data, handles bad input gracefully, and doesn't fall over under load — the API equivalent of test-driving a car before selling it. SoapUI is built specifically for that: instead of writing custom scripts to send requests and check responses, you build test cases visually, point them at your API, and reuse them every time something changes.
SoapUI is an established open-source API testing tool from SmartBear (the makers of Swagger) supporting REST, SOAP, GraphQL, Apache Kafka, and gRPC protocols, covering functional, performance, and security testing. It integrates with CI/CD pipelines and tools like Jira, Slack, GitHub, and GitLab, supports service virtualization and mocking (testing against a fake API before the real one exists), and exports reports in formats like JUnit, PDF, and Allure. A commercial sibling product, ReadyAPI, adds team collaboration and enterprise features on a 14-day free trial. With millions of users and adoption at companies like Salesforce, Apple, and BMW, it's one of the longest-standing names in API testing.
💬 Our review
The short version: SoapUI remains a solid, free choice for API testing, particularly notable for one thing most modern REST-only tools skip — genuine SOAP support — alongside REST, GraphQL, Kafka, and gRPC in a single tool.
The protocol breadth is the real differentiator: plenty of newer API tools (Postman, Hoppscotch) are REST-first and treat SOAP as an afterthought or don't support it at all, which matters a lot if you work with older enterprise systems or industries (finance, healthcare, government) where SOAP APIs are still common. Being made by SmartBear, the team behind Swagger/OpenAPI, also gives it real institutional credibility rather than being a side project.
The honest caveats: the free SoapUI is a single-machine, individual tool — team collaboration, shared test suites, and cloud execution require upgrading to the paid ReadyAPI product, and that pricing isn't published up front. Its interface is also noticeably more dated and heavier than newer, lighter tools like Hoppscotch or Postman, which matters if your team is REST-only and doesn't need the SOAP/legacy-protocol coverage that's SoapUI's main selling point.
💰 Pricing
📊 Global score
🤖 AI-enriched data
SoapUI (édition individuelle) gratuite et open source. ReadyAPI (édition équipe/entreprise) payant, essai gratuit de 14 jours sans carte bancaire, tarifs sur devis.
Pros
Support SOAP réel, rare chez les outils modernes centrés REST
Couvre REST, SOAP, GraphQL, Kafka et gRPC dans un seul outil
Développé par SmartBear (créateurs de Swagger) — crédibilité et maturité fortes
Adopté à grande échelle (Salesforce, Apple, BMW, millions d'utilisateurs)
Cons
Version gratuite limitée à un usage individuel mono-poste — la collaboration d'équipe passe par ReadyAPI payant
Tarifs ReadyAPI non publiés
Interface plus datée et plus lourde que des outils récents comme Postman ou Hoppscotch