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title: Postman installation overview
updated: 2025-08-25T00:00:00.000Z
topictype: concept
max-toc-depth: 2
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Postman provides several installation options and enables you to customize your user experience. With a free Postman account, you can securely access your APIs from different machines and collaborate with others on API design. To scale up your API lifecycle, take advantage of paid Postman plans. You can also set up a proxy server as another security barrier.

To learn how to sign up, sign in, and manage your Postman account settings, see [About Postman accounts](/docs/getting-started/account/overview/).

## Manage your Postman installation

You can [install Postman](/docs/getting-started/installation/installation-and-updates/) on a number of operating systems including [Windows](/docs/getting-started/installation/installation-and-updates/#install-postman-on-windows), [macOS](/docs/getting-started/installation/installation-and-updates/#install-postman-on-mac), and [Linux](/docs/getting-started/installation/installation-and-updates/#install-postman-on-linux) or use the [Postman web app](/docs/getting-started/installation/installation-and-updates/#use-the-postman-web-app). If you use the Postman web app, for best experience download and install the [Postman Desktop Agent](/docs/getting-started/basics/about-postman-agent/#postman-desktop-agent) to take advantage of additional features.

The [Postman Visual Studio Code extension](/docs/developer/vs-code-extension/overview/) enables you to test and collaborate on your APIs directly in the application you use to develop them.

To learn more about updating and troubleshooting your Postman installation, see [Install and update Postman](/docs/getting-started/installation/installation-and-updates/) and [Update the Postman Desktop Agent](/docs/getting-started/basics/about-postman-agent/#update-the-postman-desktop-agent).

## System requirements

For a list of Postman's system requirements, see [Postman system requirements](/docs/getting-started/installation/system-requirements/).

## Manage your Postman settings

Postman enables you to customize your user experience by adjusting your Postman theme, shortcuts, add-ons, and other options in the Postman **Settings**. To learn more, see [Customize Postman settings](/docs/getting-started/installation/settings/).

## Manage your Postman profile

A Postman profile helps you organize your work and enables you to share your public APIs, collections, and workspaces with other Postman users. For more information, see [Customize your Postman profile](/docs/getting-started/installation/postman-profile/).

## Configure a proxy server

A proxy server prevents others from accessing your internal network. By default, the Postman desktop app uses your system's configured proxy to send API requests or access the internet. But you can also configure Postman to use the system proxy or a custom proxy when sending requests. To learn more, see [Configure Postman to use a proxy server](/docs/getting-started/installation/proxy/).