Insomnia vs Thunder Client: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Insomnia
Open-Source API Client for REST, GraphQL & More

Insomnia
Open-Source API Client for REST, GraphQL & More

What are Insomnia and Thunder Client?
Insomnia is a desktop application that lets you test and work with APIs. Think of it as a specialized tool for developers who need to send requests to APIs and check the responses they get back. It supports all major API types, so you don't need different tools for different projects.
The tool includes helpful features like environment variables (which let you switch between different settings easily), code generation (which creates code snippets you can use), and authentication helpers (which handle login details). You can also create mock servers to test your APIs before they're fully built.
Insomnia offers both free and paid versions. The free version works great for most individual developers, while paid plans add team features and extra tools.
Thunder Client is a REST API testing tool that lives inside Visual Studio Code. You can send requests, check responses, and organize your API tests without opening another program. It works just like other API testing tools but runs directly in your code editor.
The extension saves all your requests and settings on your own computer. This makes it fast, private, and able to work without internet. You can also save your testing data to Git repositories, making it easy to share with your team.
Thunder Client offers both free and paid versions. The free version works great for basic testing, while paid plans add features like unlimited test runs, team management tools, and advanced testing options for businesses.
Features of Insomnia and Thunder Client
Multi-protocol API support (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket)
Request organization with collections and folders
Environment variables for easy configuration
Authentication helpers for OAuth and API keys
Code generation in multiple languages
API mock servers for testing
Git integration for version control
Team collaboration features
Plugin ecosystem for customization
CLI tool for automation
Lightweight VS Code extension for API testing
Local storage keeps data private and secure
Git sync for team collaboration
Collections organize related API requests
Environment variables for different settings
Scriptless testing with simple interface
CLI integration for automated testing
GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC support
Request chaining and advanced scripting
AI integration through MCP Server
Use Cases of Insomnia and Thunder Client
Pricing of Insomnia and Thunder Client
Insomnia offers flexible pricing plans to match different needs and team sizes.
The Hobby Plan is completely free and includes all core API design, debugging, and collaboration features. You get unlimited collaborators for one project and 1,000 free mock requests per month (then $10 per 25,000 requests).
The Pro Plan costs $12 per user per month and unlocks unlimited collaborators across unlimited organizations. You also get native Git support for version control, role-based access control (RBAC) for security, and 10,000 free mock requests monthly.
The Enterprise Plan is $45 per user per month (billed annually) and includes everything in Pro plus enterprise single sign-on (SAML, OIDC), SCIM for user management, storage control options, self-hosted API mocking, unlimited mock requests, vault integrations, and dedicated enterprise support.
All plans include unlimited collection runs for automated testing.
Thunder Client offers flexible pricing to match different needs. The Free plan gives you the extension with 30 collection runs and basic features, but it is limited to personal, non-commercial use only.
The Individual plan costs $49 per year and includes 100 collection runs, advanced scripting, request chaining, and access to WebSocket, SSE, and gRPC testing. This plan works well for freelance developers.
For teams, the Business plan is $7 per month per user and includes 500 collection runs, team features, CLI integration, and the ability to pay by invoice.
The Enterprise plan at $16 per month per user offers unlimited collection runs, priority support, offline activation, encrypted environments, secrets manager integration with Azure and AWS, and enterprise single sign-on capabilities.
FAQs: Insomnia vs Thunder Client
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Katalon
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