MirageAPI vs Prism
Stoplight Prism is a popular open-source (Apache 2.0) command-line mock server for OpenAPI. Both tools turn a spec into a running mock and validate requests against it, but they optimise for different things: MirageAPI for getting a realistic, shareable mock running instantly with nothing to install, Prism for running close to your codebase and checking a real API against the contract.
Feature comparison
| Feature | MirageAPI | Prism |
|---|---|---|
| How you run it | In the browser, or a Node.js CLI | Node.js CLI (npm or Docker) |
| Install required | No (web app) | Yes |
| Spec formats | OpenAPI 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 (JSON/YAML) | OpenAPI 2.0, 3.0, 3.1; Postman collections |
| Response data | Always freshly generated from the schema | Examples from the spec by default; generated data in dynamic mode |
| Uses spec examples | Yes, opt-in (Prefer: example) | Yes, by default |
| Request validation | Yes | Yes |
| Choose response code per request | Yes (Prefer: code or ?__status) | Yes, via the Prefer header |
| Latency simulation | Yes (?__delay) | Not built in |
| Shareable public mock URL | Yes, free (7 days) | Via the Stoplight platform |
| Validation proxy to a real API | No | Yes |
| Built-in request tester UI | Yes | No |
| Spec quality report | Yes | Validates the spec on load |
| Price | Free, MIT-licensed | Free, Apache 2.0 |
Last reviewed September 2026. Both tools evolve quickly — check the Prism documentation for its latest features.
Choose Prism if…
- You want to proxy to a real server and check its responses against the spec.
- Your spec has carefully written examples you want returned by default.
- You mock Postman collections as well as OpenAPI specs.
Choose MirageAPI if…
- You want a working mock in seconds without installing anything.
- You want varied, realistic data on every call rather than the same example.
- You want a public mock URL to share with teammates, a frontend or CI.
- Non-developers (PMs, QA, designers) need to explore the API in a browser.
You can try MirageAPI with your own spec right now — no signup. Launch the app →
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