What is the main difference between Karve and Hurl?

Karve is an interactive native Windows REST client with a visual response viewer and history. Hurl is a fast command-line tool for chaining requests, capturing values, asserting responses, and running HTTP tests in CI.

Is Karve a replacement for Hurl tests?

No. Karve v1 has no assertions, chaining, reports, or CI runner. Use Hurl for executable tests and Karve for manual exploration and organization when both are needed.

Karve — a visual Windows alternative to Hurl

Q: Can Karve open .hurl files?

No. Hurl uses its own .hurl request-and-response test format. Karve opens .http and .rest request files. Requests must be translated rather than renamed.

Karve and Hurl both keep HTTP work in reviewable text files, but they are not format-compatible substitutes. Hurl is a command-line test runner using .hurl files. Karve is a native Windows REST client for the .http files used across developer IDEs.

Side by side

Dimension	Karve	Hurl
Primary workflow	Interactive GUI exploration and response inspection	Command-line requests and executable HTTP tests
File format	.http/.rest request files	.hurl entries containing requests, expected responses, captures, and assertions
Automation	Manual sends; no chaining, assertions, or CLI	Chaining, captures, JSONPath/XPath assertions, retries, reports, and CI/CD
Protocols/content	REST / HTTP with text and JSON response views	HTTP sessions for REST, SOAP, GraphQL, HTML, XML, JSON, binary, and more
Installation	Native Windows Store app for x64 and ARM64	Cross-platform single command-line binary powered by libcurl
Price	$29.99 sale ($39.99 regular), one-time	Free and open source

Hurl facts checked against its official manual and test documentation in July 2026. Karve facts reflect shipping v1.0.5.

Choose Karve when

You want to compose requests and inspect responses visually.
Your repos already use IDE-compatible .http files.
You need a searchable local history across manual sessions.
You want one native workspace for files from several repos.

Choose Hurl when

HTTP checks must run unattended in CI.
You need request chaining, captures, assertions, or reports.
Tests cover HTML, SOAP, GraphQL, binary data, or response timing.
A fast cross-platform CLI and single binary are priorities.

FAQ

Can Karve open .hurl files?

No. Hurl and Karve use different text formats. Translate the request line, headers, variables, and body rather than simply changing the extension.

What is the main difference?

Karve is an interactive visual REST client. Hurl is a command-line HTTP client and test runner designed for automation.

Can Karve replace Hurl tests?

No. Karve has no assertions, chaining, reports, or CI runner. Use Hurl for tests and Karve for manual exploration when both jobs exist.

Sources: Hurl overview, manual, and test runner documentation.

On Karve's roadmap

Everything above ships in Karve v1.0.5 today — including environments and persistent, searchable history. A few more things are planned for upcoming v1.x updates, included in the one-time price and on the way:

Workspace Code completion Import (Postman & cURL) WebSocket

See the full roadmap for what's coming and what's deliberately out of scope.

More alternatives

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Launch Summer Sale

Organize and run your .http requests.

$29.99 during the Launch Summer Sale (reg. $39.99), one-time. No account, no subscription — a native Windows workspace you own forever.

15-day free trial · No account · No subscription · No metered requests

25% off until Sep 1