I’m using ReadyAPI but want something lighter for regression tests, what else is there?

Yes — if you want something lighter than ReadyAPI for regression testing, there are several good options depending on whether you want GUI-based testing, API-only testing, or automation in code/CI.

Good lighter alternatives

1. Postman + Newman

• Great if your tests are mostly REST APIs
• Easy to create collections and run them locally or in CI
• Newman is the CLI runner for automation
• Lighter and cheaper than ReadyAPI for many teams

Best for: API regression tests with minimal setup

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2. Karate DSL

• API testing framework with a simple, readable syntax
• Supports assertions, data-driven tests, mocks, and parallel execution
• Runs as code, good for CI/CD
• Much lighter than ReadyAPI and very automation-friendly

Best for: Teams that want fast, maintainable automated regression tests

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3. REST Assured

• Java library for API testing
• Good if your team already uses Java
• Flexible and powerful, but more code-heavy than ReadyAPI

Best for: Developers who want tests integrated into Java projects

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4. SoapUI Open Source

• If you’re currently using ReadyAPI and mainly need SOAP or basic API testing
• Less feature-rich than ReadyAPI, but familiar
• Can be a stepping stone if you want something lighter without changing too much

Best for: SOAP/API regression with a familiar workflow

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5. Pact

• Best for contract testing between services
• Not a direct ReadyAPI replacement for end-to-end regression, but useful in microservices
• Helps catch integration issues early

Best for: Service-to-service contract regression

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6. Python-based testing

• Use pytest + requests
• Lightweight, flexible, easy to integrate into CI
• Good if you want custom test logic and don’t need a big UI tool

Best for: Simple, scriptable regression suites

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7. Tavern

• YAML-based API testing for Python
• Lightweight and nice for readable API test definitions
• Works well with pytest

Best for: API regression tests with less code than raw Python

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Quick recommendation

If you want the closest “lighter but still practical” replacement:

• Postman/Newman if you prefer a GUI and quick adoption
• Karate if you want a serious automation framework
• pytest + requests if you want maximum flexibility and minimal tooling

If you tell me:

1. REST or SOAP
2. whether you want UI-based or code-based
3. your preferred language/stack

…I can recommend the best fit more specifically.