8 useful gRPC testing tools to use during development

gRPC is a remote procedure call (RPC) framework developed by Google.

There is an interesting side note as to why it was named this way. A remote procedure call is a way to run a function or method on a remote machine as if it were a local function. This is an abstraction that removes the hassle of dealing with HTTP calls and other networking terminology.

gRPC makes communication and data transfer between microservices much easier and faster. It relies on the HTTP/2 protocol under the hood, but makes it easy for developers to connect everything.

Because microservices can exist in multiple languages, you must write programs to allow them to communicate with each other.

gRPC supports multiple languages, which makes it easy. Uses protocol buffers as an interface definition language to define the structure of messages.

Testing gRPC applications

Testing is essential for any complex software being developed, not just gRPC applications. Testing your gRPC application ensures that your microservices and other services can communicate with each other reliably and efficiently.

This ensures that all services can communicate without language barriers, even if they are written in different languages. This is possible because gRPC uses language-independent protocol buffers.

Testing your application also reveals error and exception handling. Apart from that, you can also run performance tests to see how the service behaves under different loads of network traffic.

Now that you understand gRPC, let’s take a look at some gRPC testing tools.

Creya

Kreya is an API client with a graphical user interface for gRPC and REST APIs. Its gRPC client supports request streaming, unary invocation, validation, and more. You can also generate fake data within Kreya itself to test your API.

Additionally, requests and their configurations are stored on the file system, so you can synchronize your project using git or other version control systems. Kreya allows you to define tests by writing scripts to test your API on a call-by-call basis.

Kreya offers a free tier for individual users. This includes a full-featured gRPC client, reusable authentication configurations, environments, templates, and more.

GHz

ghz is an open source gRPC benchmark and load testing command line utility written in Go that tests APIs and retrieves results. ghz supports proto files, prebuilt protoset bundles, or server reflection. Go’s template variables let you add custom data to your requests.

In addition to command line utilities, ghz also provides access to a complementary web application interface that can be used to view, track, and save test results. Test results can be viewed in various file formats such as CSV, JSON, and HTML. As of this writing, the web interface provided is still in beta stage.

postman

Postman is an API development platform that supports building and testing almost any type of API, including gRPC. Postman allows you to create tests for individual requests, collections, or folders within collections.

When making a gRPC request in Postman, go to the Scripts tab in the request view and choose when to run the test: before the request or after getting the response. You can also use code snippets to write tests faster.

insomnia

Insomnia is a tool for designing, testing, and debugging APIs. Supports REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC requests. When making a new request in Insomnia, you can select gRPC and enter the URL endpoint for your API.

You also need to add a .proto file to define the message. From unary requests to bidirectional streaming, Insomnia supports nearly all request types, including client and server streaming.

To test your API with Insomnia, you need to add design documentation for your API. You can then create a test suite on the Tests tab. Note that Insomnia uses the Mocha framework for unit tests and the Chai framework for assertions.

stack hawk

Stackhawk is an API security testing tool that also provides solutions for gRPC services. This tool helps you secure your API endpoints. To scan gRPC applications using Stackhawk, you need to define a stackhawk.yml file that contains the required configuration.

Stackhawk offers a free tier with modern DAST integrated automated testing in a single application CI/CD pipeline. However, features such as authentication, automation, insights, notifications, and support for all API types are included in all pricing plans.

gRPCurl

gRPCurl is an open-source command-line utility for connecting to gRPC-enabled servers. As the name suggests, it’s called “curl for gRPC servers.” The reason you can’t use cURL to send requests to a gRPC server is because cURL doesn’t support protocol buffers, which are binary messages. cURL only works with JSON strings.

Check the schema of a gRPC service by querying a server that supports server reflection, reading the proto source file, or reading a compiled “protoset” file (a file containing the encoded file descriptor proto). You can go out.

Although gRPCurl is not a full-fledged testing tool, you can use the command line utility to perform basic queries and tests.

Smartbear’s ReadyAPI

Smartbear’s ReadyAPI supports gRPC API testing, but only unary operations. To test your gRPC service, you first need to set up an API connectivity test step. This allows you to send requests and receive responses from your gRPC service.

ReadyAPI currently only supports unary operations. That is, ReadyAPI waits for only one response from the server.

meddlesome mouse

Nosymouse is a tool that includes a gRPC tester for performing manual or automated functional, performance, and security tests. It offers features such as simultaneous virtual users, ramp-up, acceptance criteria, think time, test data, test scenario support, and multiple weighted use cases.

We follow a data-driven testing methodology and always support individual test data, variables, automated validation, and real-world use cases. You can run tests with different inputs and validate the outputs in the interface.

We offer a 14-day free trial to test two concurrent service users.

last word

With the rise of gRPC services and tools, choosing the right gRPC testing tool can be difficult. Choosing the right tool is important as it directly impacts the functionality of your API. One important thing to consider is support for various gRPC features such as server reflection, streaming, etc. When choosing a testing tool, keep gRPC-specific features in mind.

Next, check out the best API load testing platforms to improve performance.