json-server vs WireMock
json-server
github.com
WireMock
wiremock.orgSide by side
| Figure | json-server | WireMock |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · API Mocking Tools | 7.8 (#11) | 7.4 (#16) |
| Purpose | json-server creates a fake REST API with zero coding for testing and prototyping. | WireMock simulates APIs and software dependencies so teams can test without those dependencies, simulate edge cases, and develop dependent features in parallel. |
Plans
In their own words
json-server
json-server has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
WireMock
WireMock simulates APIs and software dependencies so teams can test without live services, exercise edge cases, and build dependent features in parallel. It can match requests using URL patterns, headers, query parameters, cookies, and body content, then return templated responses or simulate delays, network faults, and malformed replies. It can also record interactions with real services and replay them during tests.
The project integrates with JUnit and other testing frameworks, with setup paths for Maven, Gradle, Scala SBT, standalone use, and Docker. Its documented capabilities cover HTTP-based protocols and REST, plus WebSockets, webhooks, HTTPS, gRPC, and GraphQL. WireMock Java is available as a standalone JAR, Docker image, experimental Helm chart, and NPM package; WireMock Cloud is another option. The Free plan costs nothing and includes 1,000 calls per month, one user, three mock APIs, and a 10 requests-per-second limit. Free and trial plans stop running mocks after their API quota is exceeded until the next quota cycle.