Is Insomnia still open source?

Yes, Insomnia remains open-source under the Apache 2.0 license. Kong maintains both the open-source version and paid cloud plans with sync and collaboration features.

Can Insomnia do automated API testing like Postman?

Insomnia has some testing capabilities through plugins and its Inso CLI, but Postman's collection runner, monitors, and Newman CLI offer a much more mature automated testing workflow.

Why did developers start leaving Postman?

Many developers were frustrated when Postman moved toward requiring account login and cloud sync, removing the option for purely local, offline usage. This drove some users to Insomnia, Bruno, and other alternatives that prioritize local-first workflows.

Postman vs Insomnia: Full Comparison

Postman and Insomnia are API development clients for testing, documenting, and debugging APIs. Postman has expanded into an API lifecycle platform with collaboration features, while Insomnia stays focused on a lightweight API client. The choice depends on whether you need broader lifecycle tooling or a streamlined client.

Postman

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Postman is an API platform for building, testing, documenting, and collaborating on APIs, used by over 30 million developers worldwide.

Pricing: Free plan for individuals; Basic at $14/user/month; Professional at $29/user/month; Enterprise at $49/user/month

Key Features

REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC support
Automated testing with collection runner and Newman CLI
API documentation generation with publishing
Team workspaces with version control and collaboration
Mock servers and API monitoring

Pros

+ Most complete API development platform available
+ Huge community with shared collections and templates
+ Strong automation with pre/post-request scripts and CI/CD integration

Cons

- Has become bloated with features many developers do not use
- Requires account login even for basic local usage since recent changes

Insomnia

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Insomnia is an open-source API client by Kong focused on simplicity and speed for designing, debugging, and testing REST, GraphQL, and gRPC APIs.

Pricing: Free plan for individuals; Team at $12/user/month; Enterprise at $18/user/month; open-source version available

Key Features

REST, GraphQL, and gRPC request support
Environment variables and template tags
OpenAPI and Swagger spec design and linting
Git sync for version-controlling API collections
Plugin system for extending functionality

Pros

+ Clean, lightweight interface that is fast to use
+ Open-source with local-first storage option
+ Built-in API design tools with OpenAPI support

Cons

- Smaller community and fewer shared resources than Postman
- Automated testing capabilities are less mature

The Verdict

Postman is the better platform if you need a full API lifecycle tool with automated testing, documentation, collaboration, and CI/CD integration. Insomnia is ideal for developers who want a fast, lightweight API client without the bloat, especially those who value open-source and local-first workflows. For solo developers and small teams, Insomnia often provides a better day-to-day experience.

Choose Postman if:

Teams that need a comprehensive API platform with automated testing, documentation publishing, and enterprise collaboration features.

Choose Insomnia if:

Individual developers and small teams that want a fast, lightweight, open-source API client for everyday testing and debugging.

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