Thunder Client - VS Code API Testing (With Recent Paywall Drama)

Thunder Client launched in March 2021 when developers were getting sick of Postman's bloated desktop app hogging 200MB+ of RAM just to send a fucking GET request. The idea was simple: API testing directly in VS Code without the corporate cloud sync bullshit.

It worked great for about 3.5 years. Then came November 2024.

What Made Thunder Client Popular (Before the Paywall)

No More App Switching: Instead of Alt-tabbing between VS Code and Postman every 30 seconds, you could test APIs right in your editor. This saved maybe 2-3 minutes per API call, which adds up when you're debugging.

Local Storage Only: Your API keys and requests stayed on your machine. No "oops we got hacked and your production API keys are on the dark web" emails from some startup's security team.

Actually Lightweight: Postman takes longer to start than my coffee machine. Thunder Client was just there when you needed it.

What Actually Worked Well (When It Was Free)

Basic HTTP Stuff: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE worked fine. Headers, auth, request bodies - all the standard shit you need. The JSON syntax highlighting was decent too.

Collections Were the Main Feature: You could group related API calls together. Create a folder for user endpoints, another for payments, etc. This was what made it better than just using curl. This is now behind the paywall.

Environment Variables: `{{baseUrl}}` syntax for switching between dev/staging/prod. Simple but effective. Also paywalled now.

Git Sync for Teams: Instead of sharing Postman workspaces, you could commit your API collections to the repo and everyone stayed in sync. Clean solution. Guess what? Paywalled.

The November 2024 Shitshow

On November 20th, 2024, Thunder Client's creator decided to move Collections (the core feature) behind a paywall. The Reddit reactions were... not positive.

Free version now gives you:

• Individual requests only
• Zero collections, zero environments
• Non-commercial use restriction (see VS Code marketplace for license terms)
• Basically unusable for any real work

Want to organize more than one API request? That'll be $4/month.

Current Technical Reality

VS Code Requirements: 1.85.0+, works on Windows/Mac/Linux
Storage Location:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\rangav.vscode-thunder-client
• Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/rangav.vscode-thunder-client
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/rangav.vscode-thunder-client/

Performance: Still lightweight compared to Postman. Uses maybe 20MB vs Postman's 150MB+ bloat.

What's Paywalled: Collections, environments, Git sync, CLI, WebSocket support, basically everything useful.

The November 2024 Paywall Changes That Broke Everything

Thunder Client decided to pull a classic startup move: get users hooked with free features, then paywall them. Here's what happened:

Free Plan (Now Basically Useless)

As of November 20th, 2024, the free version gives you:

• 0 Collections (the main organizing feature)
• 0 Environments (dev/staging/prod variables)
• Individual requests only
• Non-commercial use restriction (so no using it at your job)
• Full terms that basically say \"fuck you, pay us\"

Current Paid Plans (September 2025)

Starter Plan - $4/month per user (billed annually)

• Gets you back the features that used to be free
• Collections and environments (you know, basic functionality)
• CLI & CI/CD integration
• WebSocket, SSE, gRPC support (available in paid plans)
• 250 collection runs per month
• Limited to 10 seats max

Business Plan - $8/month per user (billed annually)

• 500 collection runs per month
• Payment by invoice (so your company can hate paying for it too)
• Priority support (for when the tool breaks)

Enterprise Plan - $16/month per user (billed annually)

• Unlimited collection runs
• Enterprise SSO (because logging in normally wasn't complicated enough)
• AWS/Azure Secrets integration
• All the bells and whistles for when $4/month wasn't expensive enough

Individual License - $49 one-time payment

• For individuals who want collections but don't want a subscription
• 100 collection runs monthly (artificial limits on your own hardware!)
• Single device only (because fuck you if you have a laptop and desktop)

Installation (Still Easy, Features Not Included)

Installation is still the same simple process:

1. Open VS Code Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for "Thunder Client"
3. Install from the marketplace
4. Click the Thunder Client icon in the sidebar

Then you'll immediately see a popup trying to get you to upgrade to paid.

What You Can Actually Do (Free Version)

Single Request Testing

You can send individual HTTP requests:

1. Click "New Request"
2. Enter URL, pick GET/POST/PUT/DELETE
3. Add headers, auth, request body
4. Send and see the response

That's it. No collections, no environments, no organization. Just individual requests like it's 2019.

The Paywall Experience

Want to create a collection? Upgrade popup.
Want environment variables? Upgrade popup.
Want to save more than individual requests? Upgrade popup.

It's like a freemium mobile game but for API testing.

Setup If You Actually Pay

Collections and Environments (Paid Feature)

Once you pay, you get back the features that made Thunder Client useful:

• Group requests into collections
• Create dev/staging/prod environments with {{variables}}
• Git sync (commit your API tests to the repo)

CLI Setup (Also Paid)

npm install -g @thunderclient/cli

Requires Node.js 18.0+ and a paid subscription because running API tests from command line is apparently premium functionality now.

Real Talk About Alternatives

Instead of paying Thunder Client, consider:

• REST Client extension: Free, file-based, works with Git natively
• Insomnia: Free, better GraphQL support, just a separate app
• HTTPie Desktop: Clean UI, reasonable free tier
• Keep using curl and save your money

The learning curve for alternatives might be steeper, but at least they won't randomly paywall features you rely on.