Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to GenHTTP Webserver

Lightweight C# webserver with excellent developer experience

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. GenHTTP Webserver launched in 2024; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   I built a web framework in C▲420

   a lightweight web framework in c. Contribute to ashtonjamesd/lavandula development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   OpenAPI DevTools – Chrome extension that generates an API spec▲811

   Effortlessly discover API behaviour with a Chrome extension that automatically generates OpenAPI specifications in real time for any app or website.

   2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

3. 3UT
   unsafehttp – tiny web server from scratch in C, running on an orange pi▲87

   Hey HN, I wanted to get more familiar with C programming, *nix socket programming and C compilation, so I wrote this "web" ""server"". It's running on a tiny SBC in my office, and there's as little as possible between you and it. Happy for you to try and break it, hopefully with something more interesting than a DoS though :) Please let me know if you find any issues.

   2025 · unsafehttp.benren.au · its alternatives →

4. 4
   My embeddable C/C++ webserver▲84

   2011 · github.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Insomnia REST Client now open-source▲218

   Leading Open Source API Development Platform for HTTP, REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and WebSockets

   2017 · insomnia.rest · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Javalin, a Java/Kotlin REST API Framework▲50

   Javalin - A lightweight Java and Kotlin web framework. Create REST APIs in Java or Kotlin easily.

   2017 · javalin.io · its alternatives →

7. 7
   XgeneCloud – Instant REST and GraphQL APIs on Any SQL Database▲103

   2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   A dynamic C (Hot reloading) module-based Web Framework▲128

   A modular web framework for C, inspired by kernel modules. Dynamically upload and compile C code at runtime to build REST APIs, WebSocket services, and more. Includes support for JSON (Jansson), SQLite, OpenSSL, and streaming large data efficiently. - joexbayer/c-web-modules

   2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

9. 9MW
   Micro web framework for low-resource systems – live example on ESP8266▲146

   2015 · ureq.solusipse.net · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Pure C Asynchronous HTTP Framework▲80

    Asynchronous C networking library with HTTP server, WebSockets, reverse proxy, HTTP/2 gRPC client, TLS and event loop. - Softmotions/iwnet

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

11. 11TA
    TypeAPI – An OpenAPI alternative optimized for code generation▲55

    An OpenAPI alternative to describe REST APIs for type-safe code generation.

    2023 · typeapi.org · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript▲102

    Hey there HN! I just wrapped up an all-day documentation spree for Instant API, a JavaScript framework for easily building web APIs that implements type safety at the HTTP interface. It uses a function-as-a-service approach combined with a slightly modified JSDoc spec to automatically enforce parameter and schema validation before HTTP requests make it through to your code. You just write comments above your endpoint functions and voila, enforced type safety contracts between your API endpoints and your developers. OpenAPI specifications are generated automatically as a byproduct of simply…

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Simple API Generator (Rest + GraphQL)▲121

    Instantly generate openapi (OAS) 3.0.0 REST + GraphQL APIs

    2019 · github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    HTTP Documentation▲75

    HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) explained, with examples

    2023 · http.dev · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Mockoon – mock REST APIs in seconds▲68

    Mockoon is the easiest and quickest way to run mock REST API servers. No remote deployment, no account required, free, open source and cross-platform.

    2017 · mockoon.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Serve▲69

    Generate REST API endpoints through a low-code platform

    2022 · withserve.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    req▲71

    A lightweight, minimal yet powerful API testing tool

    2022 · npmjs.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Goyave – Golang Web Framework▲75

    🍐 The enterprise REST API framework. Contribute to go-goyave/goyave development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

19. 19ME
    Mhttp – Embeddable C# HTTP server library▲5

    2016 · mhttp.net · its alternatives →

20. 20
    http.js, a tiny AJAX utility▲15

    Make HTTP requests from client-side JavaScript. Contribute to wylst/http.js development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2014 · github.com · its alternatives →

21. 21SS
    Serverless Single Page Applications▲10

    Please check out out project, Lite Engine[1], a Backend as a Service web application platform. We provide everything you need to rapidly prototype and deploy your single page applications: static file hosting for your html, css, javascript and other assets, a subdomain on our site, security with https, and a 'create your own API' with SQL over CORS and JSON. I think of this as "geocities with a CORS backend". For your backend we've developed a system we call API Queries. You'll define SQL queries, save them on the backend, then execute them with http post requests that return JSON responses.…

    2016 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Open-source cypress for back end testing▲22

    For the past few months we’ve been building a simple jest/typescript-based high-level language for writing and running integration tests. We're open-sourcing it now and are excited to share it with you: https://github.com/traceloop/jest-opentelemetry Why we built this: - There are many solid frameworks for FE / browser testing, but none with high-level constructs for testing BE flows - We were missing a way to validate side effects for complex backend systems, especially across async queueing systems Our beta version lets you send an API call to a system and…

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

23. 23DS
    DrHTTP – Stop guessing the HTTP payloads that went through your APIs▲10

    DrHTTP (https://drhttp.com/) provides a simple web UI showing all http requests & responses (including full payloads) that flowed in your server. Let's say you (backend developer) run a json over rest API in production. A client opens a ticket saying he received wrong data 3 days ago at 10:00 am. You see no exception in your reporting tool (sentry, newrelic, etc.), you don't have business oriented logs for this situation, current data in your DB looks fine, I think you might get value from the http payload of the user. DrHTTP gives it to you. I'm at a point where I have a…

    2020 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    AsmHTTPd – The tiniest webserver ever written (Linux, x86_64 assembly)▲8

    A minimalist HTTP server for Linux, written in x86_64 assembly - jcalvinowens/asmhttpd

    2014 · github.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →