Postman vs Scalar:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Postman had more branded searches than Scalar among API documentation tools worldwide. Postman had about 17,500 branded searches, while Scalar had 3,010. Postman made up 20.7% of all API documentation tool searches we track, and Scalar accounted for 3.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about API documentation tools, Scalar appeared in all five answers and Postman in two. Scalar was mentioned before Postman in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Postman, about 6 searches for every 1 for Scalar
Who does AI mention more?
Scalar, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Scalar, named ahead of Postman in 3 of 5 answers
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Top API documentation tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Scalar appeared in all five answers. Postman was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Scalar was listed before Postman in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mintlify1st
ReadMe2nd
Redocly3rd- Scalar4th
Swagger5th- SwaggerHub6th
- Postman7th
Stoplight8th
Docusaurus9th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Mintlify5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Swagger5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Redocly5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Scalar5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- ReadMe5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Docusaurus3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Stoplight3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Postman2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- SwaggerHub2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about API documentation tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which API documentation tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best API documentation tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best API documentation tool for developer teams?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“api documentation tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“api docs tool”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Postman or Scalar more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Postman and Scalar by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine API documentation tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Postman, Scalar. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Docusaurus | Mintlify | Postman | Swagger | Redocly | Scalar | SwaggerHub | ReadMe | Stoplight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30% | 20.1% | 20.4% | 16.9% | 6% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 0.93% | 0.58% |
| Nov 2025 | 33.3% | 18.3% | 19.3% | 16.6% | 5.5% | 2% | 3.6% | 0.86% | 0.53% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.1% | 22.9% | 16.2% | 15.7% | 5.6% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 0.84% | 0.48% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.2% | 22.3% | 16.6% | 15.9% | 5.4% | 2.1% | 3% | 0.89% | 0.55% |
| Feb 2026 | 25.2% | 20.8% | 21.9% | 18% | 6.2% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 1.1% | 0.66% |
| Mar 2026 | 26.7% | 22% | 19% | 18.4% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.95% | 0.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 26.8% | 27% | 19.1% | 15.7% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.83% | 0.5% |
| May 2026 | 27% | 22.3% | 19.2% | 17.9% | 6.6% | 3% | 2.4% | 0.92% | 0.61% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.6% | 26.8% | 16.3% | 14.4% | 4.4% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 0.76% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.9% | 26.1% | 19.3% | 17.1% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 0.78% | 0.42% |
| Aug 2026 | 31% | 25.5% | 18% | 14.9% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 0.62% | 0.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.2% | 21.6% | 20.7% | 18% | 6.4% | 3.6% | 2.2% | 0.95% | 0.39% |
How has the Postman and Scalar comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Postman was ahead of Scalar in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Postman’s share of searches among API documentation tools worldwide moved from 20.4% to 20.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.6K to 17.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Scalar’s share of searches among API documentation tools worldwide moved from 1.8% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 3K.
How did search popularity change for API documentation tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Postman gained share of searches among API documentation tools worldwide, from 18% to 20.7%.
In September 2026, Scalar gained share of searches among API documentation tools worldwide, from 2.8% to 3.6%.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Postman’s and Scalar’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among API documentation tools
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