MockBase is a hosted mock API server that gives you a live HTTPS endpoint in one click, letting you return different responses per request, persist state, and inject failures — no signup required to try.
What is MockBase?
MockBase is a web-based mock API server for developers who need a realistic backend before the real one exists. It accepts HTTP requests to a generated HTTPS URL and returns responses you configure: static JSON, templated responses, raw XML/SOAP envelopes, or binary files up to 300 KB. The service supports REST, GraphQL (via operation-name matching), and SOAP; it is hosted by MockBase, so endpoints are reachable by any teammate, phone, or CI job immediately. It was built to cover not just the happy path but also failure scenarios like rate limits, network timeouts, and stateful CRUD.
Key Features
MockBase’s feature set spans request matching, response rendering, failure injection, and traffic inspection.
- Conditional matching — Return different responses based on query params, headers, a JSON body dot-path, GraphQL operation name, or SOAP envelope element; five operators with priority ordering.
- Templating — Render responses with sandboxed Jinja2: echo request data, mint UUIDs, stamp timestamps.
- Stateful CRUD — POSTed data persists in Redis and is retrievable via GET without writing code.
- Chaos injection — Fail a weighted share of requests in chosen shapes: hanging gateway timeout, truncated JSON body, or empty 200 response.
- Deterministic rate limiting — Configure the Nth request in a window to receive a 429 with Retry-After, so backoff tests are reproducible.
- Live request inspector — WebSocket stream shows each call with method, path, status, headers, request/response bodies, latency, and client IP; the last 500 requests stay browsable for 7 days.
- OpenAPI import/export — Paste, upload, or URL-import OpenAPI 3.x, see what will be created, and export back with inferred schemas and $ref components.
- Record & Replay — Point at a real API: unmatched requests are proxied, captured, and turned into permanent routes with one click.
- Version snapshots — Every save is snapshotted; 30 versions per mock kept for 90 days, with rollback previews and undoable restores.
Who should use MockBase?
MockBase is aimed at any developer or QA engineer who needs a controllable HTTP endpoint for building or testing software.
- Frontend developers — Build and test UI against a backend that returns varied responses per query parameter or header, without waiting for backend code.
- Backend developers — Validate retry logic and error paths by injecting chaos, rate limits, and delays (up to 10 seconds) into a shared mock.
- QA engineers — Create deterministic failure scenarios and stateful CRUD tests, then inspect every request live via the WebSocket inspector.
- Demo builders — Generate realistic mock APIs for product demos, with templated responses and request examples in multiple languages.
What can you do with MockBase?
MockBase supports simulating flaky networks, mocking non-REST protocols, prototyping stateful CRUD backends, and capturing real traffic into mocks.
- Simulate a flaky upstream: Set chaos injection to fail 20% of requests with a truncated JSON body and add a 5-second delay to see how your client handles it.
- Mock a GraphQL or SOAP service: Match GraphQL mutations by operation name or target a specific SOAP element, returning raw XML envelopes without WSDL parsing.
- Prototype a full CRUD app: Enable stateful CRUD so a POST to /users actually stores data in Redis that you can later GET, PUT, or DELETE.
- Capture a real API’s traffic: Turn on Record & Replay, let unmatched requests proxy to the live system, and convert them into permanent routes for offline development.
How does MockBase work?
Create a mock with one click (no signup) to get an HTTPS endpoint like https://mockbase.org/mock/ab12cd. Define matching rules (query params, headers, body path, GraphQL operation, or SOAP element) and a response — static JSON, templated text, binary file, or XML envelope. Requests to the URL immediately return the configured behavior; traffic is visible live, and signing in with GitHub or Google unlocks unlimited mocks and Pro features during beta.
Pricing
MockBase is freemium. Without an account you get one mock, up to four routes, and 100 request calls per month. Signing in with GitHub or Google gives unlimited mocks and routes; during the current public beta every signed-in account receives Pro at no cost and without a credit card. Pro adds custom subdomains, token-protected endpoints, chaos injection, callouts, and Record & Replay.
Alternatives
MockBase publishes comparisons against five tools and points out where each wins. Mockoon and json-server are free and run offline, which is superior when everything stays on a single laptop. WireMock supports connection-level faults that a hosted endpoint can’t. Beeceptor and Postman also offer hosted mock APIs, but with different emphasis. The right choice depends on whether you need a shared URL, offline operation, or low-level network fault control.
FAQ
Do I need an account to use MockBase?
No. You can create one mock with up to four routes anonymously and call it 100 times a month. Signing in with GitHub or Google lifts that to unlimited mocks and routes — and during the beta every signed-in account gets Pro, including a 20,000 request monthly quota, for free.
How is MockBase different from Mockoon or json-server?
Those run on your machine, which is genuinely better if everything happens on a single laptop. MockBase is hosted, so the endpoint is reachable by a teammate, phone, or CI job immediately, and adds conditional matching, templating, stateful CRUD, chaos scenarios, and a live inspector.
Can MockBase mock GraphQL and SOAP?
Yes. GraphQL requests share one path, so MockBase routes on the operation name (from operationName or parsed from the query text). SOAP works by matching an element inside the XML envelope by name, ignoring namespace prefixes, and returning a raw XML envelope. There is no WSDL parsing and no gRPC.
What does Pro include during beta?
Pro includes custom subdomains (acme.mockbase.org), token-protected endpoints, chaos injection, callouts, Record & Replay, and a 20,000 request monthly quota. During the public beta every signed-in account has all of it at no cost and without a credit card.
What happens to my mock if I break it?
Every save automatically snapshots the previous state. The version history keeps 30 versions per mock for 90 days, shows what restoring a version would add, remove, or change before you click, and restoring is itself undoable.
