Karate vs Insomnia
Verdict: Karate scores 9.8/10 against 9.4/10 for Insomnia on our data score for API testing tools.
Karate is cheaper to start: paid plans from $8.33 vs $10 per user/month on annual billing.
Both have a free plan.
Insomnia leads on 2 checks and Karate on 1; 6 are even, out of 9 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Choose Karate for engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee. Choose Insomnia for developers who want a local-first or Git-synced API client with CLI test runs.
Scoreboard: 9 checks
| Check | Karate | Insomnia |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Even | Even |
| Free trial | Leads | |
| Lower entry price (annual) | Leads | |
| Lower entry price (monthly) | Leads | |
| Smaller seat minimum | Even | Even |
| REST API testing | Even | Even |
| GraphQL testing | Even | Even |
| API mocking | Even | Even |
| CI/CD integration | Even | Even |
| Total | 1 | 2 |
At a glance
| Karate | Insomnia | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.8/10 (#2) | 9.4/10 (#5) |
| Best for | Engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee | Developers who want a local-first or Git-synced API client with CLI test runs |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from (annual) | $8.33/user/mo | $10/user/mo |
| Paid from (monthly) | $64/user/mo | $12/user/mo |
| Free trial | — | 14-day Enterprise trial, no credit card required |
| Minimum seats | 1 | 1 |
| Platforms | Open-source framework (JVM), IntelliJ and VS Code plugins, Xplorer desktop app | Desktop app, Cloud sync |
Features
| Tool | Score | REST API testing | GraphQL testing | Load testing | API mocking | CI/CD integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karate | 9.8/10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Insomnia | 9.4/10 | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
- Only Karate confirms: Load testing.
Pros and cons
Karate
Pros- Core framework is free and MIT-licensed, including mocks, Gatling performance tests and CI/CD use
- One framework covers API, UI and performance tests
- Paid tiers are listed per user with public prices
- Async protocols (Kafka, gRPC, WebSocket) in CI/CD need an Enterprise runtime license
- Tests are written in Karate's own DSL, so non-coders need the IDE or Xplorer tooling
- Enterprise trials require a vetted, scoped request rather than self-serve sign-up
Insomnia
Pros- Free Essentials plan includes unlimited collection runs and Inso CLI access for CI/CD
- Projects can be kept local, synced through Git, or stored in the cloud
- Enterprise has a self-serve 14-day trial with no credit card
- Mock server requests are capped at 1,000/month on Essentials and 10,000/month on Pro; extra is $10 per 25,000
- Git Sync on the free plan is limited to small teams (up to 3 users)
- SSO and SCIM require Enterprise at $45 per user/month
Frequently asked questions
How do Karate and Insomnia compare on features and price?
Insomnia leads on 2 checks and Karate on 1; 6 are even, out of 9 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Is Karate better than Insomnia?
Karate scores 9.8/10 against 9.4/10 for Insomnia on our data score for API testing tools. Karate is best for engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee; Insomnia is best for developers who want a local-first or Git-synced API client with CLI test runs.
Which is cheaper, Karate or Insomnia?
Karate is cheaper, starting at $8.33 vs $10 per user/month on annual billing.
Do Karate and Insomnia have free plans?
Karate: yes. Insomnia: yes.
See the full API Testing Tools ranking for other options.