Hurl vs SQD

Hurl is a free, open-source, Apache-2.0-licensed, Rust-based command-line tool for running and testing HTTP requests from plain-text files; SQD is a…

Best for Hurl: Hurl fits developers and QA/CI teams who need a lightweight, dependency-free command-line tool to define, chain, and assert HTTP requests (REST, GraphQL, SOAP) in plain text, especially in automated pipelines.
Best for SQD: SQD fits teams and applications that need real-time or historical blockchain data across a large number of networks (225+), whether starting from the free public API or scaling to a dedicated enterprise data portal.

At a Glance

 HurlSQD
Primary categoryAPI ToolsAPI Tools
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelOpen Sourceopen-source
Starting priceFreeFree (open-source SDK; Cloud usage-based pricing)
Free planNot documentedNot documented
Free trialNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsMac, WindowsNot documented
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesYes

Key Differences

Product Category

Hurl: Hurl is a generic HTTP request-testing CLI tool usable against any REST, GraphQL, or SOAP API.

SQD: SQD is a specialized blockchain data provider covering 225+ networks.

They aren't competing for the same buyer -- one is testing infrastructure, the other is a data source.

Pricing

Hurl: Hurl is entirely free and open source with no usage limits.

SQD: SQD offers a free public API alongside paid dedicated enterprise data portals for larger deployments.

Hurl has zero cost regardless of scale, while SQD's cost can grow with enterprise-level data needs.

What Data or Function Is Provided

Hurl: Hurl provides no data itself -- it's a testing tool that sends requests and validates responses via XPath, JSONPath, status codes, and headers.

SQD: SQD directly provides real-time and historical blockchain data as its core product.

Hurl requires an existing API to test against, whereas SQD is itself the API and data source.

Deployment Model

Hurl: Hurl is a single Rust binary with no runtime dependencies, run locally or in CI.

SQD: SQD is a hosted API/data service (free public API or enterprise portals), not something installed locally.

Hurl requires no infrastructure to operate, while SQD's core value depends on its hosted network coverage.

Community & Maturity Signals

Hurl: Hurl has around 19,000 GitHub stars and is actively maintained with frequent releases.

SQD: Not documented -- no GitHub star count, founding year, or company details are provided for SQD in the available data.

Visible open-source traction like Hurl's star count gives buyers a maturity signal that isn't available for SQD.

Feature-by-Feature

Core Function

FeatureHurlSQD
HTTP request testing/assertionsAvailableNot documented
Blockchain data (real-time/historical)UnavailableAvailable
Multi-network coverageNot documentedAvailable

Access & Cost

FeatureHurlSQD
Free tier/planAvailableAvailable
Enterprise/paid optionUnavailableAvailable
Self-run/local executionAvailableNot documented

Developer Tooling

FeatureHurlSQD
CI/CD reporting (JUnit, TAP, HTML)AvailableNot documented
Open-source licenseAvailableNot documented
Multi-API protocol support (REST, GraphQL, SOAP)AvailableNot documented

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Hurl

Open Source — Free N/A

SQD

Playground — Free n/a
Cloud Pay-as-you-go — Usage-based (compute + storage) pay-as-you-go
Enterprise — Custom custom

Pros & Cons

Hurl

Pros

  • Completely free and open source with no paid tiers or limits
  • Lightweight single binary with no scripting language or GUI required
  • Powerful built-in assertions make it a genuine API testing tool, not just a request runner
  • Plain-text format is easy to version control, review, and diff
  • Backed and actively maintained by Orange with a stable release history since 2020

Cons

  • Smaller plugin and template ecosystem compared to Postman or Insomnia
  • No polished graphical interface, which can be a barrier for non-technical testers
  • Steeper learning curve for complex chained scenarios compared to point-and-click tools
  • Limited built-in mocking or virtualization capabilities
  • Less mainstream brand recognition than established API tools like Postman

SQD

Pros

  • Core SDKs and data access are free and open source
  • Very low latency and high data correctness for on-chain queries
  • Single API covers 225-plus networks instead of separate integrations
  • Self-hosting option available for teams wanting full control
  • Used in production by well-known DeFi protocols managing billions in TVL

Cons

  • Cloud pricing is usage-based and less predictable than flat subscription tools
  • Recent acquisition by Rezolve Ai introduces uncertainty about product direction
  • Primarily targeted at Web3 and blockchain developers, not a general-purpose tool
  • Requires technical setup and indexing knowledge to get full value
  • Company size and support structure post-acquisition are not publicly detailed

Use Cases

Choose Hurl: Hurl fits developers and QA/CI teams who need a lightweight, dependency-free command-line tool to define, chain, and assert HTTP requests (REST, GraphQL, SOAP) in plain text, especially in automated pipelines.
Choose SQD: SQD fits teams and applications that need real-time or historical blockchain data across a large number of networks (225+), whether starting from the free public API or scaling to a dedicated enterprise data portal.
Need both: A team building an application on SQD's blockchain data API could use Hurl to write CI/CD tests that verify SQD API responses, status codes, and payload structure as part of their integration testing pipeline.

Hurl

  • API Testing in CI/CD Pipelines — Run automated HTTP assertion tests on every commit or deployment as part of a build pipeline.
  • Quick HTTP Request Scripting — Script and chain HTTP requests in plain text for debugging or exploring an API without writing code.
  • Contract and Regression Testing — Maintain version-controlled test suites that validate REST and GraphQL API responses over time.

SQD

  • DeFi protocol data indexing — Protocols index on-chain events like swaps, deposits, and liquidations in real time to power dashboards and risk systems.
  • Blockchain analytics platforms — Analytics products query historical and real-time on-chain data across many networks through a single API instead of managing separate RPC integrations.
  • AI agents needing on-chain data — AI agents use validated, low-latency on-chain data feeds to make trustworthy decisions involving blockchain state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Hurl and SQD competing products?

No -- Hurl is a generic HTTP API testing CLI tool, while SQD is a specialized blockchain data provider; they serve entirely different purposes.

Is Hurl free like SQD's public API?

Yes, Hurl is completely free and open source under Apache-2.0 with no usage limits; SQD also offers a free public API but adds paid dedicated enterprise data portals for larger deployments.

How many blockchain networks does SQD cover?

SQD provides real-time and historical data across more than 225 networks.

Could I use Hurl to test an application built on SQD's API?

Yes, Hurl's request-chaining and response-assertion features (XPath, JSONPath, status codes) make it suitable for writing CI/CD tests against any HTTP API, including one built on SQD's data endpoints.

Does SQD have a command-line testing tool like Hurl?

This isn't documented -- SQD's focus is providing blockchain data via API and enterprise portals, not developer testing tooling.

Read the full Hurl review · Read the full SQD review