How to Test Stripe Webhooks Locally (2026 Guide)

Testing Stripe webhooks locally is one of the most common challenges developers face when building payment integrations. You need to verify that your server correctly handles events like checkout.session.completed, invoice.paid, and payment_intent.succeeded — but Stripe can't reach your localhost.

In this guide, we'll walk through two approaches: the Stripe CLI and HookSense.

The Problem

When you configure a webhook endpoint in your Stripe Dashboard, Stripe sends HTTP POST requests to that URL when events occur. During development, your server runs on localhost:3000 — which isn't accessible from the internet. You need a way to bridge that gap.

Option 1: Stripe CLI

Stripe provides a CLI tool that can forward webhook events to your local server:

stripe listen --forward-to localhost:3000/webhooks/stripe

This works well for basic testing, but has limitations:

• Only works with Stripe — if you also handle GitHub or Shopify webhooks, you need separate tools
• No persistent history — once you close the terminal, the request log is gone
• No web UI — you're reading JSON in the terminal
• Can't replay failed requests

Option 2: HookSense

HookSense gives you a persistent URL that captures every incoming request with a real-time web UI. Here's how to use it with Stripe:

Step 1: Create an endpoint

Visit hooksense.com and create a new endpoint. You'll get a URL like:

https://hooksense.com/w/abc123

Step 2: Add it to Stripe

In your Stripe Dashboard, go to Developers → Webhooks and add your HookSense URL as the endpoint. Select the events you want to receive.

Step 3: Forward to localhost

Use the HookSense CLI to forward incoming webhooks to your local server:

npx hooksense listen -p 3000

Now every Stripe event hits your HookSense endpoint (where you can inspect it in the web UI) and is simultaneously forwarded to your local server.

Step 4: Verify signatures

HookSense supports automatic HMAC signature verification. Add your Stripe webhook secret in the endpoint settings, and every incoming request will show a "Verified" or "Invalid" badge.

Which Should You Use?

Feature	Stripe CLI	HookSense
Stripe-specific	Yes	Any provider
Web UI	No	Yes, real-time
Request history	Session only	7-90 days
Replay requests	No	Yes
Signature verification	Yes	Yes (auto)
Multiple providers	Stripe only	Any
Price	Free	Free tier available

For quick Stripe-only testing, the Stripe CLI is fine. But if you work with multiple webhook providers, need a visual inspector, or want to replay requests — HookSense is the better choice.

Getting Started

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Related

• Best Webhook Testing Tools Compared (2026)
• HMAC Webhook Signature Verification Guide
• HookSense vs Webhook.site
• CLI Documentation