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Head-to-head · API Testing Tools

Karate vs Insomnia

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Karate #4 in API Testing Tools 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Karate
Insomnia #6 in API Testing Tools 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 6 features Visit Insomnia

Karate leads on 0 checks, Insomnia on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKarate · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Insomnia
  • Most featuresKarate · 6 of 6

Karate scores higher on our rubric for api testing tools: 8.9 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

Karate is the better fit for engineering teams building automated API test suites. Insomnia is the better fit for developers needing a flexible open-source API client.

  • Karate fits best

    Engineering teams building automated API test suites

  • Insomnia fits best

    Developers needing a flexible open-source API client

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Karate 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Insomnia 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.7
Ranking #4 in API Testing Tools #6 in API Testing Tools
Best for Engineering teams building automated API test suites Developers needing a flexible open-source API client
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $100/user/yr $12/user/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Self-hosted, Desktop Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Email, Community, Docs Email
Compliance SSO/SAML SOC 2, SSO/SAML
Integrations 40+ integrations 9 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Karate 6/6 · Insomnia 4/6
GraphQL support ✓ ✓
SOAP support ✓ ✓
Scheduled runs ✓ (best) Not checked yet
CI/CD integration ✓ ✓
Mock server ✓ ✓
Contract testing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Included requests Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Tests REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs with Gherkin-based authoring
  • Combines mocks, contract testing, reports, and parallel execution
  • Supports CI/CD, self-hosting, and Gatling performance testing
  • Supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SOAP, and SSE
  • Combines scripting, environments, mocking, testing, and OpenAPI tools
  • Offers local, Git, and cloud storage with Inso CLI automation
Cons
  • Advanced IDE and Xplorer capabilities are split across paid tiers
  • The Pro plan costs $640 per user per year
  • Enterprise licensing uses custom commercial pricing
  • Essentials Git Sync projects support up to 3 users
  • Role-based access control and SSO/SCIM are Enterprise features
  • Pro costs $12 per user per month when billed monthly
Our verdict

Karate is an open-source test automation framework for developers and QA teams building automated suites for REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs. Its Gherkin-based syntax supports JSON and XML assertions, schema validation, data-driven scenarios,…

Read the review →

Insomnia is an open-source API collaboration platform for developers and teams building, testing, debugging, and designing APIs. It supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SOAP, and SSE workflows, making it suited to teams working across…

Read the review →
  1. KarateAPI Testing Tools 8.9Free plan
  2. InsomniaAPI Testing Tools 8.7Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Karate — where it wins

    • Tests REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs with Gherkin-based authoring
    • Combines mocks, contract testing, reports, and parallel execution
    • Supports CI/CD, self-hosting, and Gatling performance testing

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced IDE and Xplorer capabilities are split across paid tiers
    • The Pro plan costs $640 per user per year
    • Enterprise licensing uses custom commercial pricing

  • Insomnia — where it wins

    • Supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SOAP, and SSE
    • Combines scripting, environments, mocking, testing, and OpenAPI tools
    • Offers local, Git, and cloud storage with Inso CLI automation

    Where it doesn't

    • Essentials Git Sync projects support up to 3 users
    • Role-based access control and SSO/SCIM are Enterprise features
    • Pro costs $12 per user per month when billed monthly
  • Karate8.9/10 · Free plan

    A broad, automation-focused API framework with a valuable free tier and paid tooling add-ons.

    Visit KarateFull verdict →
  • Insomnia8.7/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A flexible, open-source API client with broad protocol support and CLI automation.

    Visit InsomniaFull verdict →

More comparisons

All API testing tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update