Insomnia

Insomnia is an open-source desktop API client maintained by Kong Inc. It supports API design, debugging, testing, mocking, and collaboration from a single application.

The product works with REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets, Server-Sent Events, and other HTTP-compatible workflows. Users can store projects locally, in Git repositories, or through Insomnia Cloud Sync.

Insomnia was acquired by Kong in October 2019. The software remains available under the Apache-2.0 license, with paid plans adding collaboration, governance, identity, and enterprise capabilities.

Insomnia provides an OpenAPI editor with live preview, reusable environments, request collections, authentication helpers, client certificates, scripting, and response inspection.

Its testing tools support collection runs, pre-request scripts, after-response scripts, assertions, and automated execution through the Inso CLI. Teams can lint and validate OpenAPI specifications inside CI/CD pipelines.

The application can create mock servers from specifications, collections, responses, prompts, or manually configured definitions. Mock servers may run through cloud services or on user-controlled infrastructure.

Storage options include a local vault, Git Sync, and Cloud Sync with optional end-to-end encryption. Plugins extend the desktop application with additional integrations, themes, and workflow functions.

Insomnia also includes MCP client capabilities for inspecting and testing MCP servers. Enterprise editions add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, storage controls, vault integrations, and Kong Konnect connectivity.

Insomnia offers an Essentials plan at no charge. The plan includes local and cloud projects, Git Sync for up to three users, unlimited collection runs and environments, Inso CLI access, plugins, end-to-end encryption, and 1,000 monthly mock-server requests.

The Pro plan costs $12 per user monthly, with a 15% discount for annual billing. It adds unlimited users, Git Sync access for all users, unlimited organizations, RBAC, and 10,000 monthly mock-server requests.

Enterprise pricing is not publicly listed. Enterprise adds advanced identity, provisioning, storage governance, team administration, vault integrations, Konnect gateway integration, and enterprise support.

No separate time-limited trial was verified. Users can start with the free Essentials plan, and the local Scratch Pad does not require an account.

Pros:

• Supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets, SSE, and other API workflows.
• Offers local-first, Git-based, and cloud collaboration models.
• Includes API design, testing, mocking, scripting, and CLI automation.
• Provides a substantial free plan for individual developers and small teams.
• Uses the Apache-2.0 open-source license.

Cons:

• Advanced SSO, SCIM, governance, and enterprise support require the Enterprise plan.
• Pro pricing is charged per user, which can increase team costs.
• Cloud mock-server usage has monthly quotas and paid overage options.
• Linux automatic updates depend on the selected distribution or installation method.
• Some collaboration features require an account and configured storage synchronization.

Postman is a broad API platform with extensive collaboration, documentation, monitoring, and testing features. Bruno is a Git-focused API client that stores collections as plain-text files. Hoppscotch is a browser-based client for HTTP, GraphQL, WebSockets, and related protocols. Thunder Client is a lightweight API client integrated into Visual Studio Code.

Insomnia is most suitable when teams want desktop API tooling with local storage, Git workflows, open-source availability, and strong support for API design and testing.

What is Insomnia used for?
Insomnia is used to design, send, debug, test, mock, and document APIs.

Which operating systems support Insomnia?
The desktop application supports macOS, Windows, and Linux, including Ubuntu installation options.

Does Insomnia support REST and GraphQL?
Yes. Insomnia supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets, Server-Sent Events, and other compatible protocols.

Can Insomnia run API tests in CI/CD?
Yes. The Inso CLI can run collections and test suites, lint OpenAPI specifications, and export specifications for pipeline workflows.

Can Insomnia import Postman collections?
Yes. It supports Postman collection formats 2.0 and 2.1, along with OpenAPI, Swagger, HAR, WSDL, cURL, and native Insomnia formats.

Does Insomnia have a free version?
Yes. The Essentials plan is free and includes core API development features, with defined collaboration and mock-server limits.

Does Insomnia require an account?
The local Scratch Pad can be used without an account. Other capabilities may require an account, depending on storage and collaboration needs.

What integrations does Insomnia provide?
Verified integrations include Git repositories, Kong Konnect, Kong Gateway workflows, cloud and self-hosted mock servers, enterprise identity providers, AWS, GCP, Azure, and HashiCorp vaults.