Fern vs Hoppscotch
Fern and Hoppscotch are both API & developer docs tools. Fern is aimed at developers, while Hoppscotch is aimed at developers and small businesses. Both have a free plan.
SDKs and docs generated from your API spec
Open-source API client for REST, GraphQL and realtime testing
| Pricing | Freemium | Open source · $8 |
| Starting price | Not published | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web, macos, windows, linux |
| Country | US · 2022 | — · 2019 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Fern if
API-first companies.
- Saves SDK engineering
- Idiomatic code
- Docs included
Look elsewhere if: Small internal APIs.
Choose Hoppscotch if
Developers and teams who want a fast open-source API client, with optional self-hosting and low per-user pricing.
- Fast, lightweight interface that opens instantly in the browser
- Generous free plan and fully free self-hosting
- Supports realtime protocols that many clients skip
Look elsewhere if: Large organizations that need a full API lifecycle platform with extensive integrations (Postman, Apidog).
Fern vs Hoppscotch pricing
Fern
- Free$010 team members, 1,000 pages, custom domain
- EnterpriseCustomSSO, SCIM, RBAC, self-hosting, SLA
Hoppscotch
- Free$0Cloud or self-hosted Community edition, free forever
- Business$8/user/mo$6/user/mo billed annually; team workspaces, mocking, docs
- Enterprise Cloud$11/user/moBilled annually; SSO, SCIM, RBAC, audit logs, AI agent features
- Enterprise Self-Host$19/user/mo$190/user/year billed annually; on-premises with admin controls
Fern · Key features
- SDK generation (TS, Python, Java, Go)
- Docs generation
- API definition
- CI publishing
- Versioning
- Examples
Cons
- Enterprise pricing is custom
- Spec quality required
- Vendor dependence
Hoppscotch · Key features
- REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, SSE, Socket.IO and MQTT clients
- Nested collections with environments and variables
- Pre-request scripts, tests and a collection runner
- CLI for running collections in CI pipelines
- Desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux plus a web app
- Team workspaces with real-time collaboration on Business
Cons
- Smaller integration and plugin ecosystem than Postman
- Mocking and published docs require a paid plan
- Enterprise governance features arrived only recently
Fern vs Hoppscotch: FAQ
Do Fern and Hoppscotch have a free plan?
Yes, both Fern and Hoppscotch have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Fern or Hoppscotch?
Hoppscotch lists small businesses as a core audience, while Fern is aimed more at developers.