Tabby is a CLI tool I built to simplify API testing and basic stress testing, without relying on heavy GUIs or complex scripts.
Repository: <a href="https://github.com/nhdfr/tabby" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://github.com/nhdfr/tabby</a>
<hr>
<h3>Why Tabby when curl and Postman already exist?</h3>
Both curl and Postman are excellent tools, but they start to feel limiting when you need:
<ul>
<li>Repeated requests or basic stress testing without writing scripts</li>
<li>Random and customizable data generation for every request</li>
<li>Fast iteration directly from the terminal</li>
</ul>
With curl, looping and dynamic payloads usually require shell scripts. 
With Postman, workflows are GUI-bound and harder to automate.
Tabby is designed to sit in between—CLI-first, but purpose-built for testing.
<hr>
<h3>What Tabby focuses on</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Loop mode 
Send the same request multiple times with configurable delays, useful for basic load and stress testing.
</li>
<li>
Random data generation 
Use placeholders like <code>{{name}}</code>, <code>{{email}}</code>, <code>{{uuid}}</code>, etc., and Tabby generates realistic values automatically.
</li>
<li>
Custom payloads and headers 
Full control over request bodies and headers without additional tooling.
</li>
<li>
No UI lock-in 
Everything runs from the terminal and works well in scripts or CI workflows.
</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h3>Playground</h3>
Tabby also includes a playground to make command generation easier: 
<a href="https://tabby.nhdfr.foo/playground" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://tabby.nhdfr.foo/playground</a>
Typical workflow:
<ol>
<li>Open the playground</li>
<li>Build a POST request</li>
<li>Generate the CLI command</li>
<li>Paste it into your terminal</li>
<li>Run it</li>
</ol>
You can also skip the playground entirely and write commands directly—both approaches are fully supported.
<hr>
<h3>Motivation</h3>
The goal was to create something that is:
<ul>
<li>Faster to iterate with than Postman</li>
<li>Cleaner than maintaining curl scripts</li>
<li>Flexible enough for real-world API testing scenarios</li>
</ul>
Tabby is intentionally lightweight and focused on doing one thing well.
<hr>
If you need help using the tool or have feedback, feel free to reach out on 
X: <a href="https://www.x.com/nhdfrrr" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://www.x.com/nhdfrrr</a> 
or open a discussion: <a href="https://github.com/nhdfr/tabby/discussions" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://github.com/nhdfr/tabby/discussions</a>
<a href="https://github.com/nhdfr/tabby" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://github.com/nhdfr/tabby</a>

Tabby is a CLI tool designed for API testing and basic stress testing from the terminal. It offers loop mode for repeated requests, automatic random data generation using placeholders, custom payload and header support, and works well in scripts and CI workflows. The tool positions itself between curl and Postman, providing more flexibility than curl scripts without GUI lock-in. A web-based playground helps generate CLI commands visually before running them in the terminal.

Tabby: A CLI Tool for API Stress Testing