Step CI

Name: Step CI
Author: Step CI

Open-source API testing configured entirely in YAML, built for pipelines.

API TestingOpen sourceSelf-hostable

What it is

Step CI defines API workflows in a YAML file — requests, captures, assertions, matchers — with no scripting language involved. It handles REST, GraphQL and gRPC, can generate tests from an OpenAPI spec, and is designed to run as a single CLI step in CI.

Best for

Small teams wanting declarative, repo-versioned API checks in CI.

Where it is strong

YAML workflows are easy to review in a pull request and need no runtime knowledge.
Generates a starting suite from an OpenAPI spec.
Includes basic load-testing capability in the same file format.

Where it falls short

YAML hits a ceiling on complex conditional logic.
Small project with limited community support.
Ecosystem and reporting are thin compared to established tools.

Pricing

Free and open source

Open source

Free tier: Everything, self-hosted

What drives the bill: Free and open source. You pay in engineering time and CI minutes.

Check current pricing on Step CI’s site

Figures are indicative and were last reviewed August 2026. Vendors change pricing often; confirm before you commit.

Works with

GitHub ActionsGitLab CIOpenAPIDocker

What people who use Step CI say

No reviews of Step CI yet. If you have used it in anger, yours would be the first.

Alternatives to Step CI

If Step CI is not the right fit, these solve the same problem differently.

Postman

API Testing

The API platform most developers already have open: requests, collections, tests, mocks.

from $14

Bruno

API Testing

Git-native API client that stores collections as plain files in your repo.

from $19Open sourceSelf-host

Schemathesis

API Testing

Property-based fuzzing that generates API tests straight from your OpenAPI schema.

Free tierOpen sourceSelf-host

Step CI vs Postman Step CI vs Bruno Step CI vs Schemathesis