Out of all the tools on the market, Postman and Insomnia are two API testing tools designed to help developers and testers ensure their APIs work correctly. This guide will compare Postman and Insomnia to help you understand their key features, pros and cons, and answer common questions about these tools.
Table of contents
What is Postman?
Postman is a popular API testing tool developers and testers use to test and manage APIs (Application programming interfaces). It was developed and maintained by Postman Inc., a startup founded by BITS Alumnus in 2014.
As we all know, APIs help different software systems communicate, and Postman helps ensure these communications work correctly. With Postman, you can send requests to an API, see the responses, and check if everything works as expected. It supports different HTTP requests like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, which are necessary for interacting with web services.
Key features of Postman
Postman offers a wide set of features, making it a favorite among developers and testers for API management and testing. Along with all the standard HTTP requests, Postman also supports non-standard HTTP methods like COPY, LINK, UNLINK, PURGE, LOCK, UNLOCK, PROPFIND, and VIEW. Postman’s user interface is very easy to use and has a lot of tabs/elements for different requests.
It also allows collaboration through which different teams can share their workspaces so that multiple users can work together smoothly. Also, Postman is great for automation, offering automated testing and scripting support. The tool also contains built-in documentation tools, helping users to create and share detailed API documentation easily. With all these features, it’s no wonder why Postman is such a popular choice among developers and testers.
Pros and cons of Postman
Pros
- Postman supports team collaboration through shared workspaces
- API Client feature lets you send REST, SOAP, and GraphQL requests
- Has extensive documentation and community support
- Supports CI/CD pipelines for continuous automation
- Supports a wide range of authentication methods
- Offers a web-based interface accessible directly from your browser
Cons
- It can be confusing for beginners because of its many features
- Some of its advanced features are only available in the paid version
- Has limited performance testing capabilities
- Dependency on cloud services for some features
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is another popular tool for debugging, testing, and documenting APIs. Like Postman, Insomnia users can send requests to APIs and view the responses. It provides a user-friendly interface to send HTTP requests, inspect response data, and organize requests in a structured way. It also supports REST, GraphQL, and WebSocket protocols, making it a versatile tool for developers and testers. Additionally, It’s available for all popular operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Key features of Insomnia
Insomnia is well-known for its easy-to-use UI, which is helpful for both new and experienced users in creating and managing HTTP requests. Different work environments like development, staging, and production can be handled with strong support for environment variables. Insomnia also works smoothly with version control platforms like GitHub and GitLab, letting users sync API requests with repositories and manage branches directly within the application. Its Generate Code feature provides quick access to code snippets in many different programming languages, making it easier to work on projects and share code.
Besides its basic features, Insomnia offers authentication methods like Basic Auth, OAuth 1.0 and 2.0, API Keys, JWT, and custom authentication schemes. Its advanced request-chaining capabilities help users manage complex workflows or multi-step workflows. Additionally, Insomnia supports WebSocket testing for checking connections and sending/receiving messages. These features make Insomnia a versatile and important tool for users working on API development and testing.
Pros and cons of Insomnia
Pros
- Ease of use with customizable themes
- Lightweight and fast performance
- Flexible environment management
- Supports built-in version control to track changes to API requests and maintain a history of modifications
- Supports additional features like code generation, request-chaining, and mocking
Cons
- Less community and documentation resources
- Limited automation capabilities in the free version
- Minimal load testing support
- Fewer plugins and extensions
- It does not offer a web version
Frequently asked questions
Which one is better, Postman or Insomnia?
Deciding between Postman and Insomnia truly depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a tool with lots of team collaboration features, automated testing, and documenting projects, then Postman is probably better. But if you prefer something simpler and easy to use, Insomnia might be the right choice for you. Additionally, Insomnia is known for its speed, whereas Postman lets you extend its functionality with a wide range of plugins and additional tools.
Is insomnia compatible with Postman?
No, Insomnia and Postman are not directly compatible with each other.
They are two tools designed for API testing and development, each with its interface and features. However, both tools allow you to export and import API requests in common formats like JSON. This means you can export your API collections from Insomnia as JSON files and import them into Postman and vice versa. This makes it possible to switch between the tools and continue your work without losing your API configurations.
How much is Insomnia vs Postman?
Both Insomnia and Postman offer free versions. However, the free tier does come with limited features. You will need to upgrade to a paid plan for more advanced features. All costs shown are per user.
Postman has three paid options: Basic, Professional, and Enterprise.
| Price | Free | Basic | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $0 | $19 | $39 | Annual plan only |
| Yearly Price | $0 | $14 | $29 | $49 |
Insomnia also has three paid plans: Individual, Team, and Enterprise.
| Price | Free | Individual | Team | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $0 | $5 | $12 | $45 |
| Yearly Price | $0 | $50 | $120 | $540 |
The pricing mentioned in the tables is captured during the time of writing. To check the latest pricing, refer to the links above.
In summary, while the free plan for both tools is a good choice for individual or small teams working on a single project, adding additional users is less when you choose a yearly plan. It’s always good to compare the options in each plan to make an informed decision. Also, always be on the lookout and inquire about free trials when shopping.
What is Insomnia used for?
Insomnia is used for working with APIs. Here are some key areas where it is used most often:
- It is used when testing and debugging APIs during the development of web and mobile applications.
- Backend developers use it to create and refine API endpoints.
- QA engineers use it to test the functionality and performance of APIs.
- Managing and monitoring APIs in different environments (development, staging, production)
- To test different authentication methods to make sure that APIs are secure
- To create mock API endpoints for testing when the actual API is unavailable
- To test the response times and load-handling capabilities of APIs
Is Insomnia a powerful API client?
Yes. Insomnia is a powerful open source API client that helps developers and testers to test, debug, and develop APIs. It’s a cross-platform desktop application with a simple interface and advanced features like authentication wizards, code generation, and environment variables. Insomnia also supports REST, GraphQL, and gRPC protocols. It also supports API mocking features, which most testing tools do not offer. Mocking is mainly useful when testing components that depend on external APIs, databases, or third-party services, as it helps for efficient testing without the need for actual network requests or live data.
Final thoughts on Insomnia vs Postman
In conclusion, both Postman and Insomnia are powerful tools with a wide range of features for working with APIs, each with unique advantages. Postman is known for its rich features, including collaboration tools, various integrations, and automated testing, making it a great choice for larger teams and more complex projects.
On the other hand, Insomnia is appreciated for its clean, easy-to-use interface and strong support for GraphQL, making it a favorite among developers who want a straightforward and efficient tool. Choosing between Postman and Insomnia depends on what you need and prefer. Postman might be the preferred choice if you need a tool with many features and options. If you want a simple and user-friendly API testing tool, Insomnia could be perfect for you.
There is no wrong or right API testing tool, given that both tools can greatly improve how you develop and test APIs, making your work easier and more efficient. Happy testing!
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