Postman vs Insomnia
Postman is a full API platform with mock servers, monitors and cloud load tests, and its free plan is for one user. Insomnia is a lighter Git-synced client from Kong with a CLI, and its free tier allows Git Sync for three users. Both are headquartered in San Francisco, so neither is a European option.
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Choose Postman ifyou want mocks, monitors and a runner in one workspace, and can pay per seat once more than one person collaborates.
Choose Insomnia ifyou want a Git-based client with a CLI for pipelines, a small team that fits inside three seats, and an open-source (Apache 2.0) code base.
Postman and Insomnia side by side
| Postman | Insomnia | |
|---|---|---|
| Our API testing tool rank | #10 of 14 | #6 of 14 |
| Established in | United States | United States |
| List price, 3 November 2026 | Free for 1 user; Solo $9 per month; Team $19 per user per month; Enterprise by contacting sales | Essentials $0; Pro $12 per user per month; Enterprise $45 per user per month (self-serve up to 50 users) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | A platform team that wants API governance and a catalog layered on top of the API client developers already use daily | Developers wanting a Git-synced client with a CLI for CI |
| Not for | A team looking for a standalone production gateway to replace Kong, Azure or AWS | Larger teams wanting free collaboration beyond three people |
Both are reviewed in full in our API testing tool ranking: Postman and Insomnia.
Where they differ
Postman 1 · Insomnia 3 · open 0- 01
What a small team pays
Postman's Free plan is limited to 1 user, so sharing starts on Team at $19 per user per month (billed annually). Insomnia Essentials costs $0 and lets up to 3 users sync projects through Git. Three collaborators pay nothing at Insomnia and at least $57 a month at Postman.
Edge: Insomnia
- 02
Scope of the product
Postman's free tier already includes specs, mock servers, a collection runner and performance test runs, plus 1,000 monitored requests. Insomnia Essentials gives you unlimited collection runs and the Inso CLI, but mock requests stop at 1,000 a month. Postman covers more ground without an upgrade.
Edge: Postman
- 03
Usage-based extras
Both meter some features. Postman bills cloud performance testing at $0.04 per virtual-user hour and charges for AI credit overages. Insomnia sells extra mock requests at $10 per 25,000 after the monthly allowance. Insomnia's metered item is smaller and easier to predict.
Edge: Insomnia
- 04
Access control and SSO
Postman Team adds basic RBAC, with 90 days of collection recovery. Insomnia Pro at $12 per user per month adds RBAC and unlimited Git Sync users, while SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM and vault integrations need Enterprise at $45 per user per month. Insomnia reaches RBAC at a lower price.
Edge: Insomnia
When neither fits
If you want a client that stays fully local or self-hosted, look at Bruno or Hoppscotch instead. Both avoid per-seat collaboration pricing on this list.
Postman or Insomnia: questions
3 answersIs Insomnia free?
Essentials is $0 per user, with Git Sync for up to 3 users and a free local-only Scratch Pad. Pro starts at $12 per user per month.
Who owns Insomnia?
Kong Inc., a Delaware corporation, which says it is headquartered in San Francisco. The repository is licensed Apache 2.0.
Where is Postman based?
Its About page gives San Francisco as headquarters, with offices in Bangalore and Japan.
Sources
Checked 3 November 2026- Postman pricing: Free 1 user, Team $19, Solo $9, RBAC, recovery, monitoring, $0.04 per virtual-user hour, AI overages.
- Postman about: San Francisco headquarters, offices in Bangalore and Japan.
- Insomnia pricing: Essentials, Pro, Enterprise prices, 3-user Git Sync, mock limits and overage, SSO and SCIM tiers.
- Insomnia terms: Services offered by Kong Inc., a Delaware corporation.
- Kong contact: Kong headquartered in San Francisco.
- Insomnia licence: Apache License 2.0.