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HTTP Toolkit vs Insomnia
Insomnia is an API client for REST/GraphQL, whereas HTTP Toolkit intercepts any HTTP traffic from apps and devices.
HTTP ToolkitBeautiful & open-source tools to debug, test and develop with HTTP(S).
InsomniaOpen-source API client for REST, GraphQL and gRPCWhich to pick
Pick HTTP Toolkit if you want…
- Targeted HTTP interception and live editing
- Integrations with Node.js, Java or Python (on HTTP Toolkit's list, not Insomnia's)
Pick Insomnia if you want…
- Collaborative AI-native API testing
- API client for REST/GraphQL
- Integrations with Kong Konnect, OIDC or SAML (on Insomnia's list, not HTTP Toolkit's)
Side by side
- What it is
- HTTP Toolkit:HTTP Toolkit is an open-source tool to intercept, inspect, edit and mock HTTP(S) traffic on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Insomnia:Insomnia is an open-source API client for designing, testing, debugging and mocking REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP and WebSocket APIs.
- Best for
- HTTP Toolkit:Targeted HTTP interception and live editing
- Insomnia:Collaborative AI-native API testing
- Who it’s for
- HTTP Toolkit:Developers, testers and security engineers who need to debug or mock HTTP traffic.
- Insomnia:API developers, security-focused teams, and organizations needing collaborative API workflows.
- Pricing
- HTTP Toolkit:Freemium
- Insomnia:Freemium
- Plans
- HTTP Toolkit:Hobbyist Free
- Insomnia:—
- Open source
- HTTP Toolkit:Yes, 3,645 GitHub stars
- Insomnia:Yes, 40,038 GitHub stars
- Works with
- HTTP Toolkit:Node.js, Java, Python, Ruby, Docker, Android, iOS, Chrome
- Insomnia:Kong Konnect, OIDC, SAML, SCIM, Inso CLI
HTTP Toolkit features
- One-click interception. Capture HTTP(S) from specific apps, devices or processes without global proxy setup.
- Rich request/response viewer. Explore headers, bodies and parameters with syntax highlighting and MDN docs.
- Breakpoints & live editing. Pause traffic, modify requests/responses or inject errors on the fly.
- Built-in HTTP client. Send custom requests with automatic handling of compression and framing.
- Automated mocking (Pro). Define static or transformed responses, redirect traffic and simulate errors.
- Import/Export (Pro). Save traffic as HARs or generate ready-to-use code for 20+ tools.
Insomnia features
- Design-first API editor. Create and preview OpenAPI specs in real time with live linting.
- Native API mocking. Generate dynamic mock responses from collections, specs or plain language.
- Automated testing at scale. Run unlimited collection tests with pre/post scripts and CI/CD integration via Inso CLI.
- Kong Konnect integration. Sync API catalog directly with Kong Konnect for up-to-date endpoint discovery.
- Collaboration & RBAC. Real-time project sharing, role-based access controls and unlimited collaborators per project.
- Flexible storage options. Store data locally, in Git, in the cloud, or hybrid with end-to-end encryption.
- Enterprise identity & security. SSO via OIDC/SAML, SCIM provisioning, SOC 2 compliance and enterprise SLAs.
- MCP client support. Test and debug MCP servers with AI-powered workflows.
HTTP Toolkit vs Insomnia FAQ
Is HTTP Toolkit or Insomnia free?+
HTTP Toolkit has a free plan (Hobbyist) and paid plans. Insomnia has a free plan and paid plans.
Is HTTP Toolkit or Insomnia open source?+
Yes, both are open source: HTTP Toolkit (httptoolkit/httptoolkit on GitHub) and Insomnia (Kong/insomnia on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license).
Do HTTP Toolkit and Insomnia integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: HTTP Toolkit lists Node.js, Java, Python, Ruby and 4 more; Insomnia lists Kong Konnect, OIDC, SAML, SCIM and 1 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.