CompareHooklistener vs Hookdeck

Debugging webhooks vs routing them

Hookdeck is webhook infrastructure for reliable delivery. Hooklistener is a webhook debugger for understanding what happened and why. Different tools, different jobs.

Visual debugger

Inspect every header, body, and response visually

One-click replay

Resend any webhook to any environment instantly

CLI tunnels

Forward webhooks to localhost without ngrok

Debugging-first design

Hooklistener is built around the debugging workflow: see what arrived, inspect every detail, replay to reproduce, and share with your team. Every feature serves that loop.

Zero-config start

Generate a webhook URL and start receiving payloads immediately. No routing rules, no destination configuration, no deployment steps.

Silent failure detection

Hookdeck alerts when deliveries fail. Hooklistener also detects when webhooks stop arriving entirely—the silent failures that are hardest to catch.

Predictable pricing

Unlimited requests on all paid plans. No per-request charges that scale with your webhook volume.

Feature comparison

Different tools for different parts of the webhook workflow.

HooklistenerHookdeck
CapabilityHooklistenerHookdeck
Core focusWebhook debugging, inspection, and team collaborationWebhook infrastructure, event routing, and delivery reliability
Visual debuggingFull visual debugger with JSON prettification, header inspection, payload diffing, and searchEvent log viewer focused on delivery status and routing outcomes
Replay & testingOne-click replay to any destination, bulk replay, and scheduled resends for debuggingRetry delivery to configured destinations based on routing rules
Localhost tunnelingBuilt-in CLI tunnels for local development with full request capture and historyNo built-in localhost tunneling—requires separate tooling
Email-to-webhookEmail inboxes at @hookinbox.com that convert emails to HTTP webhooksNo email-to-webhook conversion
Inactivity monitoringMonitors that alert via email/Slack when webhooks stop arrivingAlerting focused on delivery failures, not inactivity detection
Pricing modelFeature-based tiers starting at $0. Unlimited requests on paid plansRequest-volume pricing that scales with webhook traffic
Setup complexityGenerate a URL and start debugging in seconds—no configuration requiredRequires source and destination configuration with routing rules before receiving webhooks

FAQ

When should I use Hooklistener vs Hookdeck?

Use Hooklistener when your primary need is webhook debugging, inspection, and team collaboration—especially during development and incident response. Choose Hookdeck when you need production webhook infrastructure with routing rules, transformations, and delivery guarantees at scale. Many teams use both: Hooklistener for debugging and Hookdeck for production routing.

Can Hooklistener handle production webhook traffic?

Yes. Hooklistener handles production traffic with unlimited requests on paid plans, up to 60-day retention, and team collaboration features. It's designed to be your debugging layer alongside your production webhook handler.

Does Hooklistener support webhook transformations?

Hooklistener focuses on capturing and inspecting webhooks as-is, then replaying or forwarding them to any destination. For complex transformation pipelines, Hookdeck or custom middleware may be a better fit.

Is Hooklistener free?

Yes. The free plan includes a Debug Endpoint, 1 day of history, and replay. Pro starts at $12/mo with 14-day retention and CLI access. Team at $20/mo adds 60-day retention, 50 endpoints, and collaboration.

Can I forward webhooks from Hooklistener to Hookdeck?

Absolutely. Many teams use Hooklistener as a debugging passthrough: capture webhooks in Hooklistener for visibility, then forward them to Hookdeck (or directly to your backend) for production routing.

Debug webhooks with full visibility

Hooklistener gives your team a visual debugger, instant replay, and monitoring for every webhook. Start free in seconds.