# Insomnia — Open-Source API Client for REST, GraphQL & gRPC

> Design, debug, and test APIs with a collaborative open-source client that supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket protocols.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Insomnia — Open-Source API Client for REST, GraphQL & gRPC

## Quick Use
```bash
# macOS
brew install --cask insomnia

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo snap install insomnia

# Or download from https://insomnia.rest/download
```

## Introduction
Insomnia is an open-source, cross-platform API client built by Kong. It gives developers a visual interface for designing, debugging, and testing HTTP-based APIs without writing throwaway scripts or wrestling with curl flags.

## What Insomnia Does
- Sends REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket requests through a polished desktop UI
- Organizes requests into workspaces and folders for project-level grouping
- Supports environment variables and template tags for reusable config across dev/staging/prod
- Generates client code snippets in 20+ languages from any saved request
- Provides a built-in response timeline and cookie jar for debugging auth flows

## Architecture Overview
Insomnia is an Electron desktop app with a React frontend and a Node.js backend layer. Requests are dispatched through libcurl bindings (node-libcurl) for maximum protocol compatibility. Plugins extend the core through a hook-based system that can add authentication helpers, template tags, and custom themes. Workspace data is stored locally in NeDB, an embedded document database, making it fully offline-capable.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via Homebrew, Snap, Scoop, or direct download for macOS, Linux, and Windows
- Import OpenAPI 3.x, Swagger 2.0, HAR, or Postman collections to bootstrap a workspace
- Configure environment variables in JSON to switch between local, staging, and production targets
- Add client certificates under Preferences for mutual-TLS endpoints
- Install community plugins from the Plugin Hub for OAuth helpers, AWS Signature v4, and more

## Key Features
- Built-in design mode for authoring and linting OpenAPI specs without leaving the app
- Visual response viewer with JSON filtering, image preview, and raw hex mode
- Git sync lets teams version-control workspaces in any Git provider
- Cookie management auto-captures and replays session cookies across requests
- Lightweight enough to start in under two seconds on modern hardware

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Postman** — feature-rich but increasingly cloud-dependent; Insomnia stays local-first with optional sync
- **Hoppscotch** — browser-based and lightweight; Insomnia offers deeper desktop integration and gRPC support
- **Bruno** — Git-native API IDE stored as plain files; Insomnia provides a more visual workflow with plugin ecosystem
- **HTTPie Desktop** — clean and minimal; Insomnia handles more protocols and has a larger plugin library
- **curl** — the universal CLI baseline; Insomnia adds a visual layer while still using libcurl under the hood

## FAQ
**Q: Is Insomnia fully open source?**
A: The core desktop client is MIT-licensed. Kong offers a paid cloud tier for team sync and collaboration, but the local client works without it.

**Q: Can I migrate from Postman?**
A: Yes. Insomnia imports Postman Collection v2 and environment files directly via File > Import.

**Q: Does Insomnia support automated testing?**
A: Insomnia includes a test runner (Inso CLI) that executes request suites in CI pipelines using the same workspace files.

**Q: How does Git sync work?**
A: Each workspace can be linked to a Git repo. Insomnia serializes workspace data to YAML files and commits/pulls through its built-in Git UI.

## Sources
- https://github.com/Kong/insomnia
- https://docs.insomnia.rest

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/d4c71a18-3de3-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot