Comparison · Self-hosted vs Self-hosted

Mirage vs Mockoon

Mockoon is $9/mo (Cloud). Mirage is a self-hosted alternative at $0.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.

At a glance

	Mirage	Mockoon
Hosting	Self-hosted, your infra	Desktop app is local. Cloud sync requires subscription.
Data location	Your server, your disk	Your server (if self-hosted)
Free tier	5 endpoints	Paid only
Pro pricing	$0.99/mo	$9/mo (Cloud)
Dependencies	None (single binary + SQLite)	Docker, Postgres, etc.
Setup time	~30 seconds	15-30 minutes (self-host)
Dashboard	Built-in at /ui	Web UI
License	BSL 1.1	Open source

When to use Mirage

Pick Mirage when you want simplicity and ownership.

Server-based — accessible to all team members
$0.99/mo vs $9/mo cloud
No desktop app needed — runs as a service
API for programmatic mock creation

Mirage is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.

curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/mirage/install.sh | sh

Install Mirage Mirage docs

When Mockoon fits better

Mockoon makes sense when you need more.

Beautiful desktop app with visual mock builder
Request logging and auto-mocking
OpenAPI import
Free desktop version

Mockoon's desktop app is the fastest way to create API mocks locally. If you work solo and want a visual mock builder, Mockoon desktop is free and excellent. If you need a shared mock server accessible to your whole team, Mirage runs as a service on your server.

Making the decision

Teams evaluating Mockoon alongside Mirage tend to split on two axes: feature depth and data residency. Mockoon wins on feature depth — it is a mature product with integrations, mobile apps, and a dedicated support team. Mirage wins on residency — your api mock server data lives on your server in a SQLite file you can inspect, back up, and migrate without asking anyone for permission.

Architecture comparison

The operational difference is significant. Mockoon requires you to trust their infrastructure, their security practices, and their business continuity. Mirage requires you to run a process and keep the data directory backed up. If your server dies, restore the binary and the SQLite file to a new server. The entire recovery procedure fits in a single paragraph because there is nothing else involved.

Both Mirage and Mockoon offer self-hosted options, but the operational requirements differ. Desktop app is local. Cloud sync requires subscription. Mirage is a single binary with embedded SQLite — no containers, no external databases, no orchestration. The practical difference: Mirage runs on a $5 VPS with no configuration. Self-hosting Mockoon typically requires a more substantial infrastructure investment.

Switching from Mockoon

Moving from Mockoon does not have to be all-or-nothing. Some teams run Mirage for new data while keeping Mockoon as a read-only archive of historical records. The API makes it straightforward to build a sync script if you need both systems to reflect the same data during a transition period.

FAQ

Is Mirage a Mockoon alternative?

Mockoon is a desktop app for local API mocking. Mirage is a server-based mock service for shared team use.

Can Mirage import OpenAPI specs?

Mirage supports endpoint creation via API. For visual OpenAPI import, Mockoon has a dedicated feature.

Get started

Self-hosted API mock server in 30 seconds.

Single binary. Free to start. $0.99/mo for Pro.

Install Mirage All 150 tools for $29/mo →