February 1, 2026
Git or grift? The comments decide
Show HN: Voiden – an offline, Git-native API tool built around Markdown
No-cloud API toy sparks cheers and side-eye—“Postman killer” or buzzword bait
TLDR: Voiden, an offline app for testing how apps talk to each other, just launched open-source. Fans cheer its no-cloud, code-first vibe, while skeptics call out buzzwords, freeform design, logo confusion, and alleged astroturfing—making it a flashpoint in the fight against bloated subscription tools.
Voiden dropped on Show HN promising a rebel tool: no accounts, no cloud, and built around Markdown (simple text) with Git (a code history tracker). It’s pitched as an offline lab for building and testing the doorways apps use to talk to each other—APIs—like reusable blocks. The crowd? Split. One camp is hyped, fed up with bloated, subscription-heavy tools and thrilled this feels like code again. VeryVito openly gushes and cheers the open-source move, calling out the cloud-first old guard by name.
The other camp is clutching pearls and sharpening knives. Hypeatei hears alarm bells—buzzwords like “git-native” and “offline-first,” a salesy site with testimonials but no pricing (it’s free), and even alleges astroturfing in the thread. Fastball likes the idea but says the “notebook” style is too freeform and wants crystal-clear outputs that translate cleanly to code. They also roast the branding: the logo allegedly doesn’t match the name at all. Meanwhile, dhruv3006 drops a sequel-style link to the previous episode, and the thread turns into a meme-off: “Postman killer?” vs “buzzword bait?” with bonus jokes about whether the “void” in Voiden includes clarity. Love the offline swagger or side-eye the vibes, the comment drama is the real show—and yes, the download button is getting clicks.
Key Points
- •Voiden is an offline-first, Git-native API client built around Markdown for code-centric API workflows.
- •Version 1.1.0 is available with installers for Windows, macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon), and Linux, with beta builds also offered.
- •Key features include reusable API request blocks, annotations on JSON/XML, response previews (including PDFs/videos), and environment/theme/script management.
- •Local development requires Node.js v21.x and Yarn v4.3.1; Windows additionally needs Visual Studio Build Tools, MSVC, and Windows SDK.
- •The open-source project includes comprehensive docs, a defined project structure (Electron/React), contribution guidelines, and is licensed under Apache 2.0.