Insomnia

Open-source API client with Git sync and local-first storage

From $0/mo

About Insomnia

Insomnia positions itself as a privacy-respecting, local-first alternative to Postman, storing all request data on disk by default with no mandatory cloud account. The tool supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket with a clean, distraction-free UI that's faster to navigate than Postman for day-to-day use. Nunjucks templating enables dynamic request generation that's more powerful than simple variable substitution. The Git Sync feature in paid plans allows teams to version control their API collections using existing Git workflows without a separate cloud platform. Kong acquired Insomnia in 2019, and it now integrates with Kong's API gateway ecosystem. The open-source core remains strong, though some features have been gated behind cloud plans.

Key Features

REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket support

Local-first storage with no mandatory account

Nunjucks templating for dynamic requests

Git Sync for version-controlled collections

Environment and sub-environment chaining

Request chaining with response variables

Plugin ecosystem for extensibility

Kong API Gateway integration

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Local-first by default — no account required, data stays on disk
• Cleaner, faster UI than Postman for everyday API exploration
• Git Sync is a natural fit for developer teams already using Git workflows
• Nunjucks templating is more expressive than Postman's variable system

Cons

• Smaller community means fewer pre-built collections for third-party APIs
• Git sync and cloud features require paid plan — free tier is truly local only
• Test automation capabilities are less mature than Postman's
• Kong acquisition has slowed independent feature development

Best For

Privacy-conscious developers who want local-first tooling Teams already using Git who want API collections version-controlled Developers who find Postman too bloated for daily use Kong API Gateway users