---
title: "Payloads vs ReqRes | Mochavi Payloads"
description: "Compare Payloads and ReqRes for test data: fixed fixture files in ten formats versus a hosted REST API with demo login, pagination, delays and persistent project data."
canonical: "https://payloads.mochavi.com/compare/reqres"
markdown_mirror: "https://payloads.mochavi.com/compare/reqres.md"
language: "en"
generated_from: "Payloads source content"
---

> Canonical HTML: [https://payloads.mochavi.com/compare/reqres](https://payloads.mochavi.com/compare/reqres)
>
> This machine-readable Markdown page mirrors the canonical Payloads documentation.

# Payloads vs ReqRes

Payloads replaces ReqRes only for reading sample records. ReqRes is a hosted REST API with demo login and register endpoints, pagination, delays and, with an API key, data that persists between requests.

## Short answer

Choose ReqRes when a test needs to log in, page through results, wait for a delayed response or save data between requests. Choose Payloads when the code under test only reads data and you want the same records in JSON, XML, CSV and binary formats, with SHA-256 checksums and no account or API key.

## The short comparison

| Need | Payloads | ReqRes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read a list of sample users | Yes; 3 users | Yes; paginated demo users |
| Demo login and register | No | Yes, with fixture emails |
| Delayed responses | No | Yes, with a delay query parameter |
| Writes that persist | No | Yes, in project collections with an API key |
| XML, CSV, YAML, MessagePack, CBOR and PDF | Yes | No; JSON API |
| Published SHA-256 per file | Yes | Not its main contract |

## Choose ReqRes for API behaviour

ReqRes describes itself as a hosted REST API with real endpoints, persistent data and request logs. Its demo endpoints list users page by page, return a single user, accept POST, PUT, PATCH and DELETE (echoed, not persisted) and simulate login and registration with fixture emails. A delay parameter slows a response down. Project-scoped endpoints store data for real and need an API key from its app.

## Check the key rules before CI depends on them

The ReqRes home page invites you to send a real request with no signup and no key. Its documentation says every request requires an x-api-key header. A request to /api/users/2 without a key returned 200 when we checked on 14 October 2026. If a test suite must not break on an auth change, read the current ReqRes docs first.

## Choose Payloads for read-only fixtures

Payloads never asks for a key and never changes a published file. It has no login, pagination or writes. Use it when the code under test reads, decodes or imports data and you want the input pinned by URL and SHA-256.

- [Use deterministic API fixtures](https://payloads.mochavi.com/guides/deterministic-api-fixtures)
- [Fixtures for coding agents](https://payloads.mochavi.com/guides/coding-agents)

## Primary reference

- [ReqRes official site](https://reqres.in/) — Product description and demo playground, checked 14 October 2026
- [ReqRes documentation](https://reqres.in/docs) — API key statement and project API, checked 14 October 2026
- [ReqRes llm.txt](https://reqres.in/llm.txt) — Demo endpoints, persistence and delay, checked 14 October 2026