Comparison · Updated March 2026
webhooks.cc vs Smee.io
If you've outgrown Smee.io and need more than a simple proxy, webhooks.cc is a full webhook testing platform — it captures, stores, inspects, replays, and lets you write automated assertions on webhook payloads. Smee.io forwards payloads to localhost over SSE. Smee is simpler; webhooks.cc does more.
Feature comparison
| Feature | webhooks.cc | Smee.io |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Webhook testing platform | Webhook proxy for localhost |
| Webhook forwarding to localhost | Yes (CLI tunnel) | Yes (SSE client) |
| Request history & storage | Yes — persistent, searchable | No — session only |
| Request inspection dashboard | Yes | Minimal (channel page) |
| Mock responses | Yes — per endpoint | No |
| Request replay | Yes — to any URL | No |
| Search & filtering | Yes | No |
| Export (JSON / CSV) | Yes | No |
| TypeScript SDK | Yes — @webhooks-cc/sdk | No |
| CI test assertions | Yes (waitFor + matchers) | No |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes — @webhooks-cc/mcp | No |
| Auth / user accounts | Yes (optional) | No — anonymous channels |
| Open source | Yes (AGPL + MIT) | Yes (ISC) |
| Team collaboration | Pro ($8/mo), up to 25 members | None |
| Free tier features | Everything except Teams | Free (fully open) |
Try it yourself
Key differences
Proxy vs platform
Smee.io does one thing: forward incoming webhooks to your local machine via SSE. It does not store request history, offer search, or provide replay. When you close the browser tab, the data is gone. webhooks.cc stores every request with full headers, body, and metadata — searchable, exportable, and replayable from the dashboard, CLI, or SDK.
Developer tooling
webhooks.cc provides a TypeScript SDK for programmatic access and CI test assertions, a native CLI with built-in tunneling, and an MCP server for AI coding agents. For teams, webhooks.cc Pro ($8/month) supports up to 25 members with shared endpoints; Smee.io has no team or collaboration features. Smee.io provides a small npm client (smee-client) for forwarding — no SDK, no test helpers, no MCP.
GitHub App development
Smee.io was built specifically for GitHub App webhook development and is recommended in GitHub's docs. It works well for that narrow use case. If you need to go beyond forwarding — inspect payloads across multiple webhook sources, replay failed deliveries, or assert on GitHub event payloads in tests — webhooks.cc covers the broader workflow.
Choose webhooks.cc when you need
- Persistent request history with search and export
- Replay captured webhooks against your handler
- SDK assertions in automated test suites
- Mock responses returned to webhook senders
- MCP integration for AI-assisted development
- Multiple webhook sources beyond GitHub
Choose Smee.io when you need
- The simplest possible localhost forwarding
- Quick GitHub App development with zero setup
- No account, no auth — just a URL and a client
- Open-source proxy you can self-host
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Smee.io alternatives in 2026?
webhooks.cc is a strong Smee.io alternative that adds persistent request history, replay, a TypeScript SDK for CI test assertions, and an MCP server for AI agents on top of localhost forwarding. Other alternatives include ngrok (general-purpose tunnel), LocalTunnel (free open-source tunnel), and Webhook.site (browser-based inspection).
What is Smee.io?
Smee.io is a webhook proxy created by GitHub. It receives webhooks and forwards them to your local development server using a Server-Sent Events (SSE) connection. It was built primarily for GitHub App development, where you need to receive GitHub webhooks on localhost.
What is the difference between webhooks.cc and Smee.io?
Smee.io is a minimal webhook proxy — it forwards payloads to localhost in real time but does not store request history, offer search, provide replay, or support test assertions. webhooks.cc is a full webhook testing platform with persistent request storage, a dashboard, CLI tunnel, TypeScript SDK, MCP server, and mock response configuration.
Is Smee.io free?
Yes, Smee.io is free and open source. webhooks.cc also has a free tier with every feature included on both tiers — only Teams (invite members, share endpoints) requires Pro. The paid plan raises rate limits and retention.
Should I use Smee.io or webhooks.cc for GitHub App development?
Either works for forwarding GitHub webhooks to localhost. Smee.io was purpose-built for this and is the simplest option if forwarding is all you need. webhooks.cc adds request history, payload inspection, replay, and SDK assertions — useful if you want to inspect GitHub webhook payloads in detail or write automated tests for your GitHub App's webhook handler.
See also: vs LocalTunnel · vs ngrok · vs Webhook.site · All comparisons
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