xh
A command-line tool for testing APIs that reads almost like plain English (`xh get example.com`), built to start faster and run lighter than HTTPie or curl.
🔗 Visit xh
Description
curl is powerful but its flag-heavy syntax is unfriendly to read or remember, while HTTPie fixed that with a more human syntax but runs on Python, which means slower startup and a runtime dependency to manage. xh takes HTTPie's friendly command syntax and reimplements it in Rust as a single, dependency-free binary, so you get readable commands like `xh get example.com` with near-instant startup and no interpreter to install.
xh supports HTTP/2, authentication methods (basic, bearer, digest), session management for repeated requests, a `--curl` flag that translates a request into an equivalent curl command, download resumption and Unix socket support. It ships as prebuilt binaries for Linux, macOS and Windows. It's free and open source with over 8,000 GitHub stars, active maintenance (1,856+ commits), though it hasn't yet implemented every HTTPie feature and has no plugin system.
💬 Our review
The short version: if you like HTTPie's readable command syntax but want it to start instantly with zero Python dependency, xh gives you the same ergonomics in a single fast Rust binary.
The real selling point against HTTPie isn't new functionality — it's operational simplicity: no Python environment to manage, no interpreter startup lag, just one binary you drop anywhere. Against curl, the win is pure readability: `xh get example.com` beats remembering curl's flag combinations for anyone who doesn't touch it daily. The honest gap is feature completeness — HTTPie has a plugin ecosystem and more edge-case features built up over years that xh hasn't fully replicated yet, and if you're already fluent in curl's flags, the switching cost may not be worth it. Solid choice for developers who want HTTPie's usability without a Python dependency, especially in minimal or containerized environments; less compelling if you already have a comfortable curl or HTTPie workflow and don't feel the friction.
💰 Pricing
📊 Global score
🤖 AI-enriched data
Projet open source, aucune offre payante
Pros
Syntaxe lisible façon HTTPie, sans dépendance Python
Démarrage quasi instantané, binaire unique
Support HTTP/2, sessions, reprise de téléchargement
Traduction directe en commande curl équivalente (--curl)
Cons
Ne couvre pas encore toutes les fonctionnalités de HTTPie
Aucun système de plugins
Documentation moins complète que HTTPie