The real difference is not the protocol list — it is whether you need a vendor account and a desktop app at all.
Insomnia is a mature open source client from Kong: an Electron desktop app, a CLI and a broad protocol list. The sore spot has been sign-in. Version 8.0 made an account mandatory, local projects came back in 8.3, and 9.0 announced "Improved Offline Access" — yet the open issue #7196 still describes signing in taking away access to the local scratchpad.
PolyApiIDE answers the same need from the other side: it is a browser extension (MV3), data stays in the browser by default, and neither the free tier nor sending requests requires a site account.
| Topic | PolyApiIDE | Insomnia |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Browser extension for Chrome / Edge / Chromium and Firefox, MV3 | Electron desktop app plus a CLI |
| Vendor account | Not required for the free tier or for sending requests. Server features use a technical client_id, not a user dashboard | Sign-in became mandatory in 8.0; local projects were restored in 8.3 |
| Working without network | Collections and environments live in the browser; requests never pass through our server | 9.0 announced "Improved Offline Access"; issue #7196 still reports sign-in removing access to the local scratchpad |
| License | Proprietary extension, not open source | Open source |
| Protocols | REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, SOAP, SSE, gRPC via JSON transcoding | REST, GraphQL, native gRPC, SOAP, WebSocket |
| Imports on the free tier | OpenAPI JSON and YAML, WSDL, GraphQL SDL and introspection, .proto, AsyncAPI, Postman, curl, Insomnia, Hoppscotch, Thunder Client | Own format, OpenAPI, Postman, curl |
| Variables | Request → collection → space → environment, and empty values are never applied | Environments and template tags |
| QA and load | Checks on the request itself, scenarios, Functional runner, load profiles, PDF reports | Tests inside collections, runs via the CLI |
| Interface language | English and Russian | English only |
| Licensing model | Free, monthly, yearly and a one-time Lifetime license | Paid plans are subscription based |
| Team work | Export, collection and folder patches, snapshots — all manual. No realtime workspace, no team billing | Cloud sync and shared projects |
Insomnia details verified on 2026-10-20.
Export your workspace to a file. If the project lives in the cloud, open it locally first so the export includes every request and environment.
In the collections panel pick import and the Insomnia format. Import is part of the free tier, no license required.
Select the environment and open "Applied variables". The order is request → collection → space → environment, and empty values are not applied — the classic trap of any import.
Attach QA checks to the requests that matter, group them into a scenario and run it through the Functional runner. Load profiles and PDF reports plug into the same scenarios.
No. The free tier and request sending work without a site account. Server features talk to the API through a technical client_id, which is not a personal dashboard.
gRPC works through JSON transcoding: a .proto file imports fine, but the service has to be published accordingly. There is no native gRPC channel in a browser extension — if that is critical, Insomnia is the stronger choice.
Yes. After import they are ordinary PolyApiIDE collections: edit, export and move them on. Your original Insomnia file stays untouched.
No. Storage is the browser. Anything leaves only through a manual action: export, patch or snapshot. There is no realtime sync between devices.
Up to two active sessions on the free tier, one on a demo key, and up to five per key on paid plans.