DEVOPSdigest

BrowserStack announced the acquisition of Requestly, the open-source HTTP interception and API mocking tool that eliminates critical bottlenecks in modern web development.

This strategic acquisition strengthens BrowserStack’s commitment to developer productivity by supporting Requestly’s growth as a beloved HTTP interception and mocking solution, providing developers with tools that significantly accelerate their workflow.

Frontend developers consistently face two major obstacles that derail productivity and delay releases: dependency on backend developers to complete APIs before frontend work can progress, and unreliable backend services during development and testing.

These challenges manifest as blocked sprints, delayed releases, and frustrated developer experiences when backend teams are still building needed endpoints or APIs don’t return data required for development.

Requestly directly addresses these pain points through its browser-based approach to intercept and mock network requests:

- Shift-left development experience: Delivers faster web development by offering comprehensive tools for HTTP interception, debugging, and mocking, supporting use cases from cloud-based mocking to JS redirects and local testing.

- Zero-configuration setup: It installs directly into the browser and uses browser APIs to intercept and modify requests, eliminating the need to manage system-level proxy settings and install SSL certificates. This ensures it works well with corporate VPNs.

- Open-source, secure, and enterprise-ready: Requestly is an open-source solution providing flexibility and speed for web development. For enterprises, Requestly provides features like SSO, SLAs, SOC-II compliance, reporting and analytics, and role-based access control for efficient management.

- Seamless workflow integration: Built primarily as a browser extension with a minimalistic and intuitive design, requiring no learning curve for developers.

- Team collaboration: Enables teams to organize and collaborate on projects effectively through shared workspaces where users can instantly share rules, environments, and mocks.

As a YCombinator graduate and a part of Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) Surge, Requestly has established itself as a solution for interception, debugging, and mocking of HTTP requests.

“Requestly was born from our own frustration of wasted developer hours due to broken workflows in end-to-end code testing caused by dependency on the environment & backend team,” said Sachin Jain, Founder of Requestly. “Joining BrowserStack means we can maintain our core values while accelerating our roadmap to address even more developer pain points. Our community will benefit from increased investment while we remain true to our vision and open-source roots.”

“What drew us to Requestly was its innovative browser-native approach and the passionate developer community behind it,” said Ritesh Arora, CEO & Co-founder of BrowserStack. “We’re excited to accelerate Requestly’s disruption of the API mocking and interception space while preserving its open-source foundation. We’re backing Requestly’s growth while maintaining what developers love about it—this will help them innovate faster in a space ready for fresh thinking.”

Requestly’s evolution mirrors the changing needs of modern web development. What began in 2018 as a simple tool to redirect JavaScript files for local testing has transformed into a comprehensive HTTP Interception & Mocking tool trusted by hundreds of thousands of developers.

Initially, solving the frustration of deploying JavaScript changes just to test them, Requestly expanded to handle HTTP header modifications when developers faced Content Security Policy challenges. Taking a revolutionary Chrome-Extension based approach to HTTP interception—unlike traditional desktop-based proxy solutions—Requestly developed capabilities to intercept and modify all HTTP requests, positioning it as a lightweight alternative to complex proxy tools.

The addition of team workspaces enabled seamless developer collaboration through shared configurations. As mobile development has expanded, Requestly plans to support Android emulators and iOS simulators in upcoming releases.

Recognizing that API mocking represented Requestly’s strongest product-market fit, the team refocused on helping developers work independently from backend dependencies. Enterprise features like SOC2 Type II certification followed, culminating in a comprehensive network interception & mocking tool. Throughout this journey, Requestly has remained true to its open-source roots while continuously adapting to meet developers’ evolving needs.

BrowserStack emphasized its commitment to maintaining Requestly as an independent, open-source tool, ensuring the developer community continues to benefit from its accessibility and flexibility. The future roadmap includes launching HTTP interception and mocking capabilities for mobile devices and simulators.

Requestly continues to be available as an open-source tool, now backed by BrowserStack’s resources and commitment to developer productivity.