head to head · open source
openapi-generator vs hurl
openapi-generator has 26,745 GitHub stars, 7,674 forks, 5,751 open issues and last shipped yesterday. hurl has 19,203 stars, 745 forks, 200 open issues and last shipped yesterday. openapi-generator leads on adoption by 39% (26,745 vs 19,203 stars). openapi-generator is written in Java under Apache-2.0; hurl is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. openapi-generator has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, hurl 4%. openapi-generator was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| openapi-generator | hurl | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 19K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.7K | ⑂ 745 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick openapi-generator if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick hurl if
- You want the hurl feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and hurl fits your workflow better
About openapi-generator
OpenAPI Generator is an Apache 2.0 licensed Java tool that generates API client libraries, server stubs, documentation, and configuration automatically from an OpenAPI Specification, and it is built for development teams that keep a machine readable API description and want generated code to stay in step with it.
read the full openapi-generator overview →
About hurl
Hurl is a command line tool that runs HTTP requests defined in a simple plain text format. It lives in the Rust ecosystem, is licensed under Apache 2.0, and is powered under the hood by libcurl, so it inherits curl's transfer behavior while adding a readable file format on top. A single Hurl file can chain multiple requests, capture values from one response, and reuse those values in later requests, which makes it possible to describe an entire HTTP session rather than a single call. The project has been on GitHub for six years and carries roughly 19,000 stars and 744 forks.
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Frequently asked questions
Is openapi-generator or hurl more popular?
openapi-generator has 26,745 GitHub stars and hurl has 19,203. openapi-generator has the larger community by that measure.
Are openapi-generator and hurl free?
Both are open source. openapi-generator is licensed under Apache-2.0 and hurl under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between openapi-generator and hurl?
openapi-generator is written in Java and hurl in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, openapi-generator or hurl?
Choose openapi-generator if you want the larger community (26,745 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose hurl if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.