Thunder Client vs Cruss

VS Code API testing with free team sync and no paywalls.

Thunder Client is excellent for solo developers but locks team sync and the Collection Runner behind a paid plan. Cruss offers the same VS Code experience plus free team collections, free Collection Runner, request chaining, and AI documentation generation.

Feature comparison

FeatureCrussThunder Client
VS Code extension Yes Yes
Web appCruss works in the browser too — no editor required. Yes No
Team collections syncFreePaid ($10/month)
Collection RunnerFreePaid
Request chainingFreePaid
Environment variables Yes Yes
GraphQL support Yes Yes
API documentationFree, AI-generated No
cURL import Yes Yes
Postman import Yes Yes
Local agent (npx) Yes No
Open sourceVS Code extension (MIT) No
Self-hostable Yes No
Assertions & tests Yes Yes
Response history Yes Yes
PriceFree foreverFree (solo), $10/month (teams)

Frequently asked questions

Can Cruss replace Thunder Client in VS Code?
Yes. The Cruss VS Code extension (Cruss-code.cruss) provides a full request builder, collections tree, response history, and save state — all inside VS Code. Local mode requires no account.
Does Cruss VS Code extension work offline?
Yes. In local mode, all collections are stored in VS Code globalState with no network dependency. You can create, edit, and send requests entirely offline.
Is Cruss team sync free?
Yes. Connect your Cruss account in the VS Code extension to sync with your team workspaces. No paid plan required for team sync.
Does the Cruss extension support all body types?
Yes. The extension supports JSON, raw, form-data, URL encoded, and GraphQL body types. All requests use direct Node.js fetch — no CORS restrictions.

Try Cruss for free

No credit card. No member limits. Every feature available immediately.