Install Postman on LinuxmacOSand Windows

Postman allows you to interact with APIs through a simple graphical interface. Instead of writing commandsyou can build requests visually and inspect responsesheadersand status codes.

For this reasonPostman has become the go-to tool for developers when buildingtestingor integrating with APIs.

In this guideyou will learn how to install Postman on LinuxmacOSor Windows.

Install Postman on Linux

Postman is not available through Linux package managers such as aptdnfor yum. Insteadyou can install it via SnapFlatpakor perform a manual installation.

Install Postman via Snap

Snap is a convenient way to install desktop applications on any Linux distribution. All required dependencies are bundled into a single packageand updates are handled automatically.

Snap is available by default on Ubuntu. On other distributionsSnap (snapd) must be installed manually:

To install Postman on Linux using Snapenter:

sudo snap install postman

To run Postman from the terminaltype:

postman

When you first open Postmanyou can create a free account to access advanced functionality or continue as an unregistered user with basic features.

From the interfaceyou can start interacting with APIs by sending requests and inspecting responses.

Install Postman via Flatpak

Unlike SnapFlatpak is primarily used in desktop environments. It packages Linux applications into portable bundles using shared runtimes. Flatpak does not automatically update applicationsand it lets you manage permissions explicitly.

Flatpak is preinstalled on Fedorabut needs to be manually installed on other distributions:

After installing Flatpakadd Flathub using the following command:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

To install Postman on Linux using Flatpakenter:

flatpak install flathub com.getpostman.Postman

This type of installation works on all Linux distributions.

To run Postman after a Flatpak installationtype:

flatpak run com.getpostman.Postman

The Postman app will launch instantly.

Install Postman on Linux Manually

A manual Postman installation is ideal for minimal environmentslike servers. Updates are handled manuallyand since there are no background servicesyou have full control over binaries.

Access the Downloads directory:

cd ~/Downloads

Use wget to download the Postman archive:

wget https://dl.pstmn.io/download/latest/linux64 -O postman.tar.gz

Extract the archive into /opt, the recommended directory for third-party software:

sudo tar -xzf postman.tar.gz -C /opt

This creates an /opt/Postman directory.

Create a symlink to be able to run Postman from anywhere:

sudo ln -s /opt/Postman/Postman /usr/local/bin/postman

Remove the downloaded file:

rm postman.tar.gz

Run Postman to verify it works:

postman

The app launches immediately in the GUI environment.

Install Postman on Windows

Postman works on Windows 10Windows 11and Windows Serverand the installation steps are identical across all versions.

1. Open a web browser.

2. Go to the official Postman download page.

3. Select Windows (64-bit) and download the installer.

4. Locate the downloaded file and launch the installation wizard. The installer automatically extracts and installs Postman. No configuration is required. Postman launches automatically after installation.

5. After Postman startssign in with an existing account or create a free Postman account.

6. Alternativelyclick Continue without an account to use the Lightweight API Client.

7. Click Open Lightweight API Client.

This mode allows you to send requests and view responses.

To access advanced featuresyou need to sign in to a Postman account.

Install Postman on macOS

On macOSyou can install Postman manually or via the Homebrew package manager.

Install Postman via Homebrew

Homebrew is the preferred way to installupdateor remove software on macOSas it lacks a native command-line package manager.

To install Postman using Homebrew:

1. Confirm Homebrew is installed:

brew --version

2. If not installedinstall Homebrew on macOS with:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

3. Enter the following command to install Postman:

brew install --cask postman

After the installationopen Applications and click Postman to launch the app.

Install Postman on macOS Manually

If you do not want to use a package manageryou can install Postman using the native macOS drag-and-drop method.

To install Postman manually:

1. Go to the official Postman download page.

2. Depending on your systemdownload the version for Intel Chip or Apple Chip.

3. Double-click the downloaded .zip file.

4. Drag the Postman.app into the Applications folder.

After the installation is completeclick Postman to launch the app.

How to Uninstall Postman

The steps to uninstall Postman depend on how it was installed and on the operating system.

Uninstall Postman on Linux

If Postman was installed via the Snap package managerremove it using the following command:

sudo snap remove postman

If you installed Postman using Flatpakthe uninstall command is:

flatpak uninstall com.getpostman.Postman

To remove unused Flatpak runtimes and dependenciestype:

flatpak uninstall --unused

If you installed Postman manuallyremove the application files and symlink using:

sudo rm -rf /opt/postman

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/postman

Enter the following commands to remove configuration and user-specific data:

rm -rf ~/.config/Postman

rm -rf ~/.cache/Postman

rm -rf ~/.local/share/Postman

This also removes all cached Postman data.

Uninstall Postman on Windows

To uninstall Postman on Windows:

1. Open Settings.

2. Go to Apps and Installed Apps.

3. Find Postman and click the ellipsis (…) next to it.

4. Select Uninstall and confirm the prompt.

Uninstall Postman on macOS

If you installed Postman via Homebrewuninstall it using the following command:

brew uninstall --cask postman

If Postman was installed manually:

1. Open Applications.

2. Drag Postman.app to the Trash.

Empty the Trash to remove the app completely from the system.

Conclusion

By following the steps in this guideyou can now install and uninstall Postman across desktops and servers running different operating systems.

If you are developing an API or testing integrationsa light framework like Flask is ideal for building simple APIs that you can test with Postman.