GitLab vs. Postman: a data-backed comparison

Explore GitLab and Postman’s features, pricing, adoption trends, and ideal use cases to help you determine which DevOps or API development platform best suits your team.

GitLab vs. Postman at a glance

GitLab is an integrated DevOps platform offering source control, CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, and project management within a single interface. Postman is an API development environment focused on designing, testing, documenting, and monitoring APIs. While GitLab serves teams looking to unify the entire software delivery lifecycle, Postman targets teams needing streamlined API collaboration and quality assurance tools.

Metrics

Gitlab

Postman

Relative cost

125% higher cost than category average

50% lower cost than category average

Adoption trend

11% QoQ adoption growth

9% QoQ adoption growth

Primary user segment

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–

Best for

Micro development teams who need comprehensive DevOps capabilities without enterprise-level complexity.

Development teams and API-focused companies who need comprehensive tools for testing, documenting, and collaborating on API development.

GitLab overview

GitLab provides a unified platform that combines source code management, continuous integration and deployment, security testing, and project tracking. It supports automation of development workflows and compliance requirements, enabling teams to manage code and releases from a single interface. GitLab suits organizations that seek end-to-end control over their software delivery processes.

GitLab key features

Features

Description

Built-in CI/CD pipelines

Automates build, test, and deployment workflows using configurable runners.

Auto DevOps

Detects project types and auto-generates CI/CD jobs with minimal configuration.

Security and compliance

Performs code scans, license checks, and dependency monitoring during pipelines.

Package and container registry

Stores Docker images, Helm charts, and packages within the same platform.

Project and group management

Manages access, issues, and milestones across related projects and teams.

Project and group management

Manages access, issues, and milestones across related projects and teams.

Analytics and reporting

Visualizes pipeline metrics, test results, and cycle times to identify delays.

Postman overview

Postman offers an intuitive environment for building and testing APIs, with capabilities for automated testing, version control, mock servers, and collaborative workspaces. Its integrations with CI/CD pipelines and source control systems support continuous API validation and documentation. Postman is ideal for teams focused on API lifecycle management and developer collaboration.

Postman key features

Features

Description

API client

Send requests and inspect responses to streamline API testing and debugging.

Collections

Group and organize related API requests for easier reuse and sharing.

Workspaces

Collaborate with team members on API projects in shared environments.

API monitoring

Schedule automated tests to track API uptime, response times, and performance.

Mock servers

Simulate API endpoints to test frontends without needing a live backend.

API documentation

Auto-generate and publish API docs to simplify developer onboarding and usage.

API observability

Track performance metrics and usage data to help debug and optimize APIs.

Pros and cons

Tool

Pros

Cons

Gitlab

  • Unified interface for Git repos, CI/CD pipelines, issue tracking, and container registry
  • Auto DevOps detects project type and configures pipelines
  • Built-in security scanning and compliance tools
  • Built-in package and container registry keeps artifacts close to code and enforces access control
  • Value stream analytics and pipeline dashboards show cycle times and highlight bottlenecks
  • Fine-grained permissions and group-level management
  • Self-hosted and SaaS options are available
  • The feature set can overwhelm teams that only need basic source control or CI/CD
  • Auto DevOps may require customization to fit edge-case workflows
  • Self-managed installations demand resources for maintenance, upgrades, and high availability
  • Some advanced features require higher-tier plans, increasing costs
  • Performance can be affected without careful runner and database tuning

Postman

  • Robust all-in-one platform for API design, testing, and monitoring, streamlining the full API lifecycle
  • Strong collaboration features with team workspaces, ideal for coordinated development
  • Supports multiple protocols, including REST, GraphQL, and gRPC, for flexibility across projects
  • Auto-generates documentation and mock servers to speed up development and testing
  • Access to a large public API network makes it easy to discover and reuse existing APIs
  • Doesn’t offer built-in database or authentication tools, requiring external integrations
  • Many advanced features, especially for teams, are behind a paywall
  • It might be overkill for smaller projects or basic use cases
  • Less accessible for non-technical users or teams working in no-code environments

Use case scenarios

GitLab is best suited for teams that require a comprehensive DevOps platform to manage source control, CI/CD, and security in a single location. Postman excels for teams focused on API design, testing, and collaboration across distributed development environments.

When GitLab is the better choice

  • Your team needs integrated source control and CI/CD pipelines
  • Your team needs built-in security scanning and compliance tools
  • Your team needs consolidated issue tracking and project management
  • Your team needs a container registry and package management on one platform
  • Your team needs a self-hosted deployment with enterprise-grade controls

When Postman is the better choice

  • Your team needs API testing, validation, and automated monitoring
  • Your team needs collaborative API documentation and version control
  • Your team needs easy integration of API workflows into CI/CD systems
  • Your team needs comprehensive API lifecycle management and governance
  • Your team needs advanced API testing with pre-/post-request scripting capabilities

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