Insomnia

Insomnia is an open-source cross-platform API client. It supports a wide variety of protocols including REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets, and Server-Sent Events (SSE). The software is deployed as a desktop application for Mac, Windows, and Linux, providing a centralized interface for interacting with HTTP compatible protocols.

Users employ the tool to debug, design, and test APIs through a graphical interface. It provides different storage configurations to manage project data, ranging from a local scratch pad for quick tasks to synchronized environments for team collaboration. This flexibility allows developers to switch between isolated local work and shared team projects depending on the sensitivity of the API data being handled.

Key features

• Native OpenAPI editor with visual preview for API design
• Test suites and a collection runner for API testing
• Support for cloud or self-hosted mocking servers
• Dedicated CLI for linting and testing in CI/CD pipelines
• Local Vault for 100% local storage of resources
• Git Sync for storing data in third party Git repositories
• End-to-end encrypted cloud synchronization
• Plugin system for extending functionality via the Plugin Hub

The application is built as an Electron app using Node.js and React. It is designed for developers who need to manage multiple API protocols in a single interface without switching tools. For security, it includes Private Environments, which ensures that environment configurations remain on the local machine regardless of the chosen project storage backend. This architecture allows for a hybrid approach where some projects are stored in the cloud for ease of access while others remain strictly offline.

Beyond the core client, the ecosystem includes the Inso CLI for automation and various community projects. These integrations allow users to generate API documentation pages from export files or import existing REST API route specifications directly into the workspace. The software supports a range of authentication methods and environment variables to streamline the testing of different API stages.

Insomnia is a flexible client that balances local-first privacy with cloud-based collaboration options.