Your API workspace is just a .http file.
A polished HTTP client that reads, writes, and runs the same plain-text format
your editor already understands. .http in, .http out.
No cloud account. No telemetry by default. One-time $10.
A workspace that reads like code, runs like code.
Postman and Insomnia store your work in their own cloud. Coax stores it in
.http files — the same format VS Code's REST Client and JetBrains
HTTP Client already use. That means it works with everything you already do.
Diff like code
Every change to a request is one line in git. Code review your API contract changes the same way you review code — no proprietary UI required.
Runs in CI
The same .http file you debugged in the app runs headless in your pipeline. Add # @test status == 200 and watch your assertions fail on the PR that broke them.
Your data stays put
No account. No cloud sync by default. Secrets are encrypted on disk with your OS keychain. Your endpoints, headers, and tokens never leave your laptop unless you tell them to.
Everything a senior dev expects.
Built by people who actually use API clients all day, on the boring details most tools get wrong.
Native .http
Open any .http file from VS Code REST Client or JetBrains HTTP Client. Round-trips on save — no proprietary format, no lock-in.
OpenAPI import
Paste a Swagger / OpenAPI URL or drop a file in. Tags become folders, operations become requests, the base URL becomes an environment variable.
Layered environments
Global → collection → folder → request. Deepest layer wins. Switch active env with one click; chain requests reference each other's responses via JSONPath.
Encrypted secrets
Mark a variable as secret and it's encrypted at rest with your OS keychain (macOS Keychain / DPAPI / libsecret). Export strips secrets to placeholders.
Monaco editor
The same code editor that ships in VS Code. JSON syntax highlighting, autocomplete, multi-cursor, the works — on both the request body and the response viewer.
CLI runner
coax run path/to.http headless. Inline assertions, JUnit output, exit codes your CI actually understands. Same .http file your team already edits.
Three things a screenshot tells better than a sentence.
No staged mockups. These are the real app, doing the real work.
Reference last responses inline
Pull a token, ID, or any JSON field out of one request and drop it into the
next via {{name.response.body.$.field}}. No glue scripts, no
copy-paste rituals between tabs.
Switch environments with one click
Layered scopes: global → collection → folder → request. Deepest wins. Move between dev / staging / prod without touching a config file or restarting anything.
Secrets encrypted at rest
Mark a variable secret and Coax encrypts it with your OS keychain — never
plain text on disk. Export strips secrets to placeholders so you can commit
your .http files safely.
How it compares.
No trash-talking. Each tool is the right pick for someone. Here's where Coax fits.
| Feature | Coax | Postman | Insomnia | Bruno |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File-based (no cloud account) | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
Reads .http files natively |
✓ | No | No | Bru format |
| CLI included | ✓ | Newman (paid) | Inso (paid) | ✓ |
| Telemetry default | Off, opt-in | On | On | Off |
| Encrypted secrets at rest | OS keychain | Cloud vault | Cloud vault | Plain text |
| Price (individual) | $10 one-time | Free / $14+ mo | Free / $5+ mo | Free / $2+ mo |
Pay once. Yours forever.
One price, no subscription, no surprise renewals. We'll never hold your work hostage behind a paywall — it's already on your machine in plain text.
Coax
For individual developers
$10 one-time
- Desktop app for macOS, Windows, Linux
- CLI for CI / headless runs
- 3 device activations per license
- All future v1.x updates included
- 7-day full-feature trial, then license required
Questions, answered.
Will my existing .http files work?
Yes. Coax reads the same .http format that VS Code's REST
Client and JetBrains HTTP Client use — variables, requests, the works.
Drop one in and it opens.
Does it work offline?
Always. After you activate the license once, the app never needs to phone home. Your workspace, secrets, and history all live on your machine. No internet required to use it.
Will it suddenly require a subscription later?
No. The $10 license is perpetual — pay once, use forever, and all v1.x updates are included. If we ever ship a fundamentally different product, it'll be v2 with its own pricing; your v1 license keeps working as-is.
What about my data?
Your collections, environments, and responses live in a SQLite database in your OS's app-data directory. Encrypted secrets use the OS keychain. Nothing is uploaded anywhere unless you explicitly opt into crash reporting — and even that strips URLs, tokens, and file content before sending. See the privacy doc for the full list.
Can I use it on multiple machines?
Yes — one license activates on up to 3 devices (e.g. your laptop, your desktop, and a CI runner). You can deactivate any of them later and re-use the slot somewhere else.
Is Coax open source?
No. Coax is a commercial product under a proprietary license — your $10 buys a perpetual personal license, not the source. We made this choice deliberately: it lets us keep the price low for everyone without funding the work via cloud lock-in or ads. If you have a question or feature request, email us — we read everything.
What platforms does Coax run on?
Coax 1.0 ships for Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later, macOS 10.12+) and 64-bit Windows. The Windows installer isn't code-signed yet, so first-time launch will show a SmartScreen warning — click More info → Run anyway to continue. Intel Mac and Linux builds are planned but not in this release. If either is a hard requirement, email rickhopkins@melodic.dev before buying and we'll let you know when it lands.
What if I find a bug?
Email rickhopkins@melodic.dev with a description and (if possible) the steps to reproduce. Crash reports from users who've opted in are anonymized and help us fix issues without needing a report — see the privacy doc for what those contain.